Cube-Tec International GmbH

17/06/2026

Film heritage needs future :: Future needs film heritage

For 25 years, Cube-Tec has worked closely with audiovisual archives around the world. Together, we develop concepts and technologies that help preserve large archival collections for generations to come. Every day, we see just how vital the work of archives is in safeguarding our cultural heritage.

We collaborate with archives across the globe, but also with institutions close to home, such as the Landesfilmarchiv Bremen (SKB).

Film archives make history tangible. They allow us to experience the past in a unique and powerful way. This shared passion for preserving historical films is what connects us.

At the same time, many film archives are facing significant challenges. Technical systems are aging, valuable expertise is gradually being lost, and traditional workflows are reaching their limits. Preserving audiovisual collections for the long term requires continuous investment and sustainable support.

Dr. Daniel Tilgner of the Landesfilmarchiv Bremen (SKB) describes the value of historical films this way:

"Every film reel contains something truly special and unique: it preserves light captured from the past. It reveals countless details about the lives and world of people—and in our case, the people of Bremen—from times long gone."

Those who preserve films are not simply preserving images; they are safeguarding memories, identity, and history for future generations.

Greater visibility for film archives also means greater public awareness of the cultural value they protect every single day.

Help us shine a light on this important work!

Like and share this post so more people can discover why film archives are essential to our cultural future and gain a unique glimpse into the extraordinary changes that have shaped our world over the past 130 years.

The full quote from Dr. Daniel Tilgner is available here:

Dr. Daniel Tilgner of the Bremen State Film Archive (SKB) describes...

01/06/2026

𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗹𝗺.

It is crucial to keep the film and equipment clean during digitisation – yet over time, dirt and particles inevitably accumulate in the transport system. Even tiny specks in the light path can go unnoticed and distort your final result.

INSPECTIONscan solves this problem by automatically checking the light path – even before you load the next roll of film. If contamination is detected, the system alerts you immediately and pinpoints the exact location.

This makes cleaning quick, safe and efficient, so you can start every scan with confidence. Dirt may be unavoidable – but overlooking it doesn’t have to be.

𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵, 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗜𝗡𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀:

Cleanliness is paramount when handling archive film. It is crucial to keep the film and equipment clean during digitisation – yet over time, dirt and particl...

29/04/2026

Film archives don’t stand still and neither do the challenges around them.

That is exactly why we are at the FIAF Congress 2026 in Rabat this week.

We are here to exchange ideas, discuss real-world problems in film inspection and preservation, and connect with people who deal with them every day. If you are here as well, feel free to reach out!

22/04/2026

Cube-Tec will be attending the 𝗙𝗜𝗔𝗙 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝟮𝟲 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹–𝟭 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, hosted by the International Federation of Film Archives in Rabat, Morocco.

As one of the key international gatherings for film archives and audiovisual preservation, FIAF 2026 brings together experts and institutions dedicated to safeguarding our global film heritage.

Cube-Tec will be present throughout the congress to exchange ideas on large-scale film inspection, digitisation workflows, and sustainable preservation strategies. Tom Lorenz will be available for in-depth discussions on current challenges and future-oriented solutions in audiovisual archiving.

Would you like to arrange a meeting in advance? Please contact: 𝘁.𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘇@𝗰𝘂𝗯𝗲-𝘁𝗲𝗰.𝗰𝗼𝗺

16/03/2026

How do you preserve decades of film, video, and audio for the digital future?

Last week, we had the pleasure of discussing precisely that with Bremen's Mayor, Dr. Andreas Bovenschulte, who paid a visit to our headquarters to find out more about how innovative technology from Bremen is helping to protect audiovisual heritage around the globe.

During his visit, Dr. Bovenschulte gained first-hand insight into how Cube-Tec’s software solutions support the digitisation, processing and quality control of audiovisual archives. Our managing partners, Tom Lorenz and Jörg Houpert, discussed the challenges involved in preserving extensive media collections, as well as the increasing importance of automation and intelligent processing in contemporary archival workflows.

Dr. Andreas Bovenschulte commented: “Cube-Tec is nothing less than a global market leader. There can be absolutely no doubt about that. The company is highly specialised and develops software for the digitisation and enhancement of archival material—for example, by completing, tagging, and processing audio and video recordings into formats that are easy to work with. The potential applications are truly diverse. It makes me proud that we have such high-tech companies here in Bremen.”

We greatly appreciated the Mayor’s interest in our technology and the engaging exchange about the future of audiovisual preservation. It’s encouraging to see Bremen’s innovation ecosystem recognised at the highest level.

Thank you, Dr. Bovenschulte, for visiting Cube-Tec International, and for the inspiring conversation!

Press Release Pressestelle des Senats Bremen: https://www.senatspressestelle.bremen.de/pressemitteilungen/pionierarbeit-fuer-die-digitale-zukunft-von-medienarchiven-482353?asl=bremen02.c.732.de

04/03/2026

The Joint Technical Symposium (JTS) in Canberra has just come to an end, and it was a great event with many valuable discussions and new impulses for the archival and film preservation community!

