The quest to safeguard tangible cultural heritage Many different national and European efforts have focused on addressing the need to conserve our tangible cultural heritage. A recent effort has created a network to exchange information on the topic and consolidate available information. Industrial Technologies © Shutterstock Rapid development and climate change are not always kind to our tangible cultural heritage, which includes historical buildings, monuments and artefacts. While many European initiatives exist to help preserve cultural heritage, efforts are fragmented across bodies, institutions, foundations, museums and borders. The EU-funded NET - HERITAGE (European network on research programme applied to the protection of tangible cultural heritage) project coordinated national research programmes related to protecting such heritage. Bringing together ministries, funding agencies and research/development authorities from 14 European nations, the project worked to enhance information exchange on the topic. To achieve its aims, the project team collected the relevant initiatives and data from the countries and prepared recommendations on common approaches to addressing protection and conservation. It published reports on key topics such as relevant national programmes, participation in programmes for the protection of tangible cultural heritage, common research gaps and research priorities. This was followed by a foresight workshop in the United Kingdom and an action plan to integrate pre-accession and neighbouring countries into the fold, plus a project report for relevant European Commission parties. The project then articulated a model programme for advanced training in order to disseminate research to those who work in conservation. It also built a network of training institutions that share knowledge and experience in conservation. NET - HERITAGE disseminated research outcomes and news in relation to the protection of tangible cultural heritage across Europe. It enhanced the visibility of the social and economic importance of the cultural heritage sector, in addition to developing a common policy framework on the subject. Tapping into these efforts will help safeguard Europe's heritage and position the continent as a leader in the field of conservation. Future generations will no doubt thank us for such noble efforts. Keywords Tangible cultural heritage, NET - HERITAGE, conservation
