Axiell Publishes New Research on Digital Transformation in the Culture Sector

Lund, Sweden, 10 December 2020 – Axiell, the world’s leading software and services provider for the cultural sector, announces the publication of new research conducted in partnership with MuseWeb regarding the status of digital transformation in the culture sector. This research and analysis can be found in Axiell’s 2020 Culture Sector Digital Transformation Report.

Building on a survey conducted in 2016, Axiell and MuseWeb spoke to their communities to get an in-depth look at their experiences in 2020 to assess digital growth or decay in the last four years. With findings from over 120 industry professionals across galleries, libraries, archives and museums, the results speak to an industry that has been deeply shaken, but that is determined to endure.

With COVID-19 acting as a digital accelerant across industries, the culture sector has not been immune. Because of their dependency on patronage-based revenue such as ticket, membership and gift shop sales, many cultural institutions are at risk of permanent shutdown.

These institutions expanded their use of digital as a mechanism to continue serving their communities and create alternative revenue streams. Ranging from simple to sophisticated digital tactics, these strategies have propelled digital transformation and innovation across the sector.

Some highlights from the research reveal:

• 58% of respondents indicated that their organisation’s digital strategy is still in development/to come – a figure that grew from 37% in 2016 – a 57% increase.
• 50% of respondents also agree or strongly agree that they are in a constant state of flux with resources that are unpredictable.
• 55% of respondents are prioritising investment in digitising their collection, up from 49% in 2016. Axiell believes this is a strategy to lay strong foundations for digital growth.
• In 2016, 9% of respondents said it was a smooth process to enrich the data for their digital media and share it online. Happily that number has climbed to 16% in 2020, a 78% increase.

Joel Sommerfeldt, CEO of Axiell Group, comments, “Everyone at Axiell, all 350 of us across the globe, are dedicated to helping our users find new avenues for digital innovation to help them through this tumultuous time. During the pandemic we’ve been able to support our users with products that enable remote work and create opportunities for digital engagement. Axiell offers the culture sector’s first and only end-to-end digital tech stack. Our mission is to provide a fully connected, sustainable and scalable technology platform to enhance the ability of cultural institutions to bring rich cultural history to their local and global communities.”

Read the full 2020 Culture Sector Digital Transformation Report.