The Heritage SmartLab project, which aims to create a European Digital Innovation Hub in Southern Italy, is part of the 45 Italian projects that have passed the national pre-selection phase by the Ministry of Economic Development, in agreement with the Ministry of University and Research and the Ministry for Technological Innovation and Digitization.
The project, which SPICI has developed for the Cluster Basilicata Creativa (coordinator of the partnership), will compete in a second phase in the restricted call for proposals managed by the European Commission in which all the projects selected by the Member States will participate.
As part of the Digital Europe Program for 2021-2027, the European Commission, together with the EU Member States, will set up a network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs) with the aim of supporting companies and Public Administrations in their digital transition through the adoption of advanced digital technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, High Performance Computing (HPC) and Cybersecurity.
The establishment of this European network aims to strengthen the synergy between the world of research and that of business, giving a decisive boost to technology transfer and digitization and allowing Italy to increase the competitiveness of its production system at an international level.
In particular, the Heritage SmartLab Hub will be structured as a laboratory for experimenting with new technologies applied to the cultural heritage sector and to cultural and creative industries.
It aims to create innovative products, from gaming to augmented reality, from the implementation of open data systems for the integrated management of contents to the promotion of cultural heritage on a geographical basis, up to sensors for monitoring and the use of digital for the educational and touristic enhancement of our heritage, while also involving local communities.
Heritage SmartLab aggregates the Cluster Basilicata Creativa, the Lucan Cluster of the Aerospace ETS, the Lucan Automotive Cluster – Intelligent Factory ETS, the Lucan Bioeconomy Cluster ETS, the Basilicata Energy Cluster ETS, the Digital Innovation Hub of Confindustria Basilicata and the MedITech Competence Center.
Together, they represent 9 Universities with offices in Campania, Basilicata and Apulia, over 200 SMEs (most of which are related to the fields of culture and creativity or sectors with a strong creative driven propensity), the Italian National Research Council (CNR), the Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), and other private / public research centers such as ASI and the Fiat Research Center in Melfi.
Heritage SmartLab will have its coordination center in Matera at the San Rocco Hub, and will be divided into different territorial hubs to be located within the three regions involved in the project which are Basilicata, Apulia and Campania.
