Articulation between digital museum management and creative economy for the universal accessibility of afro-matancero heritage

Abstract

This article presents the conception of a digital entrepreneurship project focused on the museum management of Afro-Matancero cultural heritage, articulating digital technology and the creative economy. Its main objective was to design a business model for the Afro-Matancero Digital Museum, focused on the digitization of heritage to promote its universal accessibility, under the principles of inclusion, sustainability, and local development. The research, with a qualitative approach and exploratory-descriptive design, was conducted between November 2024 and April 2025 in key spaces such as the San Severino Castle Museum, the African Art Gallery, and the Historic Center of Matanzas (Cuba). Through participant observation, interviews, case studies, and documentary review, a digital ecosystem was conceived, comprising an interactive platform with educational resources (Afro-Matancero Living Memory), 3D recreations, a social media presence, collection digitization, and augmented and virtual reality applications. The results project the development of digital skills in communities and museums, as well as the definition of specialized professional profiles for this work. It is concluded that the presented model promotes innovative, sustainable heritage management with socioeconomic impact, positioning Afro-Cuban culture as an educational, tourism, and productive resource.