Digitization and digital technologies became an integral part of people’s life and economy’s development. However, it is acknowledged that most natural and cultural values that are unique or can actually be seen in a single place, are not subject to digitization yet. This hampers the access to the general public. The issue on how to improve this situation is a common challenge for all regions in Europe. It is clear that conventional approaches do not give the necessary results. Innovative solutions are required so that they could ensure both conservation, promotion and development of natural, cultural and historical heritage. Digitization is an innovative approach the application of which can be addressed to solving a large part of the visible problems in the management of natural and cultural heritage. It is necessary also synchronization with international standards related to the information structure of the digitized objects. In this regard, for the problem to be resolved, main project objective is: to improve adoption of the digitization policy for natural and cultural heritage and to be prepared the implementation of best practices into the participating regions, according to their needs. The implementation of this common plan for cooperation work on interregional level will contribute for establishing of uniform standards in the mass digitization of natural and cultural heritage. These uniform standards will represent a direct contribution to the implementation of Digital Single Market Strategy for Europe. Main products of project implementation are regional strategies and plans for better organization of the management and exploitation of natural and cultural heritage. It is expected that inspired by the project results, to implement a number of new initiatives in the participating regions that directly improve 8 policy instruments, related to Growth & Jobs or ETC programmes. All the stakeholders, participating in the project, will benefit from them.
As project partner, we’ve published on CD-ETA website three Good Practices:
- Virtual tour of the Tribuna degli Uffizi
- “See for me”, the “intelligent audio guide” project
- The Fortezza da Basso in Florence, new technologies for surveying and restoration
In the roadmap of the project are included local meetings with stakeholders actively involved or potentially interested in the above mentioned digitization process; these local meetings are named Focus Groups because they are adressed to a small number of partecipants. Regarding the Italian side, teh meetings are taking place in the Operative Headqaurter of the Foundation, in Via Gino Capponi 16/18r in Florence:
- The 25th of July, 2016, the theme was teh creation of local actors’ network with strong interest in the digitization theme and “swot analysy” on the current situation in Tuscany Region
- The 23rd of November, 2016, the topic was “Digitization of cultural heritage”, here the link (italian version only)
- The 23rd March 2017 the third Stakeholder Meeting on “Digitization of Museums and Galleries” took place. Read the news on our website and on MET, the multichannel newspaper of Public Administrations in Central Tuscany. The aim was to face the upcoming challenges with international stakeholders, together with the presentation of best practices, during the following project meeting, the “Second Thematic Seminar on Digitazation of Museums and Galleries” that was held in Florence, 08-09-10 May in Fenzi Palace, in conjunction with the 150th anniversary of Italian Geographical Society celebrations. The news related to the Thematic Seminar is available here
- The 5th of July 2017 we talked about “Digitization of intangible heritage” for our fourth Stakeholder Meeting, the news is available here. Following the previous Stakeholder Meeting, from 17th till 20th of October 2017 project partners joined the third Thematic Seminar on digitization of intangible heritage in Skofja Loka, Slovenia, hosted by BSC – Regional development Agency of Gorenska. Here the link to know more about it
- Right after the beginnng of 2018 our Foundation held the 5th Stakeholder Meeting, “Big data for historical sites management”, at the following link some more information. We selected Grazia Tucci, Associate Professor at University of Florence and coordinator of GECO Laboratory, to fligh with us in Greece, in Ancient Olympia historical site, to explain her Good Practice during the 4th Thematic Seminar “Digitalization of Monuments and Archaeological Sites”. Read our news.
- On 28th of May we organized the 6th Stakeholder Meeting, “Digitization of libraries and archives”, read the news here. After that, from 19th till 22nd of June, we invited, Francesca Capetta from Associazione Nazionale Archivistica Italiana – Sezione Toscana and her Good Practice on the topic, to join us in the 5th Thematic Seminar in Valladolid, Spain, “5th Thematic Seminar – Policies and implemented tools for digitization of libraries and archives”, here the news.
- On 24th of October a bigger stakeholder meeting was organized. All the main participants of the previous stakeholder meetings were invited. Also the stakeholder who came to project meetings, i.e. the Thematic Seminars, joined this local event. They were asked to present to the participants their contribution and experiences related to the Good Practices in specific themes of the digitization process that through the past 3 years they presented during the project meetings. After this event, project partners met in Estonia, Tallinn, from 13th till 15th of November, to focus on the writing of an Action Plan to be presented within the first phase of the project (March 2019). Considering the high relevance of such document, both for the project and for the regions committed to this agreement, the stakeholder brought by our Foundation was the Director of Cultural and Research department of Tuscany Region, Dr. Roberto Ferrari. To know more about it, read our news here.
- Our last Stakeholder Meeting took place in the Department for Culture and Research of the Tuscany Region, on February 26th, 2019. A few weeks later (12-14 March 2019), the Italian delegation composed by our project team members, Franca Fauci and Marco Scerbo, together with Roberto Ferrari, Director of the Department for Culture and Research, participated in the Workshop organized by the Lead Partner in Pleven. Besides specific insights into the state of the art of each regional Action Plan, the Workshop provided a common methodology on how to carry out monitoring and implementation activities. To know more about it, read our news here.
- March 31st, 2019: the first phase of CD-ETA project concluded successfully. It’s time for our project to enter its second phase! Find out more here.
- After phase 1, on 1st April started phase 2, which will last one year. Here we are with a few lines about our Phase 2 activities: we really wish to keep you all in the loop!”
- June 4th, 2019: Franca Fauci, representing CD-ETA Partnership, was invited to attend the workshop organized by the Policy Learning Platform in Riga! A very fruitful day revolving around the topic of ‘The transforming power of cultural and creative industries (CCIs)’. Read our news here.
