The SmartCulture project aims to provide a sustainable access to cultural heritage to a wider range of users by the use of digital technologies. Digital technologies will help to transform passive audiences into active practitioners of culture. The consortium will promote the creation of engaging digital experiences for access to cultural resources by the cross fertilization between ICT enterprises, Creative and Cultural Industries (especially SMEs) and research stakeholders across Europe. This cross fertilization will lead to new opportunities and good practices for innovative digital access to cultural resources and digital cultural mediation.These challenges fully comply with the objectives of the Work Program for ICT of the FP7 and the EU Work Plan for Culture 2011-2014 and with the conclusions of the green paper on Cultural and Creative Industries.Most of the eight regions involved in the SmartCulture project have a very high population, a very rich cultural heritage (e.g. Louvre-Lens, Museo Guggenheim, Museo del Prado), as well as a dynamic contents production. Some regions are European leaders for Information & Communication and Creative and Cultural Industries. All of the participants in the SmartCulture project have a strong relationship to European Capitals of Culture (ECoC) as winners or candidates.The consortium has the potentialities to develop innovative and efficient ways to provide access to cultural resources to a wider range of citizens, and it is obvious that there is a “market” for this. We have strong networks for ICT enterprises and CCI (especially SMEs), but we need to strengthen cross fertilization between technological and creative industries, by encouraging for example mobility for professionals and researchers, and the emergence of common data exchange formats for digital experiences. International competition with big players is forcing us to build a common international strategy, for gaining new markets, especially emerging ones.