Upcoming kick-start event for the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage
On 15 March 2023, the European Commission is hosting an open event to present the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage to professionals from all over Europe, and kick-start the formation of a professional community dedicated at reflecting upon the benefits of the implementation of the Cloud in their everyday responsibilities.
Launched last summer within the framework of the Horizon Europe programme after a Commission proposal for the creation of a joint digital-based heritage safeguarding infrastructure between the European Union and its Member States, the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage is a project aiming at making the best of Europe's digital capabilities in the enhancement of cultural heritage digitisation and protection all across the continent. The goal of the Cloud is to make a better and more efficient use of the continent’s rich digital potential in the heritage sector, whose management is known to be that of long-term decay trends.
Indeed for an “old continent” like Europe, conservation and restoration of intangible and tangible heritage are continuous processes based on extensive timelines, combining several sets of complex professional skills and sound coordination of multi-stakeholder relationships. They also require the initiation of fruitful lasting interactions between involved actors, to ensure a balance between preservation and valorization of the touristic wealth often represented by the continent’s heritage sites and practices.
ENCATC is already fully committed to encouraging the heritage sector in identifying innovative ways to operate, notably through its structuring involvement in the CHARTER Alliance. To optimally sustain such dynamics, the plain involvement of digital infrastructures represents an essential aspect of the contemporary benefits brought by interconnectedness and digitalization. In Europe, the gap to be bridged appears consequential, offering a wide potential for the heritage sector. It is estimated that around 50 to 70 percent of the continent’s cultural collections are yet to be fully digitised, hence making the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage appear as a highly promising initiative that should soon start to deliver its first benefits.
Mobilizing an EU funding of €110 million until 2025, the Cloud is an ambitious yet very attainable undertaking that has been described by Mariya Gabriel as an initiative that will likely make Europe a world leader in digitally-based heritage protection.
To register and know more click here.