CAAI was founded in 1998 in the framework of the IInd Research Programme of the Regional Council, following the agreement between the regional Education and Science Authority and the University of Jaén. The objectives and aims of CAAI are:
- Archaeology of the Iberians
- Landscape Archaeology
- Management of Archaeological Iberian Heritage: For protection, research, preservation and dissemination strategies paying special attention to the use of TIC.
In the framework of this project CAAI collaborated with the Polytechnic School of the UJA to improve the application of photogrammetry to archaeological heritage.
CAAI has developed expertise in digital technologies through the national funded CATA project (2006-2008), developing a digital reference collection of Iberian ceramic vessels. The system uses of innovative semantic technologies and offers to the scientific community the possibility of accessing reference artefacts on-line.
CAAI was partner in EPOCH: European Research Network on Excellence in Processing Open Cultural Heritage. VI Framework Programme (IST-2002-507382)(2004-2008), a project to develop and to promote the use of Information and Communication Technologies to the Cultural Heritage. CAAI participates in the activity of the University of Jaen as leader of the “Project Campus of Excellence in Cultural and Natural Heritage”, a joint project of the Universities of Andalusia, strongly supported by the local government, a regional, national, European and International reference in terms of training, research, development and innovation in the knowledge areas that make up the Cultural and Natural Heritage. CAAI was also a partner of the EU project CARARE (2010-2013 ICT-PSP Programme) for the provision of cultural 3D content to Europeana. At the same time CAAI was involved with the Technology Research Program for Evaluation and Preservation of Cultural Heritage (CSD2007-00058. Consolider-Ingenio 2010 Programme), a network of 16 Universities, CSIC and Research Centres to set the scientific bases for an integral study of Cultural heritage (including Innovation in Information Technologies applied to Cultural Heritage).