In the Mediterranean, tradition and innovation go hand in hand.

All through history, there have been many examples of innovative ideas that led to significant economic, social and political breakthroughs: from the first usage of the number “0” and the establishment of the pillars of medicine to the origins of sea navigations charts and disruptive political ideas, such as Democracy, that were called to change the world.

At present, in the context of living a technical revolution that places us in the new digital era, the development of cutting-edge communication technologies offers new possibilities for promoting tourism and the Mediterranean cultural heritage.  This means fostering knowledge at regional level, which drives competitiveness and presents a way of tackling the Mediterranean’s socio-economic challenges, by boosting the labour market in an area with a 32% youth unemployment rate.

ASCAME, as the voice of the Mediterranean’s private sector, is committed to provide solutions in order to build an inclusive future for all. That is why we are active partners of the iHERITAGE project. ASCAME and iHERITAGE provide strong support to young people, women and NEETs (“Not in Education, Employment, or Training”), by promoting technological development and entrepreneurship, providing skill-based training and presenting career opportunities.

ASCAME’s work to foster development is also the reason why every year we organise the Mediterranean Week of Economic Leaders (MedaWeek Barcelona). For this 16th edition and under the claim “The Time is Now”, we will present three thematic days:

• 16th of November - Economic outlook in the Mediterranean region: providing an overview of the main challenges of the Mediterranean and the industries with innovative solutions.
   
• 17th of November - Mediterranean Digital Economy Summit: gathering experts to explore the future of digital technologies and their practical applications across leading industries. iHERITAGE will participate in the Mediterranean Innovation Hub, which will present the groundbreaking EU-funded projects shaping the region.
   
• 18th of November – Mediterranean Young Economy Summit: promoting talent and a bridge between skills and the needs of the labour market.

In this way, we expect that the participation of iHERITAGE in MedaWeek Barcelona 2022 will be a great opportunity to present the new AVR, VR and mixed reality products that the project wants to implement, as well as to introduce the gate of business opportunities that digitalization and new virtual technologies open to the cultural industry and tourism.