NEMO members strengthen digital and sustainability skills at ENCATC Academy 2026

Ten people connected to NEMO member organisations had the opportunity to take part in the ENCATC Academy 2026, thanks to dedicated travel support provided by NEMO, enabling free participation in the training. The Academy offered an intensive learning and networking environment focused on sustainability, digital transformation and leadership in cultural management – key priorities for Europe’s museum sector.

Organised by ENCATC with support from NEMO for the fourth time, the ENCATC Academy took place from 21–24 April in Bilbao, Spain. The training brought together cultural professionals from across Europe to explore current challenges and future‑oriented strategies for cultural organisations. Participants deepened their understanding of sustainable cultural policy and management, while also gaining practical insights into the growing impact of digital transformation and AI on the sector.

The ten NEMO members made full use of the Academy’s strong peer‑learning and exchange format. Alongside expert‑led sessions, the programme offered space for dialogue, shared reflection and informal networking, allowing participants to connect with colleagues facing similar challenges across different contexts.
 

For many participants, the Academy was also a valuable opportunity to step back from daily operational pressures and reflect on wider strategic questions – from embedding sustainability principles into organisational practice, to navigating rapid digital change in a responsible and future‑proof way.

Spotlight on NEMO’s 2026 focus: AI and digital transformation

Digital transformation and AI are at the heart of NEMO’s 2026 focus topic, and this perspective was strongly represented during the Academy. NEMO Project Officer Mira Höschler contributed to the programme by presenting NEMO’s ongoing work on digital transformation and AI in museums. As part of its wider digital capacity‑building efforts, NEMO also highlighted the upcoming hands‑on webinar on 10 June, facilitated by DEN on Cybersecurity & AI: Staying Safe in a Rapidly Changing Digital World.

NEMO also took the opportunity to invite participants to continue the conversation at the NEMO European Museum Conference 2026: Human after all - Museums in the wake of AI, which will take place from 11-13 October in Vilnius, Lithuania.

More about ENCATC

ENCATC is the European network on cultural management and policy and represents, advocates, and promotes cultural management and cultural policy education, professionalises the cultural sector to make it sustainable, and creates a platform for discussion and exchange at European and international level.

ENCATC has been creating and delivering academies for over 10 years, alongside local partners. The ENCATC Academy is the space for the cultural management and policy community come together for learning and adopting a new behaviour as a professional and as a citizen.

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