Jörg Houpert (Cube-Tec) presented a case study on inspecting and digitising 100,000 film reels. One thing became very clear: film archives are running out of time.

Most major archives digitise less than 1% of their collections each year, while analogue holdings continue to grow. At that pace, large parts of our film heritage could remain inaccessible for the next 100 years.

The good news: the technology to change this already exists.

Using modern inspection and digitisation workflows, archives can now examine large volumes of film reels in just a few years. High-quality viewing copies document the current condition of each reel, while automated reports detect issues such as vinegar syndrome, shrinkage, mould, scratches, and damaged perforations. AI-supported cataloguing and scene recognition make it possible to analyse and organise massive collections far more efficiently than before.

The result: faster inspection, better preservation decisions, and searchable collections without replaying the fragile analog elements.

The takeaway from the Cube-Tec presentation was simple: the bottleneck is no longer technology!

If you want to find out more: https://www.inspectionscan.one/en

16/02/2026

INSPECTIONscan: Knowing before it's too late! Protocoling Vinegar Syndrome with INSPECTIONscan

Acetate film can carry more than images. It can carry chemical decay. Vinegar Syndrome often begins invisibly, but once it accelerates, damage becomes irreversible. In this video, we show how AD-Strip analysis can be performed directly on the INSPECTIONscan table. By visually matching the strip to a digital scale, archivists can assess the severity of acetic acid decay and decide how a reel should be handled, stored, or prioritised for immediate action. The scale is also added directly to the PDF report.

Acetate film can carry more than images. It can carry chemical decay.Vinegar Syndrome often begins invisibly, but once it accelerates, damage becomes irrever...

04/02/2026

Why JTS matters more than ever!

The Joint Technical Symposium has always been more than just a conference. It is one of the few forums where audiovisual archivists can openly and focused discuss technology itself, including its limitations, risks, and long-term consequences.

As Jörg Houpert, Founder and Head of Technology at Cube-Tec International, states in the JTS 2026 program (https://conlog.eventsair.com/jts2026/program)

“The Joint Technical Symposium is the most effective forum for members of the global audiovisual archival community seeking a deeper understanding of the technical aspects and new approaches in our field. Given the combination of technological obsolescence, dwindling expertise, and the risks and opportunities of highly complex technologies, there is a real need for a regular forum focused on professional, technological exchange...”

That need is exactly what brings the community together at JTS. Not to showcase perfect solutions, but to provide new concepts and insights to discuss, compare real-world experiences, and critically examine how new technologies should be applied responsibly in archival practice.

As a long-standing member of the international archival community, the team at Cube-Tec sees JTS as a valuable forum for sharing lessons learned, challenging assumptions and discussing effective strategies for managing large-scale audiovisual collections.

We look forward to continuing these conversations at the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia in Canberra!

See you on the 3rd March 2026!

26/01/2026

To date, only a very small portion of the world's analog film heritage has been preserved digitally; the majority remains locked away in archive shelves, slowly fading into obscurity. How can we prevent this?

Cube-Tec will be attending the Joint Technical Symposium (JTS) 2026, taking place from March 3–4, 2026 in Canberra, Australia.

This year, Jörg Houpert (Cube-Tec) will present a technical case study: "The inspection and digitisation of 100,000 film reels – lessons learned, what’s next?"

The presentation demonstrates how large film collections can be inspected and digitised within a few years by creating edge-to-edge digital viewing copies and largely automated condition reports. These reports document physical degradation and defects in a machine-readable form, enabling better preservation planning, collection analysis, and optimized storage strategies. It also introduces new methods for scene comparison, version analysis, and local AI-based content indexing while maintaining full data sovereignty. Practical use cases will be presented.

Meet Cube-Tec at JTS 2026 - Take the opportunity to meet the Cube-Tec team in person and exchange ideas on film inspection, audiovisual digitisation, and preservation strategies.

More details about the program can be found on the official JTS 2026 website: https://conlog.eventsair.com/jts2026/

12/12/2025

News from AMIA in Baltimore

At this year’s AMIA Conference in Baltimore, Tom Lorenz (Managing Partner, Cube-Tec) shared insights into one of Europe’s most ambitious video preservation projects: the migration of 550,000 hours of broadcast material for the National Library of Norway.

All recordings originate from legally required broadcasts of NRK and are now being transferred into the Library’s long-term digital archive. The workflow behind it: a fully quality-controlled QUADRIGA•Video setup with 16 broadcast VTRs, capable of migrating up to 90 hours per day. The system has been running successfully in full production for two years, supported by a tailor-made QC workflow developed specifically for this project.

If you would like to learn more about the project in Norway, please visit our website:
https://www.cube-tec.com/en/news/announcements/quadriga-video-migrates-550k-hours-nln

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us for inspiring conversations in Baltimore.