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ANCHISE International Symposium: From demonstration to direction
- michaelculture
- 17 avr.
- 3 min de lecture
The ANCHISE project reached a major milestone on April 4, 2025, with the second symposium held in Stockholm, Sweden, at the Museum of Mediterranean Civilizations. Titled "Execution of the Demonstrations and Pilot Experimentation," this event marked a shift from testing to strategy, where practical results from field demonstrations were presented, assessed, and discussed among a wide community of experts. Organized by Université Lumière Lyon 2 and the ANCHISE Project Consortium, the symposium gathered 63 participants, both in person and online, representing eight European countries: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, France, Greece, Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland. The hybrid format ensured broad accessibility, allowing researchers, institutional representatives, and practitioners to connect and contribute to a collective reflection on the project’s progress and future direction.
The day opened with thoughtful and forward-looking remarks. Professor Véronique Chankowski, ANCHISE coordinator from the École française d’Athènes, set the tone by underlining the project’s ambition to bridge research and real-world application. She was joined by Dr Karl Magnusson, Chief of Staff at Sweden’s Museums of World Culture, who warmly welcomed participants and reiterated the importance of Sweden’s role in hosting the event and contributing to the preservation of cultural heritage. Their introductions framed the day as a moment not just to review progress, but to shape the path ahead.
Presentations began with a comprehensive overview of the ANCHISE project by Professor Olivier Henry of Université Lumière Lyon 2. His talk recapped the project’s scope, from early research foundations to on-site technological deployments. Following him, Dr Valentina Vassallo of The Cyprus Institute provided an update on the research dimension of ANCHISE, placing the demonstrations within a larger scientific and policy context. These opening presentations helped ground participants in the goals and methodology that have defined ANCHISE from the start.
The second part of the symposium focused entirely on the execution of the project’s field demonstrations. Mariana Vasilache (Université Lumière Lyon 2) and Dr Marine Lechanault (ENSP) provided a detailed walkthrough of the protocols used across different demonstration sites. They outlined how the demonstrations were designed to test technological tools in varied real-world conditions — from airport checkpoints to archaeological sites — ensuring both methodological rigour and relevance to diverse user contexts.
From there, the discussion turned to results. Dr Titien Bartette of ICONEM shared key observations from the first field results, emphasizing the tool applicability from the data collection to the processing workflow and results delivering. These findings were reinforced by Axel Kerep from PARCS, who reflected critically on technical and operational challenges encountered during the demonstrations. His analysis addressed important issues such as the importance of structured data inputs, the need for strong backend compatibility with existing heritage systems, and the limitations imposed by short-term testing in long-term planning.
The final session of the day looked ahead. Marco Fiore of Michael Culture Association outlined the next steps for ANCHISE, including upcoming publications, broader dissemination strategies, and plans for further engagement with policy-makers and field professionals. He emphasized that the work doesn’t stop with successful demonstrations — real impact lies in scaling solutions, embedding them in local systems, and sustaining partnerships that will carry the project forward beyond its current timeline.
Throughout the day, one consistent message emerged: interdisciplinary cooperation is not only valuable — it is essential. The Stockholm symposium showed how researchers, law enforcement, curators, archaeologists, technologists, and policy specialists can come together around a shared challenge. By openly sharing feedback, confronting technical constraints, and exchanging ideas about practical needs on the ground, the consortium was able to strengthen its tools and refine its vision.
A special note of appreciation goes to our Swedish partners for their outstanding support and hospitality. Dr Karl Magnusson and his team at the Museums of World Culture were instrumental in making this event a success, providing not only logistical assistance but meaningful input into the discussions. Their contributions reflect the spirit of collaboration at the heart of ANCHISE.
What made this symposium especially significant was not just the knowledge shared, but the way it affirmed ANCHISE’s mission: to develop tools that are not only innovative, but usable, built with and for the people working every day to protect Europe’s cultural heritage. The event offered space to celebrate what’s been achieved and, more importantly, to agree on what comes next. As ANCHISE moves toward its final phase, the insights gathered in Stockholm will serve as both a compass and a catalyst. They point to the importance of grounded experimentation, inclusive dialogue, and the courage to adapt in response to feedback. In this way, the Stockholm symposium wasn’t just a report on progress — it was an active step toward a more resilient, connected, and effective approach to cultural heritage protection in Europe.
Access here the recording of the session.
