RCH Partnership kick off meeting: Using knowledge of the past to build a more resilient future for Europe's heritage

RCH Partnership kick off meeting: Using knowledge of the past to build a more resilient future for Europe's heritage

Last week marked the official launch of the European Partnership for Resilient Cultural Heritage (RCH) in Marseille, hosted at the stunning Mucem – Musée des civilisations de l’Europe et de la Méditerranée.

RCH Partnership is a ten‑year Horizon Europe initiative dedicated to safeguarding and strengthening Europe’s cultural heritage in the face of climate change. It will open new opportunities for transnational cooperation between cultural heritage and climate research communities.

ERRIN is delighted to be part of this ambitious partnership and to have joined the kick‑off meeting alongside so many ERRIN members.

Regions will play a pivotal role throughout the Partnership. As the places where cultural heritage is lived, managed and experienced, regions are essential for turning research into real‑world resilience. They connect local actors, mobilise territorial knowledge, and ensure that adaptation strategies respond to the specific needs of communities and landscapes.

From 2025 onwards, the Partnership will launch seven annual transnational calls, each worth around €25 million, guided by the Strategic Research and Innovation. Its impact will be amplified through a rich ecosystem of activities, including a Knowledge Hub, living labs, mapping, monitoring, capacity building, foresight and international cooperation.

Some key takeaways from the kick‑off on cultural heritage and resilience:

  • Resilience isn’t about preserving everything - it’s about adapting, transforming and sometimes accepting loss. The real challenge is deciding collectively what matters most.
  • A shared definition of resilience is essential. When policymakers, researchers and communities use the same language, conversations become more productive and actionable.
  • We need two complementary forms of resilience: protecting heritage from environmental change and using heritage knowledge to strengthen society’s ability to adapt.
  • Culture and heritage are not just vulnerable to climate change - they are powerful tools for climate adaptation, strengthening social cohesion, dialogue and the quality of our living environments.

It was inspiring to spend time with RCH partners and ERRIN members to shape the vision for the next decade. For more information, a press release can be found attached.

On 3 November, ERRIN is organising an online info session to introduce its members to the Partnership. More information can be found here.

To make the most of future opportunities within the Partnership, members are encouraged to express their interest and share relevant expertise, or contact the ERRIN Secretariat via dubravka.jurisic@errin.eu or lorna.murphy@errin.eu. We also invite members to update their ERRIN profile and add the relevant project tag, making it easier to connect with partners and receive targeted information on upcoming activities and opportunities.