Paximadis, KonstantinosTeneketzis, AlexandrosAlexandridis, GeorgiosRousaki, FevroniaZiku, MarianaCaridakis , GeorgeChristodoulou, YannisKonstantakis, MarkosDritsas, EliasSiolas, GeorgiosDrosopoulos, AthanasiosPurpose - The paper describes the development of the “AegeanA” digital infrastructure for cultural heritage management in the region of the North Aegean, Greece, with the objective of overcoming those barriers by connecting with cultural heritage institutions across the region and supporting the wider sharing of their collections in open-access and semantically enriched ways. Design/methodology/approach - Design and implementation of an open-source collection management system in the context of regional development. Focus is given on the components of user analysis and the development of the technological framework, especially in achieving interoperability with larger national and European digital heritage infrastructures. In addition, protocols of collaboration are established between the regionally operating institutions and the University of the Aegean. Findings - i) Challenges in reaching out to the majority of the targeted institutions: Registration of 54 cultural institutions operating currently in the Region of the North Aegean, out of which 17 at least with digital heritage collections/artefacts, interested to take part in the project. A survey targeting regional institutions yielded 6 replies, containing insights on qualitative and quantitative data, including needs and challenges. ii) Specific user needs identification and technical development attuned to interoperability: A range of requirements related to access, functionality, usability, and support were identified, reflecting the diverse needs of regional institutions. Technical components include the configuration and customisation of the open-source collection management system selected for developing the digital infrastructure, especially in achieving interoperability with the national cultural aggregator with the implementation of the OAI-PMH and resolution of technical issues. Originality/value - The research addresses a significant gap in the digital transformation of cultural heritage institutions at the regional development level.application/pdfhttps://ejournals.epublishing.ekt.gr/index.php/jiim/article/view/38585engΤμήμα Αρχειονομίας, Βιβλιοθηκονομίας & Συστημάτων Πληροφόρησης, Σχολή Διοικητικών, Οικονομικών & Κοινωνικών Επιστημών, Πανεπιστήμιο Δυτικής Αττικήςhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0Copyright (c) 2024 Mariana Ziku, Alexandros Teneketzis, Georgios Alexandridis, Yannis Christodoulou, Markos Konstantakis , Athanasios Drosopoulos, Elias Dritsas, Georgios Siolas, Konstantinos Paximadis, Fevronia Rousaki, George Caridakis2623-4629Journal of Integrated Information Management; Vol. 9 No. 1 (2024): Special issue (Jan-Jun 2024); 20-29barriersregional developmentdigital infrastructuresdigital cultural heritage managementDigital Cultural Heritage Management for Local Heritage: Overcoming Barriers to Accessibility with Regional Digital Infrastructuresinfo:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionPeer-reviewed Article2024-08-06Δημοσίευση σε περιοδικόPublication in journalΕπιστήμη πληροφόρησηςInformation scienceisi - Information Science & Library Science covers resources on a wide variety of topics, including bibliographic studies, cataloguing, categorization, database construction and maintenance, electronic libraries, information ethics, information processing and management, interlending, preservation, scientometrics, serials librarianship, and special libraries.Διοικητική Επιστήμη και Επιχειρησιακή ΈρευναManagement Science and Operations Researchisi - Operations Research & Management Science includes resources on the definition, analysis, and solution of complex problems. Relevant topics in this category include mathematical modeling, stochastic modeling, decision theory and systems, optimization theory, logistics, and control theory.Επιστημονικό άρθροScientific articleΠανεπιστήμιο Δυτικής Αττικής (ΠΑ.Δ.Α.)Greek Aggregator OpenArchives.gr | National Documentation Centre (EKT)