Protecting Heritage Together | ANCHISE Forum

Protecting Heritage Together | ANCHISE Final Forum in Athens & Online (14–16 January 2026)

As the ANCHISE project approaches its conclusion, we are proud to announce its culminating event: Protecting Heritage Together, taking place from 14 to 16 January 2026 in Athens & Online, hosted by the École Française d’Athènes at the Archeological Society of Athens.

Over the past three years, ANCHISE has brought together a unique alliance of European partners working at the intersection of cultural heritage, law enforcement, academic research, policy making and technological innovation. Through collaborative fieldwork, capacity-building, and the development of cutting-edge tools, the project has forged new paths in the fight against the illicit trafficking and looting of cultural goods.

This Final Forum is the moment of convergence between the project’s scientific, political, and technological ambitions. It will offer participants the opportunity to engage directly with the full ecosystem of the project, from heritage professionals and researchers to law enforcement agencies, policymakers, technologists, and civil society actors.

Over three days, participants will be able to:

• Discover the ANCHISE tools developed using a bottom-up approach grounded in community needs;

• Explore how these tools have been implemented in real-world environments to prevent looting, detect trafficked objects, and improve data sharing;

• Debate how research in the social sciences and humanities is essential to understanding and disrupting illicit trafficking networks;

• Contribute to strategic conversations on how to raise awareness and develop long-term cooperation into European cultural heritage protection frameworks.

• Discuss with European, international and national institution how the EU can enhance this fight with policy solutions

By gathering these diverse communities, the forum seeks to imagine the future of the fight and to lay the groundwork for sustainable, interdisciplinary, and coordinated responses.