So, what did we learn from the first Heritage Advantage CoLab session?

We learned how archivists, brand heritage leaders, digitization champions, and cultural stewards are redefining the future of preservation.

Across industries, organizations are waking up to a powerful truth: heritage is no longer a passive record of the past, it’s a strategic asset that shapes identity, impact, innovation, and long-term value. That belief sits at the heart of the Heritage Advantage CoLab, a new cross-industry community hosted by ArchivalOne.

Our goal is simple but ambitious: bring together the people who safeguard history and give them a space to share insights, challenges, and future-forward ideas.

Our first CoLab session brought together leaders from Reuters Screenocean, GSK, Twinings, Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard, and The Centre for Business History in Stockholm. What emerged was a candid, energizing conversation about the realities of modern archival and heritage work - the pressures, the discoveries, the risks, and the opportunities. Here are the key insights that rose to the surface.

1. Heritage Is Human, Messy, and Full of Discovery

If there was one theme that united every participant, it was this: archives are Alive.

From Victorian fire engines tucked away in warehouses to 30-year-old Serbian cigarettes hidden inside a film canister, our co-creators reminded us that heritage work is equal parts detective work and stewardship. As Adrian O’Meara of Twinings & Ovaltine put it, “When you’re working with brands that are 100 or 300 years old, you realize heritage isn’t just history — it’s identity.”

These unexpected finds aren’t just curiosities. They’re narrative anchors — tangible reminders of how organizations evolved, adapted, and defined themselves over time.

2. Digitization Is Urgent — and Often High-Stakes

For Reuters, digitization isn’t a nice-to-have. It’s a race against time, risk, and environmental threat.

Helen Walker, Archive Manager at Reuters, shared how her team is building an in-house digitization hub capable of processing 1,000 tapes a month. The urgency is real: wildfires threaten physical archives in California, geopolitical conflict complicates access to materials in Jerusalem, and aging media formats degrade faster than many organizations realize.

“Our journalists bore witness to history — our duty is to preserve their content,” Helen said. It’s a reminder that digitization is not simply a technical workflow. It’s an act of responsibility.

3. AI Is Becoming a Force Multiplier for Discovery

While AI can’t replace the expertise of archivists, it is transforming what’s Possible.

GSK’s Jill Moretto shared how her team uses AI-powered transcription tools to make thousands of hours of video and audio content searchable for the first time. The impact is profound: hidden gems, forgotten interviews, and long-buried insights are suddenly discoverable.

“AI is like the most junior lawyer — you must check its work, but it saves enormous time,” Jill explained. It’s a pragmatic, grounded view of AI’s role in heritage: augmentation, not automation.

4. Many Organizations Don’t Realize They Have a Heritage — Until They Do

One of the most striking insights came from Anders Sjöman of the Center for Business History in Stockholm: “Heritage becomes real the moment a company realizes it actually has one.”

Some organizations wait decades before hiring their first archivist. Others outsource their memory entirely. And yet, once they begin to explore their history, they quickly see its strategic value — for brand, culture, innovation, and Resilience.

This realization is accelerating across industries, especially as companies confront rapid digital transformation and institutional knowledge loss.

5. Discovery Is Part Adventure, Part Responsibility

A memorable reflection on discovery came from Robert Athol, archivist at Chivas Brothers/Pernod Ricard, who described what it was like to step into an archive that had never previously had a dedicated professional steward. As he explained:

“I was the first qualified archivist Chivas Brothers had, and so I was in the fortunate position to be exploring attics and basements and warehouses, and everywhere to see what records were out there. I found all sorts of things, including my favorite object, a very large Victorian fire engine. Which no one else wants responsibility for, but I do!”

His story captures the spirit of heritage work at its most human. Archives are not assembled neatly. They are uncovered through curiosity, persistence, and a willingness to take responsibility for the objects and stories others overlook. Moments like these remind us that preservation is driven as much by passion as it is by process.

6. Heritage Is Intelligence — and a Strategic Advantage

As HAI’s Laura Osburnsen noted during the session, “Heritage is more than memory — it’s intelligence. When we activate it, organizations see themselves clearly for the first time.”

This is the heart of the Heritage Advantage CoLab. Heritage isn’t nostalgia. It’s a lens for decision-making, a foundation for trust, and a catalyst for innovation. When organizations understand their past, they navigate the future with greater clarity.

A Movement Begins

As ArchivalOne’s Casper Smithson said, “This isn’t just a meeting — it’s the beginning of a collaborative movement.”

The first CoLab session proved the power of bringing diverse heritage leaders together. The insights shared weren’t theoretical — they were lived, urgent, and deeply relevant to the challenges organizations face today.

This is only the beginning. More conversations, insights, and collaborative content is on the way.

See more details here: archivalone.com/heritage-advantage-colab/