While the regions of Southern Europe and the Mediterranean are home to some of the world’s most treasured monuments, practices, and institutions, they are also increasingly exposed to risks related to climate change, all of which threaten heritage in both tangible and intangible forms.

On the 3rd December 2024, researchers and policy makers from nine countries—Cyprus, Greece, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Portugal, Spain, Tunisia, and Turkey—presented their cultural heritage research policies and priorities for the second ARCHE Member States and Associated Countries workshop held in Rome and online.

Hosted both online and in Palazzo Poli, the emblematic palace overlooking the Trevi fountain, this event laid crucial groundwork for future transnational cooperation in cultural heritage research, preservation, and policy.

Climate Change and Cultural Heritage: From Threat to Driver of Resilience

Across the Mediterranean, climate change poses a significant risk to cultural heritage. Countries like Cyprus, Turkey, and Italy underscored the need to develop coherent methodologies to assess the deterioration of heritage assets and to mainstream climate adaptation in heritage policies. Tunisia’s projects—ranging from the preservation of the island of Djerba to intangible traditions like couscous-making—highlight how climate threats are as much about human traditions as physical structures. In Cyprus, the Sendai Framework was cited as a model for risk reduction and systematic assessment at sites like the UNESCO-listed Ayios Ioannis Lampadistis monastery.

This growing awareness suggests a shift from seeing cultural heritage as merely vulnerable, to recognising it as a resource in climate adaptation, community cohesion, and sustainable development. For instance, Turkey’s national strategy uses cultural heritage to strengthen social integrity and solidarity in the face of shared challenges.

Technological Innovation and the Promise of AI

Digital technologies emerged as a shared resource across all countries represented. Whether through 3D scanning, GIS, robotics, or big data analysis, heritage science is rapidly evolving.

Two Italian-led Horizon Europe projects, NERITES and REPAIR,  are emblematic. The former is developing robotic and sensing technologies for underwater heritage monitoring, while the latter focuses on AI-driven restoration of ancient frescoes. These projects demonstrate how applied research can bridge the gap between conservation theory and real-world challenges, all while involving cultural professionals in the innovation cycle.

In Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, and Morocco, similar investments in digital heritage and open science are seen as catalysts for greater access, transparency, and public engagement, with notable examples including Cyprus’s national strategy for large-scale digitization of cultural heritage using 3D modeling and GIS.

Inclusivity, Co-Creation, and Local Knowledge

One of the workshop’s strongest messages was the value of co-design and co-creation. Cultural heritage policies and research strategies must no longer be top-down. Speakers from Malta and Portugal advocated for engaging local communities, Indigenous knowledge holders, and youth in designing and implementing cultural heritage research at national and European levels.

Examples included Malta’s participatory survey for its National Research Agenda on Cultural Heritage (NARCH), and Portugal’s reflections on its colonial past in collaboration with Cape Verdean communities.

The importance of internationalisation through collaboration was also central to the discussions. This was highlighted by Ech-cherki Dahmali, Director of the Maroc Telecom Museum, who asked: “Morocco is a significant European trade partner, why not in the cultural sector?”

From an Interdisciplinary to Transdisciplinary approach

While interdisciplinarity—bridging disciplines from heritage science to the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH)—has long been a goal in cultural heritage research, the workshop pointed to a shift towards the transdisciplinary approach. This also means involving stakeholders beyond academia: cultural institutions, NGOs, civil society, and industry, among others.

The workshop discussions emphasised how this approach is key to addressing complex issues like heritage degradation, climate resilience, and ethical restoration. The Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) designed for the future partnership ‘Resilient Cultural Heritage’ aims to embed this mindset, promoting open science and co-creation.

The Rome workshop illuminated a dynamic and evolving field where research, innovation, policy, and communities intersect. From climate change and digitisation to inclusivity and co-design, the messages were clear: protecting cultural heritage is no longer merely an academic concern, but it is rather a shared societal challenge—and an opportunity to unite countries through common values and collaborative solutions.

The future European Partnership on Resilient Cultural Heritage as outlined during this second ARCHE workshop will provide a unique platform to scale this vision across the Mediterranean and beyond.

Cover photo by Diliff – Own work, CC BY 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3943681