Merging voices in Cultural Heritage: protection through innovation in materials and methods

In the very last years there is a growing interest around Culture and Cultural Heritage at European institutional and political level. In Europe, the widespread presence of the movable and immoveable cultural assets, their high cultural value, and the accessibility/fruition of this patrimony by the public make crucial the necessity of their sustainable management and protection. In this context, scientists and materials science can play a very decisive role in safeguarding cultural heritage.

2023 represents the twentieth anniversary of the EMRS symposium dedicated to materials science and CH. in these 20 years we have contributed to the growth of this important research sector.

The evolving CH roadmap is challenging us to find innovative scientific routes for the protection of cultural heritage assets. Through the development of collaborative projects, new concepts have become the cornerstones of future trends, merging diverse scientific fields through an holistic approach, bridging experts from materials science to information and digital technologies, from industry to policy makers, monitoring and surveillance to architecture and civil engineering, as well as several other voices such as archaeologists, heritage conservation and restoration professionals, and other CH related stakeholders. The pioneering work developed so far allowed for a better understanding of the importance of cultural heritage, steering towards an improved communication and interaction with society for the promotion of a common cultural identity.

Hot topics to be covered by the symposium:

• Advanced Non-Destructive and Structural Techniques for Diagnosis, Redesign and Health Monitoring
• Resilience to Climate Change, Natural Hazards
• Structural rehabilitation of built heritage and Architectural Authenticity
• Cross-Discipline Earthquake Protection and Structural Assessment of Monuments
• Historic cities and centers: New Reuse and preservation strategies applying Circular Economy
• The Reuse of Cultural Heritage through Circular Economy and Social Participation as Key Contribution to Local and Regional Development
• Sustainable Cultural heritage preservation addressing energy challenges
• Sustainable Preservation and Management of Cultural Heritage
• Preserving Compatibility, Materiality, and Integrity of Cultural Heritage Assets
• Digital Heritage: a holistic approach
• Projects and outstanding works as source of innovation and trans-disciplinarity
• Bridging Heritage Stakeholders, Art, Science, and Industry
• From Research and Innovation to Policy