News 10 July 2026

ITSERR Presents HORTUS, the New Digital Research Environment for Religious Studies

At the European Academy of Religion 2026 Annual Conference ITSERR has presented a new platform named HORTUS, empowering scholars with datasets, digital tools, collaborative workspaces, and advanced research services.

HORTUS brings together datasets, digital tools, collaborative workspaces, training resources, and expert communities within a single integrated environment, providing researchers with a powerful gateway to next-generation scholarship.

It responds to the growing need for research infrastructures that support data-driven, interdisciplinary, and internationally connected research. The platform enables scholars to access and share resources, collaborate across institutions, and adopt innovative digital methodologies that enhance both productivity and research impact.

Single Research Environment

A key innovation of HORTUS is its ability to integrate digital resources and services into a single research environment, reducing technical barriers and allowing scholars to focus on discovery and knowledge creation. Researchers can engage with digital collections, datasets, and advanced tools while benefiting from collaborative virtual research environments tailored to academic needs.

Technological Innovation

HORTUS also supports the broader ITSERR mission of positioning Religious Studies at the forefront of technological innovation. By leveraging developments in artificial intelligence, big data, and advanced computing, the platform opens new opportunities for exploring religious traditions, cultural heritage, historical sources, and multilingual corpora in ways that were previously difficult to achieve.

Benefits for the Academic Community

The launch of HORTUS delivers several strategic advantages for researchers, research centers, and higher education institutions:

  • Integrated Research Environment – A single platform providing access to datasets, collaborative workspaces, and specialized digital resources.
  • Enhanced Collaboration – Opportunities for scholars across disciplines, institutions, and countries to work together within shared virtual research environments.
  • Support for Digital Scholarship – Tools and services designed to facilitate data-intensive and computational approaches to Religious Studies and related humanities disciplines.
  • Training and Skills Development – Access to training resources that help researchers develop critical digital competencies and adopt emerging research methodologies.
  • Open and FAIR-Oriented Research Practices – Improved accessibility and discoverability of scholarly resources, supporting transparency, reuse, and long-term sustainability.

With HORTUS, ITSERR takes a significant step toward the strengthening of RESILIENCE building a more connected, digitally enabled future for Religious Studies research and scholarly collaboration across Europe and beyond.

Access HORTUS here