Cultural heritage in Cyprus and the broader region faces unprecedented challenges, from climate change and conservation to illicit trafficking and community engagement. Addressing these pressing issues requires a holistic, multidisciplinary approach, one that integrates cutting-edge scientific research, technology, and heritage studies. Over the past 15 years, STARC’s Digital Cultural Heritage expertise at The Cyprus Institute, in collaboration with the Department of Antiquities, has been at the forefront of developing innovative tools and methodologies to support heritage documentation, resilience and preservation. APAC Labs has been leading this effort in the context of STARC / The Cyprus Institute.
In this framework, The Cyprus Institute and the Institut Français de Chypre, under the auspices of the French Embassy in Nicosia, co-organised a workshop to publicly discuss strategies for tackling Heritage at Risk in Cyprus. Led by Assoc. Prof. Sorin Hermon, the event brought together experts, researchers, and practitioners to explore new pathways for addressing these challenges through collaboration, policy development, and digital innovation.
The workshop opened with insights from Dr. Marina Solomidou-Ieronymidou, President of the Cyprus National Commission for UNESCO, along with Dr. Anthi Kaldeli (Department of Antiquities) and Prof. Nikolas Bakirtzis (CyI) from the Climate Change and Cultural Heritage Task Force of the Cyprus Republic’s Eastern Mediterranean and Middle East Climate Change Initiative (EMME-CCI). Their contributions emphasised the critical role of climate adaptation strategies and the urgent need for conservation-driven policymaking. Following this, STARC’s Digital Cultural Heritage activities were highlighted by Assoc. Prof. George Artopoulos (CyI) and Assoc. Prof. Sorin Hermon (CyI), demonstrating how The Cyprus Institute’s APAC Labs and VELab contribute to advancing digital tools for preservation.
A key focus of the workshop was community-driven engagement and digital innovation in conservation efforts. The French-based NGO ACTA VISTA, represented by Elizabeth Vénisse, provided insights into how societal initiatives play a transformative role in safeguarding heritage. The event culminated with a presentation by CNRS – UMR-MAP researchers Violette Abergel and Anaïs Guillem, who shared their experience in the digital reconstruction and restoration of Notre Dame de Paris after the 2019 fire—a landmark case study in how digital tools and interdisciplinary expertise can drive heritage recovery.
The strategic investment in Digital Cultural Heritage by The Cyprus Institute has solidified its place in key EU-funded research initiatives, such as ECHOES, E-RIHS, and DARIAH, while projects like ARCHE, HERIFORGE, ATRIUM, GRAPHIA, and 3D-4CH continue to expand research capacity. This workshop reinforced the importance of fostering European and international collaborations in tackling heritage threats, and the discussions laid the groundwork for future partnerships aimed at securing the resilience of cultural heritage for generations to come.
