Periodic Reporting for period 1 - ENGINEER (CIVIL ENGINEERING AND GEOMATICS INNOVATIVE RESEARCH ON HERITAGE)
Reporting period: 2022-10-01 to 2025-09-30
Cultural heritage in the Mediterranean is increasingly threatened by climate change, earthquakes, and urban development. In Cyprus, where monuments and archaeological landscapes are exceptionally rich but institutional resources remain limited, the ENGINEER project set out to build excellence and capacity in the research and protection of cultural heritage. Its full title, Civil Engineering and Geomatics Innovative Research on Heritage, reflects its central idea: to bridge civil engineering and geoinformatics for a holistic understanding of monuments and their environments.
The project addressed a long-standing fragmentation in the national research landscape. While Cypriot researchers had advanced expertise in structural engineering, remote sensing, and photogrammetry, these fields rarely worked together. Through the Horizon Europe Twinning scheme, ENGINEER enhanced the scientific and managerial capacity of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT)—the only institution in the country where civil and geomatics engineers collaborate within one department. The project provided intensive knowledge transfer, modernised research management, and fostered a culture of open and interdisciplinary science.
To achieve these goals, CUT joined forces with three leading European universities—Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI), University College London (UCL), and University of Aveiro (UAVEIRO)—and the Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence. Each partner contributed complementary expertise: advanced geometric documentation and HBIM from POLIMI, structural and climate-resilience engineering from UCL, and materials characterisation from UAVEIRO. Together they implemented a structured programme of training, mobility, and pilot studies fully aligned with the Smart Specialisation Strategy of Cyprus, which identifies cultural heritage as a horizontal pillar for sustainable development.
ENGINEER aimed to raise CUT’s research excellence in 3D modelling, digital twins, and non-destructive testing, while providing high-quality training in data acquisition, structural monitoring, and conservation technologies. It also modernised research management through open-science and gender-equality policies, and strengthened cooperation with public authorities, industry, and local communities. By integrating Earth-observation data, geospatial analysis, and engineering models, the project created replicable workflows for documenting, diagnosing, and preserving heritage sites under climatic and seismic stress.
The project addressed a long-standing fragmentation in the national research landscape. While Cypriot researchers had advanced expertise in structural engineering, remote sensing, and photogrammetry, these fields rarely worked together. Through the Horizon Europe Twinning scheme, ENGINEER enhanced the scientific and managerial capacity of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT)—the only institution in the country where civil and geomatics engineers collaborate within one department. The project provided intensive knowledge transfer, modernised research management, and fostered a culture of open and interdisciplinary science.
To achieve these goals, CUT joined forces with three leading European universities—Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI), University College London (UCL), and University of Aveiro (UAVEIRO)—and the Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence. Each partner contributed complementary expertise: advanced geometric documentation and HBIM from POLIMI, structural and climate-resilience engineering from UCL, and materials characterisation from UAVEIRO. Together they implemented a structured programme of training, mobility, and pilot studies fully aligned with the Smart Specialisation Strategy of Cyprus, which identifies cultural heritage as a horizontal pillar for sustainable development.
ENGINEER aimed to raise CUT’s research excellence in 3D modelling, digital twins, and non-destructive testing, while providing high-quality training in data acquisition, structural monitoring, and conservation technologies. It also modernised research management through open-science and gender-equality policies, and strengthened cooperation with public authorities, industry, and local communities. By integrating Earth-observation data, geospatial analysis, and engineering models, the project created replicable workflows for documenting, diagnosing, and preserving heritage sites under climatic and seismic stress.
During its three-year implementation (2022–2025), the ENGINEER project strengthened the research and innovation capacity of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT) by integrating civil engineering and geomatics expertise for the protection of cultural heritage. The consortium—CUT, Politecnico di Milano, University College London, University of Aveiro and Eratosthenes Centre of Excellence,—implemented nine work packages combining gap analysis, training, mobility, research management, and outreach actions.
Researchers and students participated in six summer schools and eleven thematic workshops covering 3D documentation, non-destructive testing, material characterisation, structural assessment, and digital heritage management. Staff exchanges and field campaigns enabled hands-on experience with laser scanning, UAV photogrammetry, spectral imaging, and finite-element modelling. The exploratory research of WP6 applied these tools to heritage sites such as the Tombs of the Kings, producing replicable workflows for risk assessment and digital conservation.
