Although unforeseen circumstances related to the COVID-19 pandemic occurred during the project implementation, activities were carried out in accordance with the plan.
The originally planned conference was transformed into virtual format without affecting the most important objective of gathering the most prominent speakers in the field of cultural heritage to, among other, explore and discuss priority topics on the R&I cultural heritage agenda crucial for Horizon Europe. Despite the fact that the programme has been somewhat reduced, the planned pillars were systematically covered within four panels with 5 - 6 panellists each.
Besides the technical solutions to major challenges and objectives related to cultural heritage, the conference also promoted debate and the study of the social, environmental and economic challenges that cultural heritage is facing. It strongly advocated the EU research framework programmes as crucial instruments for tackling the named challenges.
One of the major conference outputs, the Rijeka Communiqué (www.heritage.uniri.hr/rijeka-communique) comprehensively summarises the conclusions of the thematic pillars and the discussions of the HERItage conference, reflecting the main goals and perspectives of EU policies in cultural heritage for the next period.
The Rijeka Communiqué was disseminated through all relevant media and communication channels.
The five key conclusions, that also reflect on the socio-economic impact of the conference, are the following:
1. Horizon scanning
To preserve European cultural heritage we must keep in mind the values of diversity, solidarity, enlightenment, and inclusivity – which lie at the core of the European identity. In this sense, we should bestow extraordinary support upon the European University Initiative, as a crucial institutional step. Through innovative modes of internationalization, mobility, and transnational as well as cross-cultural collaboration, we are more efficient at ensuring the preservation of European cultural heritage.
2. Distributed excellence
Distributed excellence demands a fair circulation of brains, the balanced development of different European local, regional and national communities, and fair EU funding based on the new European agenda of collaborative quadruple-helix partnerships. We must acknowledge innovative methods in research related to cultural heritage, which, in the digital age, demand technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), big-data analytics, social media, and block-chain.
3. Citizens culture
It is a widespread opinion that cultural heritage is vital for EU citizens as an expression of their (shared) values, beliefs, traditions, and history. The transformational potential of engaging with cultural heritage for the development of progressive democratic values must be encouraged. Education and research in CH share the general responsibility to support public policies that enhance and teach openness, the protection of human rights, tolerance, and respect for diversity.
4. Cultural heritage digitalized
We must cultivate the awareness of the significance of adopting new technologies and grasp the potential of digitalization. Culture and heritage need thus to be actively digitized into high-quality data. This will help us create and innovate, promote research, and use the advantages of digital tools in promoting and safeguarding CH. In the related educational processes, skills related to creativity, critical thinking and communication must be safeguarded and enhanced, and these necessarily require real human interactions.
5. Industrial heritage
We must recognize and value the extraordinary potential of education and research related to industrial cultural heritage, which lies not only in its substantial cultural value, but also in its potential to understand the concept of cultural heritage as the optimal framework for discussing our past, present, and future.
