iPRES conference drives digital preservation in the Asia Pacific

The 21^st International Conference on Digital Preservation (iPRES) has helped safeguard the cultural heritage of groups in the Asia Pacific by improving digital preservation practices in the region. 

Hosted by the National Library of New Zealand and Archives New Zealand, the conference took place from 3 to 7 November 2025 at Tākina Wellington Convention & Exhibition Centre. Welcoming 557 delegates from 41 countries (330 in person, 227 online). 

A key element of iPRES conferences is inclusiveness. Organisers of the Wellington event wanted to address a lack of capability in digital preservation for some under-resourced groups within the Asia Pacific region, including Indigenous, Pacific and community archivists. Early in the conference organisation, a Regional Impact Committee was formed with support from Business Events Wellington’s Conference Legacy Programme. 

Co-chair of the Regional Impact Committee, Martin Gengenbach, digital preservation policy and outreach specialist, said: “Business Events Wellington was integral in helping us to articulate the actual impact we were trying to have, and what metrics we could use to demonstrate our success. 

“We focused on the need for advocacy and activism for digital preservation in the region, addressing the growing digital divide, and the idea of sovereignty and self-determination, allowing communities to make their own decisions about how to manage their cultural heritage.”

Actions included centring Pacific and Indigenous stories in the content at iPRES, ensuring reciprocal learning as Indigenous communities came to both learn and share their perspectives. Keynote speakers included Peter-Lucas Jones from Te Hiku Media, who spoke about the progress his organisation is making in developing te reo Māori natural language processing tools. 

A Digital POWRR (Preserving Objects With Restricted Resources) workshop facilitated by international instructors was held around the conference. Funding was secured to bring 17 Pacific and iwi archivists to attend. 

“It was a really amazing chance for participants to get some additional digital preservation upskilling,” Gengenbach said. 

To support wider engagement with digital preservation and highlight why it matters in different contexts, nine education resources were created in the lead-up to the event. Customised for different groups, from artists to gamers to government agencies. 

“Those were handed out at the conference and are also available online through Creative Commons licensing, so people can replicate them themselves.” 

To strengthen connections within the regional community, the committee relaunched the volunteer-based Australasian Preserves online community at the conference. Already a dozen new people have signed up, with new activities planned for 2026. 

“We’re looking forward to revitalising that online community by specifically targeting the smaller institutions. A lot of people in Australasia Preserves have digital preservation skills and capability, and we want to connect them to the organisations who might need that,” Gengenbach said. 

A discussion panel and three ‘birds of a feather’ discussion sessions were also created for members of the region to talk about their needs and goals and to find shared solutions to improve digital preservation practices in the Asia Pacific. 

“That was really successful,” he added. “Now the fun part is getting everybody to continue those conversations and create something that is lasting and sustainable. The real work is just beginning.”

Conference chair Andrea Goethals, manager of digital preservation at the National Library and Archives New Zealand, added that the conference location and wider Wellington network contributed to iPRES 2025 achieving its goals. 

There were many opportunities to connect with local knowledge networks. The National Library hosted a successful social function, which included a kapa haka performance. There was also a World Digital Preservation Day celebration at Te Papa Tongarewa, which allowed delegates access to the national museum’s collections after hours. Delegates gave iPRES 2025 an overall satisfaction rating of 4.5 out of 5, with the integration of cultural elements named as a highlight for adding depth and meaning to the programme. The venue, organisation, and atmosphere were consistently praised for supporting both professional exchange and collegial interaction. 

“People had a really good experience, with high praise for Tākina, its facilities, food and location,” Goethals said. “They appreciated learning about the Pacific region, about New Zealand, and about the Māori culture. People really liked the pōwhiri , the welcome to New Zealand, and it set the tone for the conference.”