Cultural Heritage Research in the context of Environmental Technologies in FP7

1. Cultural Heritage Research in the context of Environmental Technologies in FP7 Andrea Tilche Head of Unit “Environmental Technologies” DG RTD andrea.tilche@ec.europa.eu

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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.

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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)

9. 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

10. 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

11. Tentative Roadmap

12. 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, SE&U, ERC, Marie Curie Fellowships, etc.)

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