P R E S S R E L E A S E
“Digital Transition and Cultural Heritage”
ELLET and the Athens Heritage Hub
at the Europa Nostra Forum in Bucharest – 7/10/2024
ELLET, representative of Europa Nostra in Greece and partner in the EU-funded European Heritage Hub pilot project, and the team of Europa Nostra’s Cultural Heritage Hub in Athens – Athens Heritage Hub participated in the second European Heritage Hub forum “Championing a responsible digital transition for and with cultural heritage” which took place in Bucharest, on 7 October 2024. More than 30 experts in the field of digital transition of cultural heritage discussed various aspects of the issue in the historic Royal Palace building in Bucharest, where the National Museum of Art is currently located.
The discussions focused on the urgent need for human-centred, value-based uses of AI in relation to cultural heritage. The forum also highlighted the vital interplay between the digital dimension/innovation and the preservation of cultural heritage and identified key challenges and opportunities related to the digitisation of cultural heritage in Europe.
A key outcome of the Forum is the Call for Action which highlights the importance of a socially and environmentally responsible digital transformation in the cultural heritage sector and its role in shaping Europe’s (digital) future. The Call for Action becomes extremely timely as the latest wave of the digital revolution, powered by Artificial Intelligence, is reshaping life with unprecedented innovation and poses ethical challenges and risks.
The Forum was a key component of the European Heritage Summit 2024 organised by Europa Nostra under the high patronage of the President of Romania, from 6 to 8 October.
ELLET also participated in the European Heritage Awards ceremony, where, with its support, the group “Boulouki” – Touring Workshop for Traditional Building Techniques (Greece) was honoured for its exemplary work in the category “Education, Training & Skills”.
Also, ELLET organized a tour of the historical centre of Bucharest with emphasis on the promotion of the Greek element and its role in the history of the city. The tour was offered by the distinguished historian Mr. Tudor Dinu, professor of Modern Greek Studies at the University of Bucharest and honorary ww doctorate of the Democritus University of Thrace.
FEW WORDS ABOUT THE EUROPEAN HERITAGE HUB
The European Heritage Hub pilot project responds to the need to create a permanent cultural heritage hub in Europe and seeks to bring together stakeholders from all levels of government, from local, regional, national and European administrations. The Hub aims to address the many priority objectives of the European Union and its key partners. Particular emphasis will be placed on climate action and green transition, inclusion, cohesion and accessibility, as well as innovation and digital transition.
The creation of the Athens Heritage Hub in May 2022 is the result of close cooperation between Europa Nostra, the Municipality of Athens and ELLET, which was selected by Europa Nostra to protect and promote cultural heritage in the wider region of South East Europe, Turkey and the Caucasus (Armenia and Georgia).
Watch the video recording of the event with the contributions of the participants, including Sabine Verheyen, Vice-President of the European Parliament, Harry Verwayen, Director General of Europeana Foundation, Oonagh Murphy, Lecturer at the Institute for Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship and Michelle Thorne, Director of Strategy, Green Web Foundation, on vimeo: https://vimeo.com/1017272638
For more photos: https://we.tl/t-XDDWbm20TJ
For more information: en@ellinikietairia.gr
