The Technical University of Crete (TUC), the project coordinator, established early the core approach to justify sustainable innovation in heritage, addressing both challenges and opportunities. This strategy has already been showcased at internal workshops, open consultations, conferences and invited forums.
The HI-EURECA-PRO project has advanced significantly through activities at its three interconnected Demo Sites—the Industrial, the Cultural, and the Mining Demo Sites—supported by horizontal actions. These efforts aim to boost research and innovation capacity in line with EU priorities such as green and digital transitions, regional growth, and inclusiveness.
At the Industrial Demo Site, led by Silesian University of Technology (SUT), a key milestone is the launch of the Digital Transformation Hub (DTH), a public portal for heritage-focused digital transformation knowledge and collaboration. It features virtual showrooms, gamified storytelling, AI support, and self-assessment tools, engaging especially youth in industrial heritage. Activities began with a seminar on digital transformation and living labs. A panel on digital and energy transformation brought together academia, industry, and policy stakeholders. An internship and workshop program for PhD and postdoc researchers is underway, along with a joint research agenda aligned with EURECA-PRO’s PhD studies on digital industry and heritage preservation.
The Cultrural Demo Site, led by Technical University of Crete, launched the Sustainable Cultural Heritage Network, connecting researchers and stakeholders to tackle sustainability in cultural heritage. After its inaugural event and SWOT analysis, it organised interdisciplinary workshops on "Material Sustainability in Cultural Heritage," introducing innovative conservation methods aligned with green and digital goals. These workshops support a practical guide and training for the Technology Transfer Office staff on IPR protection. C-DS activities promote heritage integration into regional innovation systems and align with EU research priorities.
The Mining Demo Site, led by the University of Petroşani (UP), focuses on the sustainable transformation of post-mining regions and circular economy integration. Initial actions included an inauguration, a workshop on Heritage and Circular Economy, and site visits. A Research Project Office was established to strengthen knowledge transfer and innovation, preparing training on project development, IP, and mining patents. Plans are underway for a Digital Mining Museum using digital tools to preserve mining heritage and support ERA’s place-based innovation goals.
Horizontal actions have amplified Demo Site impacts. Universidad de León produced curriculum recommendations and a “Guide on Social Sustainability,” promoting gender equality and excellence among young researchers, and fostering heritage-sustainability networks. Hasselt University mapped knowledge transfer structures and conducted surveys to guide valorisation strategies. Montanuniversität Leoben assessed institutional capacities for international and interdisciplinary heritage research. Hochschule Mittweida developed effective open science communication approaches tailored to diverse institutional needs. Technische Universität Bergakademie Freiberg created an evaluation and impact monitoring framework to track the Demo Sites' progress.
The project’s Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation Plan has been drafted and the project website and social media channels were established. Also, risk and data management frameworks to safeguard ethics and research quality have been set.
Together, these efforts have laid a strong foundation for sustainable innovation, cross-border collaboration, and institutional transformation in heritage research and practice.
