On January 31st, the iHERITAGE project was at the core of an online conference hosted by the Confederation of Egyptian European Business Associations - CEEBA, the project's Egyptian partner, to mark the launch of the Living Lab in the presence of representatives from the Egyptian government such as H.E. Dr. Ghada Shalaby, Deputy Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, h.E. Christian Berger, the EU Delegation by EU Ambassador to Egypt, Dr. Ismail Abdelghafar, President of the Arab Academy for Science, Technology and Maritime Transport - AASTMT and Dr. Lobna Sherif, Advisor to President of AASTMT, Mr. Ahmed el Wakil - President of the Association of the Mediterranean Chambers of Commerce and Industry and Chairman of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Alaa Ezz - Secretary General of CEEBA as well as Mr Lucio Tambuzzo - Network Of Castles And Medieval Towns General Director, Prof. Dr Ayman Adel Abdel-Hamid, Dean Of Faculty Of Computing & IT, AASTMT and Prof. Dr. Nahla Emam, Academy Of Arts.

The Living Labs Program was introduced as one that aims to foster collaboration among researchers, universities, SMEs, and enterprises starting with the development of innovative products and their testing and prototyping, all the way through to their commercialization for the enhancement of UNESCO cultural heritage.

During the event, Lucio Tambuzzo, creator of iHERITAGE, discussed the establishment of the Regional Centre for the Safeguard and Promotion of Euro-Mediterranean Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) - CRESPIEM and its recognition as Category 2 Centre under the auspices of UNESCO as one of the project's main achievements. Its main goals are:

• identifying, safeguarding and promoting the ICH of the participating territories, as the highest expression of their cultural identities and an asset for the territorial sustainable development;
• disseminating and enhancing knowledge and understanding of the Mediterranean traditional expressions in order to overcome cultural barriers and stereotypes;
• fostering the awareness of general public towards ICH and its potential benefits in terms of socio-economic growth;
• fostering international cooperation and implementing international policies and projects for the safeguard and valorization of local identities.

The first Egyptian Living Labs session took place virtually on Monday, February 7th, and drew over 55 bright minds eager to learn about the endless possibilities of innovative up-and-coming Augmented and Virtual Reality products that will help revolutionize the tourism and ICT sectors across the Mediterranean! Engineer Maged Farrag, the Creative and Managing Director at 5dVR, led the first session, guiding attendees through top-tier ICT tools for enhancing access to cultural heritage in Egypt, with over 30 years of experience in the innovative use of technology in advertising, communication, and cultural heritage documentation! 

To receive regular updates and register for the upcoming Egyptian Living Labs Sessions held by prominent experts in the field on, Virtual Reality Rooms and Cardboard Excursions, 3D Reconstructions, Space-Time Elevators, Online Virtual Museums, Holographic Exhibitions, Intangible Cultural Heritage and much more, click here!