The project generated more than 12 peer-reviewed journal articles, 21 conference papers, and multiple open-access datasets on Zenodo and KTISIS. Institutional reforms under WP7 introduced open-science policies, gender-equality measures, and new research management practices. Two strategic initiatives emerged: the CONNECTING infrastructure, equipping CUT with advanced sensors and computing platforms, and MNEMOSYNE Research Centre, a permanent national hub for digital cultural heritage established in 2025. These outcomes mark CUT’s transformation into a regional centre of excellence linking engineering, heritage science, and digital innovation.
Researchers and students participated in six summer schools and eleven thematic workshops covering 3D documentation, non-destructive testing, material characterisation, structural assessment, and digital heritage management. Staff exchanges and field campaigns enabled hands-on experience with laser scanning, UAV photogrammetry, spectral imaging, and finite-element modelling. The exploratory research of WP6 applied these tools to heritage sites such as the Tombs of the Kings, producing replicable workflows for risk assessment and digital conservation.
The project generated more than 12 peer-reviewed journal articles, 21 conference papers, and multiple open-access datasets on Zenodo and KTISIS. Institutional reforms under WP7 introduced open-science policies, gender-equality measures, and new research management practices. Two strategic initiatives emerged: the CONNECTING infrastructure, equipping CUT with advanced sensors and computing platforms, and MNEMOSYNE Research Centre, a permanent national hub for digital cultural heritage established in 2025. These outcomes mark CUT’s transformation into a regional centre of excellence linking engineering, heritage science, and digital innovation.
ENGINEER advanced the state of the art by bridging engineering sciences and geoinformatics in the service of cultural heritage preservation. The project introduced a cross-disciplinary framework that integrates terrestrial, aerial, and satellite sensing with structural and environmental modelling. The combination of UAV and LiDAR-based 3D documentation, heritage-BIM (HBIM) systems, and finite-element (FE) simulations enabled a new digital-twin approach for the diagnosis and monitoring of monuments under seismic and climatic stress.
At the methodological level, ENGINEER demonstrated multi-scale workflows—from spectral change detection using Earth Observation data to close-range non-destructive testing—that can be replicated across Mediterranean heritage sites. The integration of AI-assisted algorithms, such as physically-based reflectance models and weak-learner classifiers, further extended the project’s contribution to predictive heritage risk analysis.
Institutionally, ENGINEER introduced new standards for open, interoperable data. All major datasets—TLS point clouds, UAV imagery, HBIM models, and laboratory results—were published through Zenodo and the CUT repository following FAIR principles. These practices catalysed a culture of open science within CUT and beyond.
The project’s research outputs, including peer-reviewed publications in Heritage, Remote Sensing, IEEE Access, and in other scientific journals, positioned the consortium among the leading European references in digital heritage engineering. The newly founded MNEMOSYNE Research Centre and the CONNECTING infrastructure ensure that these results remain sustainable and scalable, supporting future applications in structural health monitoring, risk preparedness, and climate adaptation strategies for heritage sites.
At the methodological level, ENGINEER demonstrated multi-scale workflows—from spectral change detection using Earth Observation data to close-range non-destructive testing—that can be replicated across Mediterranean heritage sites. The integration of AI-assisted algorithms, such as physically-based reflectance models and weak-learner classifiers, further extended the project’s contribution to predictive heritage risk analysis.
Institutionally, ENGINEER introduced new standards for open, interoperable data. All major datasets—TLS point clouds, UAV imagery, HBIM models, and laboratory results—were published through Zenodo and the CUT repository following FAIR principles. These practices catalysed a culture of open science within CUT and beyond.
The project’s research outputs, including peer-reviewed publications in Heritage, Remote Sensing, IEEE Access, and in other scientific journals, positioned the consortium among the leading European references in digital heritage engineering. The newly founded MNEMOSYNE Research Centre and the CONNECTING infrastructure ensure that these results remain sustainable and scalable, supporting future applications in structural health monitoring, risk preparedness, and climate adaptation strategies for heritage sites.