Cultural heritage is much more than the sum of knowledge and lessons from our past into the present. It can develop resilience, that can help process recent and ongoing events and strengthen a healthy response for the future. It can inspire adaptation and mitigation measures in the face of climate change – which is already seriously affecting cultural heritage – and other major societal challenges, through, for instance, the sustainability of adaptive reuse of immovable heritage or the knowledge carried via intangible heritage. 

The SRIA sets out the long-term vision of the Partnership, outlining the broad research themes that guide its activities and help answers two main challenges:  

  • The underdeveloped research and limited evidence regarding the impact of climate and environmental change on cultural heritage and corresponding adaptation strategies. 
  • The need to increase the understanding and recognition of how cultural heritage can inform policies and guide implementation measures towards a more resilient society, including the role of traditional and local knowledge. 

Genesis of the SRIA

The RCH Partnership will be informed by the 2022 Joint Programming Initiative on Cultural Heritage and Global Change (JPI CH) and JPI Climate White Paper ‘Cultural Heritage and Climate Change: New challenges and perspectives for research‘ as well as the ‘Strengthening cultural heritage resilience for climate change‘ document – published in 2022 and based on the work of the EU Open Method of Coordination (OMC) group of Member States’ experts. It also builds on the work of the Alliance for Research on Cultural Heritage in Europe (ARCHE) project, which, between 2022 and 2025 conducted literature reviews, stakeholder consultations and participatory workshops that provided substantial input regarding the state of the art in cultural heritage research and the communities’ needs and expectations from transnational coordination instruments. ARCHE also drafted the Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) endorsed by RCH. 

Core priorities

The SRIA is a tool developed by the cultural heritage and climate communities to strengthen cooperation in cultural heritage research, transcending disciplinary, sectorial, and geographical boundaries.  

It identifies three Priority Areas and three Cross-Cutting Themes have been identified to address key policy challenges and research and innovation opportunities 

  • Cultural Heritage and Environment: Strengthening Resilience through Risk Assessment and Management, Climate Mitigation and Adaptation  
  • Cultural Heritage and Society: Enhancing the Resilience of Society  
  • Cultural Heritage and Governance: Seizing Opportunities towards Sustainable Development 

The Cross-Cutting Themes will enhance the impact of cultural heritage research within the Priority Areas, ensuring that it generates evidence-based policies and strategies to safeguard and develop cultural heritage as a resource for building societal resilience and achieving climate neutrality:  

  • Communication, Education and Public Engagement  
  • Science, Technology and Innovation  
  • Science, Policy and Society Interface 

Read the SRIA

Contact the RCH Partnership