DIGI Villages – Digital heritage in the Alpine valleys. Project funded by the Interreg Italy–France ALCOTRA Programme of the European Union

DIGI Villages is a joint microproject developed by the Communauté de Communes de Haute Tarentaise (France) and the Municipality of Ayas (Italy), within the European Interreg VI-A France–Italy ALCOTRA 2021–2027 programme.

The project aims to support mountain communities in their digital transition, promoting innovative tools to enhance the cultural, historical and territorial heritage of the Alpine valleys.

Why DIGI Villages

Mountain areas face several key challenges today:

• slower digital development compared to other regions,

• risk of losing traditions and intangible heritage,

• the need to rethink tourism in a sustainable, four-season perspective,

• younger generations and local populations becoming increasingly distant from their historical and cultural roots.

DIGI Villages addresses these needs by creating new ways to narrate, explore and experience heritage through digital technologies.

What the project will do

Throughout the project, partners will work along three main lines:

1. Territorial analysis
A diagnostic study will identify needs, opportunities and key strengths to build a cultural and tourism strategy based on digital tools.

2. Research and testing of digital solutions
The project will analyse innovative tools such as:

• virtual reality,

• augmented reality,

• digital and multimedia archives,

• interactive content,

• digital maps and terminals,

• participatory tools for data and collective memory gathering.

The objective is to make stories, places and testimonies accessible even when sites are closed, no longer visible or difficult to reach.

3. Local implementation plans

The project will provide recommendations and concrete actions to apply digital solutions in Ayas and Haute Tarentaise, including pilot activities and a shared operational plan.

Objectives

Objectives
The main objectives of DIGI Villages are:

1. Assess the strategic potential of digital tools for heritage and local development.
   This includes:

• a diagnostic analysis of weaknesses and opportunities,

• identification of the role of digital solutions in cultural and natural heritage enhancement,

• evaluation of the usefulness of digital heritage inventories,

• analysis of the potential of tools such as:
  virtual reality,
  augmented reality,
  artificial intelligence,
  interactive content,
  digital games,
  digital terminals.

2. Evaluate the relevance of digital tools to local needs.
   A market study will aim to:

• understand which solutions respond to cross-border needs (France–Italy),

• make destroyed, intangible or inaccessible heritage visible and engaging,

• analyse challenges and opportunities of material and immaterial heritage,

• address emblematic cases (e.g., Colle del Piccolo San Bernardo).

3. Propose an operational implementation plan.
   This includes:

• a feasibility study,

• recommendations for concrete actions,

• definition of pilot scenarios,

• identification of future priorities for digital development in partner territories

Expected results

Key expected results include:

1. Availability and knowledge of digital tools supporting the transformation of Alpine valleys.
   The project aims to produce a clear and shared overview of:

• applicable digital tools,

• concrete use cases,

• replicable applications.

2. Pilot applications that can evolve into permanent processes.
   The tests carried out will make it possible to:

• assess technological solutions,

• evaluate their effectiveness,

• support future political and strategic decisions,

• contribute to local tourism planning.

3. Strengthening of local digital skills.
   This involves both partner administrations and local stakeholders, including:

• municipal offices,

• observers and experts,

• tourism operators,

• local communities.

4. Stronger cooperation between municipalities and tourism offices.
   In particular:

• greater dissemination of digital skills within mountain-related professions,

• increased awareness of sustainability and cultural tourism,

• support for the development of Alpine “smart villages”.

Who is involved

DIGI Villages is the result of a cross-border collaboration between:

• Communauté de Communes de Haute Tarentaise, project leader,

• Municipality of Ayas, supported by its scientific committee and local stakeholders from Val d’Ayas.

The cooperation leverages complementary expertise:

• from France, experience in participatory approaches and citizen science,

• from Italy, extensive work on the digitalisation of intangible heritage.

Beneficiaries

The project targets:

• residents,

• young people,

• visitors,

• local operators and professionals.

The activities aim to promote:

• greater knowledge of cultural heritage,

• active community participation,

• a renewed connection between citizens and territory,

• growth of local digital skills.

Part of the digital transformation of Alpine valleys

DIGI Villages is one step in a broader process of innovation and modernisation of mountain areas, in line with local, national and European initiatives on digital transition and the development of “smart villages”.

The pilot action in Ayas

Following the analyses carried out during the project, the Municipality of Ayas is launching a concrete pilot experiment through the Guide Express platform.
This solution enables the operational application of market analysis outcomes and identified digital needs, providing an immediately usable tool to enhance the cultural and tourism heritage of the territory.