E-RIHS, the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science, is now a European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ERIC), marking a significant milestone in its development since joining the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructure (ESFRI) Roadmap in 2016.
ICCROM has played a key role in E-RIHS’s development, leveraging its global expertise in heritage conservation to support this unique effort to enhance interdisciplinary research collaboration, knowledge exchange, and strengthen professional training. With its expected role as a permanent observer, ICCROM will work to further bridge science and conservation practice within the consortium.
The E-RIHS ERIC Central Hub is hosted in Italy, Florence, within the historic industrial site of Manifattura Tabacchi. From that location, E-RIHS coordinates the National Nodes of the countries currently participating in the ERIC – Cyprus, Hungary, Italy, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and the United Kingdom.
Designed to serve researchers and professionals, E-RIHS connects different fields of expertise, bridging hard sciences and humanities to create an interdisciplinary research environment. It gathers research organisations, universities, restoration centres, and cultural institutions in a unique community that enables access to cutting-edge facilities and resources throughout Europe. In addition, through the HS Academy, E-RIHS offers high-quality training programmes aimed at developing skills and building capacity in heritage science.
With this new status, E-RIHS strengthens its position as a key player in heritage science, both in Europe and beyond, by promoting an integrated approach to enhance the understanding, conservation, and appreciation of our shared cultural heritage.
