This deliverable presents the results of the activities carried out within Work Package 4 of the ECHOES project to identify, characterise and engage cultural heritage communities, with the objective of informing the design and development of the Cultural Heritage Cloud (ECCCH). The report is based on a mixed-method and iterative approach combining large-scale quantitative data collection through an international survey, qualitative analysis of open ended responses, and targeted validation through workshops, focus groups and complementary consultation activities. This approach enabled both a broad mapping of the cultural heritage landscape and an in-depth understanding of community practices, needs and expectations. The analysis highlights the diversity and hybridity of cultural heritage communities, identifying a set of transversal needs shared across profiles, such as interoperability, accessibility of tools, data governance, and capacity building, as well as more specific requirements linked to distinct professional roles and levels of digital maturity. These insights are synthesised through the development of an Atlas of communities and personas, providing a structured and human-centred framework to support usercentred design. The report also includes a gap analysis comparing identified needs with existing tools and emerging solutions developed within the Cloud ecosystem, highlighting both areas of progress and remaining systemic challenges. The results underline that the development of the Cultural Heritage Cloud cannot rely solely on technological solutions, but requires a holistic, user-centred and ecosystem-based approach that integrates infrastructure, services, governance, and capacity building. These insights provide a foundation for the next phase of the project, contributing to the strategic development of the Cloud and informing future actions in WP4 and beyond, such as the definition of technical requirements, community engagement strategies, integration and onboarding processes, and capacity building activities across ECHOES and the broader Cloud ecosystem. The consultation process itself also constitutes a key outcome, establishing an initial network of engaged stakeholders and setting the basis for a continuous, iterative dialogue with cultural heritage communities throughout the lifetime of the project.
Prandoni et al. (Fri,) studied this question.