Launch of the Alliance for Research on Cultural Heritage in Europe (ARCHE)
On September 1st, 2022, the ARCHE project (Alliance for Research on Cultural Heritage in Europe) officially started. Funded by the European Commission and gathering 24 partners from 18 European countries for three years, it will develop a pan European framework for a holistic approach to Cultural Heritage Research and Innovation, by creating a spearheading coordination network of researchers, innovators, heritage professionals, institutional bodies and citizens.
With the Fondation des Sciences du Patrimoine as project coordinator and a budget of three millions euros, this Coordination and Support Action (CSA) will engage all Cultural Heritage actors in member States / Associated Countries in the co-design of Research and Innovation strategies and roadmaps that lead to Research and Innovation initiatives requiring multidisciplinary approaches and skills.
The ARCHE kick-off meeting will be held in Paris on September 29th in Paris, in presence of the French Ministry of Culture, the European Commission and the project’s partners.
ARCHE Challenges
- Pursue and emphasise the development of Cultural Heritage as an interdisciplinary field of research, by fostering pollination between disciplinary silos, environmental science and green technologies, and Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH).
- Facilitate convergences, interactions and transfers between Cultural Heritage research and different economic sectors, in particular with Cultural and Creative Industries, tourism, regional growth and rural development, so that Cultural Heritage has a more crucial role in nurturing innovation.
- Developing and making broadly available new knowledge, skills, and strategies for sustainable preservation, conservation, use and management of Cultural Heritage
ARCHE specific objectives
- To draw a comprehensive picture of the European Cultural Heritage Research & Innovation landscape and propose joint action responding to needs by efficient use of complementary funding sources.
- To develop the ARCHE Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for Research & Innovation in Europe based on a holistic approach for Cultural Heritage.
- To drive the ARCHE SRIA towards innovation and concrete actions.
- To set-up a purpose-built governance structure promoting involvement and commitment of partner institutions and ensuring efficient coordination.
- To achieve the critical mass in terms of participating stakeholders and resources needed for the long- term sustainable operation of ARCHE.