MuseMetrics transforms data into smarter, more sustainable and safer museum management

The MuseMetrics project has been successfully completed this August, following the development and deployment of a platform that integrates conservation, energy consumption, visitor attendance and ticket sales data to support more efficient museum management. The solution has been implemented and validated using real data from Moco Museum Barcelona, laying the foundations for a model that can be transferred to other museums and cultural venues.

Museums face a particularly complex balancing act: they must maintain strict environmental conditions to ensure the preservation of artworks, provide a comfortable experience for visitors and, at the same time, reduce energy consumption and the carbon footprint of their facilities. In addition, visitor numbers can affect temperature and humidity levels inside galleries and increase climate-control requirements.

To address this challenge, MuseMetrics has connected information that was traditionally managed separately and transformed it into indicators, forecasts and actionable recommendations to support decision-making.

An operational platform powered by real data

The project’s main outcome is a complete and operational platform, deployed in a production environment using real data from Moco Museum Barcelona. The system integrates four main sources of information:

 - The catalogue of exhibited artworks and their conservation requirements

 - Environmental data recorded in the different galleries

 - The building’s electricity consumption

 - Ticket sales and visitor attendance data

Analysing these data sources together provides a better understanding of the relationships between conservation, energy, activity and financial performance. For example, an increase in energy consumption can be assessed in the context of visitor numbers, weather conditions or the specific conservation needs of the artworks, helping to avoid partial or inaccurate conclusions.

The platform provides indicators covering conservation, energy, costs, visitor attendance and sales channels; generates forecasts for attendance, revenue and electricity consumption; and proposes prioritised recommendations for action. These recommendations always place the protection of artworks ahead of any potential financial savings.

Reliable and auditable artificial intelligence

One of MuseMetrics’ distinguishing features is the separation between calculations and the use of artificial intelligence. All figures and indicators are calculated using deterministic, reproducible and verifiable rules. The language model does not calculate data; instead, it organises, groups and drafts recommendations based on previously validated information.

The platform also includes programmed safeguards that review the generated proposals and limit or reject them if they could compromise conservation conditions. This makes it possible to harness the potential of AI while maintaining the traceability, security and rigour required in a museum environment.

The system also makes it possible to identify the source of each data point and the period covered by each indicator. This traceability is particularly important when the different sources of information are not updated at the same rate.

A replicable model for the cultural sector

MuseMetrics has developed an architecture designed to be adapted to other cultural institutions with similar sources of information. Its scalability opens the door to applying the model in other museums, heritage sites and complex buildings that need to balance conservation, sustainability, public access and operational efficiency.

The next areas of work include establishing a normalised energy consumption baseline that accounts for weather conditions and visitor numbers, completing year-on-year comparisons of energy data, expanding the supported ticketing data formats and adding new categories of recommendations.

Visibility and knowledge transfer

A multi-channel communication strategy was implemented throughout the project to raise awareness of MuseMetrics across the cultural, tourism, energy and technology sectors. The initiative has been featured on the participating organisations’ websites, in specialised media outlets and in several LinkedIn posts.

The project was also presented at the 14th Forum TurisTIC, which focused on digital innovation and cultural tourism. At the event, Moco Museum shared the progress made during the pilot, while MuseMetrics contributed to the discussion about the role of technology in transforming the visitor experience. The event and its content received coverage in both general and specialist media, helping to extend the project’s reach and promote the transfer of its results.

MuseMetrics is the result of a collaboration between the Tech Tourism Cluster, the Clúster de l’Energia Eficient de Catalunya (CEEC), Moco Museum Barcelona, MIND and WATTEGA, with the support of ACCIÓ.

With its successful completion in August 2026, MuseMetrics demonstrates how data and artificial intelligence can help museums make better-informed decisions, reduce inefficiencies and move towards more sustainable management without compromising either heritage conservation or the quality of the visitor experience.