EPOCH

The overall objective of this network was to provide a clear organisational and disciplinary framework, for increasing the effectiveness of work, at the interface between technology and the cultural heritage of human experience represented in monuments, sites and museums. The broad aim of the project was to have a lasting effect on the Cultural Heritage (CH) domain and to establish structures that continue the work started with EU financial support under the EPOCH project.

A key objective was to create a community of CH and IT experts who could share knowledge, experience and best practices and focus on improving the quality of services and creating standards for the cultural heritage domain. The consortium endeavoured to create a structure to support, encourage and train SMEs involved in the cultural heritage sector in order to improve the workings of the labour market with a view to growth, employment and the competitiveness of companies.

The goal for the Network of Expertise Centres (NoECs) was for each one to become a centre of shared competences in the use of digital and new communication technologies for cultural heritage content and on ways to access and preserve assets. The centres have successfully:

• incorporated and leveraged stakeholder knowledge
• stimulated cooperation among partners
• created a community of practice that evaluates and validates different approaches and technologies and makes findings available and
• contributed to a knowledge bank.

Following a successful pilot scheme across a distinguished international grouping, CENTRIM was awarded extra funding of €280,000 to pursue further research in this area.