On the January 16, 2022, a promotion meeting was held at the Ministry of Tourism in Ramallah about the project MED-QUAD that is funded by the European Union and the ENI CBC Med Program. The project management team of Palestine Polytechnic University presented the project aim and expected results to the Palestine Virtual Museum representatives and discussed possible joint activities. Furthermore, the attendees described the next steps of the MED-QUAD project were planned to give more insights to both teams specific activities on cultural heritage and the worth of using living labs by the citizens and tourists.

During the meeting the strategic framework of the ENI CBC Med program was highlighted, mainly the priorities to face socio-economic and environmental challenges of the Mediterranean region, especially facing the challenges of youth unemployment and social inequality. MED-QUAD project was also introduced including the consortium and how it aims to create through cross-border cooperation the conditions based on Quadruple Helix approach - through the establishment of Mediterranean Cross-border Living Labs: Smart Water Use Applications (SWUAP) and Applied Research for Cultural Heritage Exploitation (ARCHEO) - for an effective interaction between the main innovation players of the Quadruple Helix approach: Academia, Industry, Civil Society and Governments in the digital economy. The living lab is an open space accessible to the citizens where pilot projects regarding new products and services are tested for specific needs of citizens. The labs will exploit ICT technologies and technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The importance of the project in providing policy-makers and public authorities with guidelines containing a roadmap for innovation listing the fundamental principles and indicators on which funds should be allocated was also highlighted and stressed.

The meeting was held at the Ministry of Tourism in Palestine Virtual Museum project manager office with the presence of the relevant group, MED-QUAD local project manager, ARCHEO Lab scientific team representative, and associated partners representatives (the Governor Deputy and the Head of Cultural Heritage and Tourism in the Municipality).

Ministry of Tourism, Palestine Virtual Museum Project Manager Office, Ramallah, Palestine

The project is 90% funded by the European Union (EU) and has a budget of 3.3 million Euros.