The CONNECTING Final Workshop: Research and Innovation Knowledge Centre for Engineering in Heritage was successfully held on 28 May 2026 at the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), Limassol, as part of the EuroMed 2026 – Digital Heritage Summit.

The workshop marked the culmination of the CONNECTING project and provided an opportunity to present its achievements, technological infrastructure, and long-term vision to an international audience of researchers, engineers, cultural heritage professionals, public authorities, technology providers, and students.

Throughout the event, participants were introduced to the project’s vision of establishing a multidisciplinary Research and Innovation Knowledge Centre for Engineering in Heritage, designed to support advanced research, education, and innovation in the field of cultural heritage documentation, monitoring, assessment, and management. The workshop highlighted how the integration of cutting-edge technologies, digital infrastructures, and interdisciplinary expertise can contribute to more effective and sustainable heritage preservation practices.

The technical sessions showcased the infrastructure and equipment acquired through the project, including advanced UAV platforms, LiDAR systems, terrestrial laser scanning technologies, underwater robotic platforms, cloud-based data management solutions, and other state-of-the-art sensing systems. Presentations demonstrated how these technologies can support the acquisition, processing, analysis, and dissemination of high-quality spatial and environmental data for both terrestrial and underwater cultural heritage applications.

A series of presentations illustrated practical applications developed within the project, including drone-based mapping, 3D documentation, point cloud processing, digital data management, and heritage monitoring workflows. The workshop also highlighted the importance of open and reusable digital datasets, demonstrating how research infrastructures can generate long-term value for the wider scientific and cultural heritage communities.

An important contribution to the workshop was the presentation of the STECCI Project by representatives from the University of Sarajevo. The project focuses on assessing the impacts of climate change on UNESCO-listed medieval stone monuments and developing sustainable preservation strategies through interdisciplinary research. The presentation fostered valuable discussions on common challenges faced by heritage sites across Europe and opportunities for future collaboration between international research initiatives.

The workshop concluded with a live demonstration of the CONNECTING equipment, allowing participants to interact directly with the technologies and gain practical insights into their capabilities and applications. The demonstrations generated significant interest and encouraged discussions on future research opportunities, training activities, and collaborative projects.

The final discussion session provided a platform for exchanging ideas on the sustainability of the CONNECTING infrastructure beyond the project’s lifetime. Participants explored possibilities for future collaborations, joint research initiatives, knowledge exchange activities, and the continued development of the Knowledge Centre concept as a hub for heritage-related research and innovation.

The CONNECTING consortium would like to express its sincere gratitude to all speakers, partners, collaborators, stakeholders, and participants who contributed to the success of the workshop. Their active engagement and valuable contributions played a key role in fostering dialogue, strengthening partnerships, and promoting the broader impact of the project.

The successful completion of the workshop represents an important milestone for CONNECTING and demonstrates the value of investing in advanced research infrastructures for cultural heritage. The project’s outcomes will continue to support scientific excellence, technological innovation, capacity building, and interdisciplinary collaboration, contributing to the long-term protection, documentation, and sustainable management of cultural heritage assets.

We thank everyone who joined us at EuroMed 2026 and look forward to building upon the project’s achievements through future collaborations and initiatives.