Saving a 17th-century warship: the tech team preserving Sweden's Vasa

In a Stockholm dockyard, a team of conservators is using cutting-edge technology to preserve one of the world's most famous shipwrecks – the Vasa, a 17th-century Swedish warship that sank on its maiden voyage in 1628. Adrienne Murray meets the experts deploying 3D scanning, climate sensors and custom software to monitor the vessel's fragile wooden hull, which has survived more than three centuries underwater only to face new threats from air and humidity. The project, which combines historical craftsmanship with digital innovation, aims to keep the Vasa intact for future generations. Meanwhile, at the VivaTech conference in Paris, Shiona McCallum presents a round-up of disruptive innovations and emerging trends on show. The preservation of the Vasa is just one example of how technology is being harnessed to solve problems that have long seemed intractable – but whether these digital tools can truly outpace the decay of history remains an open question.