The delicate nature of ancient textiles makes their digitisation particularly demanding. Many have survived only in a fragmentary state, having undergone processes such as carbonisation or mineralisation, which obscure their original structure. Their composition further complicates the process—fine plant and animal fibers, as well as reflective materials like gold threads, challenge traditional imaging techniques. Additionally, textiles were designed for movement, yet capturing their flexibility, texture, and structural integrity in a digital format remains an ongoing challenge. Without careful handling and advanced imaging solutions, crucial details about weaving techniques, dyeing methods, and decorative patterns risk being lost.

The iconic plaster casts of Pompeii, which preserve the final moments of its inhabitants, also hold hidden textile imprints that offer invaluable insights into ancient clothing and accessories. However, the smooth, monochrome surfaces of these casts make it difficult to capture fine details digitally. Additionally, environmental factors like humidity can alter their appearance, making long-term preservation and comparative analysis even more challenging. Some casts may also contain embedded accessories—such as leather or metal elements—that are not visible to the naked eye but could be revealed using advanced imaging techniques like multispectral analysis and terahertz scanning.

• Athena Research Center (ARC) – Greece (Project Coordinator)
  ARC is a leader in cultural heritage (CH) digitization and cloud-based research environments. It has contributed to major European projects such as Europeana Cloud, DARIAH, and ARIADNE. In TEXTaiLES, ARC plays a key role in the development and integration of AI-powered tools for processing digitized content.
• Sapienza University of Rome (SUR) – Italy
  A3TEX Sapienza Resarch Center contributes with expertise in textile archaeology and historical analysis. Its researchers are digitizing ancient textiles and textile imprints from Pompeii, developing new methodologies for AI-driven textile analysis, and participating in the creation of an Open Access Roman Textile Database.
• Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) – Greece
  CERTH is a leader in artificial intelligence, image analysis, and robotics. In TEXTaiLES, it is responsible for developing a 4D digital twin platform, enabling virtual inspection and remote examination of textile artifacts. The institute is also designing automatic restoration tools to reconstruct damaged textiles and deploying robotic navigation algorithms for data acquisition in museums and complex environments.
• University of Warsaw (UWA) – Poland
  UWA specializes in archaeological textile research and material analysis of textile-related artifacts, such as seal impressions and textile imprints on clay. The university also contributes to the study of textile production techniques and their cultural significance.
• University of Oulu (OUL) – Finland
  With a strong background in digital humanities and material sciences, Oulu brings expertise in 3D imaging and micro-CT scanning for the detailed study of textile fibers, burial textiles, and archaeological fabrics. OUL is also involved in developing new digitization protocols for fragile textile artifacts.
• TechnAI (TAI) – Spain
  A technology SME specializing in AI for cultural heritage, contributing to machine learning applications for textile pattern recognition and virtual restoration.
• Nubifucus Ltd. (NUB) – United Kingdom
  A company focused on information sciences and cultural heritage digital workflows, supporting AI-based data management strategies.
• Fraunhofer Institute (FRA) – Germany
  Fraunhofer contributes with its expertise in textile modeling and computational analysis. Its role in TEXTaiLES focuses on advanced simulations of textile structures, AI-driven textile reconstruction, and the application of multispectral imaging to study the degradation of ancient fabrics.
• Acceligence Ltd. (ACC) – Cyprus
  An SME contributing to robotic data acquisition and autonomous scanning technologies.
• Textile Museum St. Gallen (TSG) – Switzerland
  TSG is one of Europe’s most significant institutions for historical textiles. It plays a key role in preserving and analyzing textile collections, providing historical data, and testing innovative digitization techniques on delicate museum objects.