On the 7th and 8th of February 2023, CyI's Science and Technology in Archaeology and Culture Research Center (STARC) researchers Assoc. Prof. Sorin Hermon (in presence) and Valentina Vassallo (online), participated in the launch of the ANCHISE Project, a research and innovation project funded under the Horizon Europe Programme (2023 - 2026).

The event was hosted at the French School at Athens, which also coordinates the ambitious project. ANCHISE stands for ‘Applying New solutions for Cultural Heritage protection by Innovative, Scientific, social and economic Engagement.’ In line with the EU action plan against trafficking in cultural goods, the project aims to build a global and comprehensive answer to protect cultural heritage within and beyond the European Union.

ANCHISE will provide innovative and replicable solutions to European societies and will develop and implement new technological tools and methods for heritage professionals (e.g., Museums, Academics, Law Enforcement Agencies).

The ambition of ANCHISE relies on the multidisciplinary expertise of 15 European partners from different sectors: innovations companies (PARCS, ICONEM, INOV), research centers (Fraunhofer, ICCS, The Cyprus Institute), universities (University of Lumière Lyon 2, University of Poitiers, EUI Florence, Cyprus University of technology), practitioners (France’s National Police College, ICOM) and associations (Michael Culture).

This project will develop efficient methods, knowledge and toolkit to enhance the protection of cultural heritage against looting and illicit trafficking, bringing coordinated solutions to the key existing needs in the domain of cultural heritage protection: 1) Understand, 2) Prevent, 3) Act, and 4) Repair.

Figure 1. ANCHISE project Kick-off meeting at the French School at Athens

Figure 2. ANCHISE Work Packages’ leaders at the kick-off meeting at Athens     

Figure 3. The ANCHISE consortium at the French School at Athens for the project kick-off meeting