Cultural Heritage Research in the context of Environmental Technologies in FP7

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• Cultural Heritage Research in the context of
  Environmental Technologies in FP7

Andrea Tilche Head of Unit Environmental
Technologies DG RTD andrea.tilche_at_ec.europa.eu
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Environmental Technologies(Specific Programme)

• Environmental Technologies for the Sustainable
  Management and Conservation of the Natural and
  Man-made Environment
• New or improved environmental technologies are
  needed to reduce the environmental impact of
  human activities, protect the environment and
  manage resources more efficiently and to develop
  new products, processes and services more
  beneficial for the environment than existing
  alternatives. Research will target in particular
  technologies preventing or reducing environmental
  risks and disasters, technologies promoting
  sustainable production and consumption
  technologies for managing resources or treating
  pollution more efficiently, in relation to water,
  soil, air, sea and other natural resources, or
  waste technologies for the environmentally sound
  and sustainable management of the human
  environment including the built environment,
  urban areas, landscape, as well as for the
  conservation and restoration of cultural
  heritage.

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Amendment of the Parliament and of the Council

• The ITRE Committee of the Parliament voted an
  amendment to the FP text that is equal to the one
  introduced by the Council in the GA
• New bullet point
• - Protection, conservation and enhancement of
  cultural heritage, including human habitat
  improved damage assessment on cultural heritage,
  development of innovative conservation
  strategies, foster integration of cultural
  heritage in the urban setting.

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Environmental Technologies(Specific Programme)

• Technology assessment, verification and testing
• Research will focus on the risk and performance
  assessment of technologies, including processes
  and products, and the further development of
  related methods such as the life cycle analysis.
  Moreover, focus will be given to chemicals risk
  assessment, intelligent testing strategies and
  methods for minimising animal testing, risk
  quantification techniques and research support
  to the development of the European Environmental
  Technologies Verification and Testing system.

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Environmental Technologies

• Strong pillars
• The Strategic Research Agenda of the Water Supply
  and Sanitation Technology Platform
• Strategic Research Agendas of other Platforms,
  like Construction, Forestry, Textiles, etc., on
  env. technologies
• A new research programme on wastes (sorting,
  treatment, recycling, prevention)
• Other environmental technologies (soil
  protection, air emissions, built environment,
  marine technologies, etc.)
• Technologies for protecting Cultural Heritage
• Technology assessment (LCA, risk assessment,
  REACH)
• The support to various Environmental Thematic
  Strategies (Soil, Wastes, Pesticides, Management
  of Resources, etc.)
• The link with the Environmental Technologies
  Action Plan

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How to design a long-term WP

• FP7 will last 7 years
• We are almost completing all FP5 projects, but
  all FP6 projects are on-going and will last for
  some years during FP7
• We have to define a Roadmap that is based on the
  critical research needs, which takes into account
  what is on-going, in order to minimise
  duplications and overlaps

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Defining critical research needs

• Parliament hearing on CH research on February 6th
  2006, followed by a 1-day meeting of an
  expert/stakeholder group
• The ideas gathered from the two events prepared
  the ground for the definition of the FP7 work
  programme
• FP7 Advisory Group just established
• Inputs from the Focus Area Cultural Heritage of
  the European Construction Technology Platform
• This Conference is expected to add-on, reviewing
  the results of the last two years, identifying
  research gaps and future needs

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Budget constraints

• After the decision on the 2007-2013 Financial
  Perspectives, the research budget was cut about
  -30 in average with respect to the proposal of
  doubling it
• Being that it should result in a 75 increase by
  2013, with respect to 2006, FP7 will start with a
  relatively low budget (for Environment it will be
  slightly lower than 2006), that will markedly
  grow only from the 4th year onwards
• To evaluate the impact of the Rules of
  Participation (75 to Public bodies and SMEs)

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How to make limited funds more productive?

• The impact of research activities is not only due
  to the available financial resources
• The starting of FP7 will see a modest uplift in
  our investments in Cultural Heritage research
  (from 4.1 M in 2006, we may grow to about 6-6.5
  M in 2007)
• The inputs from this Conference will be of
  outstanding importance for us to decide the most
  productive way to invest
• Is it better to continue with well defined
  SSP-type actions with a narrow focus, or to
  invest in broader initiatives that may deliver
  greater impact?
• Should we define the subjects in a top-down way
  or allow for a more bottom-up approach?
• CH research is however too fragmented higher
  integration and cross-fertilisation is needed

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The starting point for FP7 Cultural Heritage
Research in the Environment Programme

• The overarching objective is the Protection,
  Conservation and Restoration of Cultural
  Heritage, which requires a multiple integrated
  approach
• Focus on complex assemblies and not only on
  individual materials
• Indivisibility among damage functions, assessment
  and monitoring for conservation
• Importance of context in research on the moveable
  and immoveable heritage

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Tentative Roadmap
Research areas 2007 2008 2009
Diagnosis, assessment and monitoring technologies and tools x x
Managing environmental changes, hazards, damage mitigation and preventive conservation x x
Cultural Heritage compatible materials (jointly with Priority 4 NMP) x x
Conservation and restoration techniques (jointly with Priority 4 NMP) x x
Protection of archaeological sites and cultural landscapes x x
Fostering the integration of Cultural Heritage in the urban/rural setting x
Support, training and coordination actions x x x x
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Conclusions

• A roadmap approach is necessary (taking stock of
  the state-of-the-art to build a strategic view of
  innovation potential), knowing that for the first
  three years the budget will be only slightly
  higher than today, while later it may grow
• Emphasis given to projects that can demonstrate
  the highest impact, i.e. technologies and
  methodologies that can be applied to a wide range
  of assets, within the context of Environmental
  Technologies research
• Holistic and integrated approach regarding the
  moveable and immoveable character of CH
  assets
• Consider opportunities offered by other parts of
  the FP (ICT, SEU, ERC, Marie Curie Fellowships,
  etc.)

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Conclusions

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