CHARTER Alliance
NEW Report out: Regional Cultural Heritage Ecosystems

About CHARTER
CHARTER, the European Cultural Heritage Skills Alliance, brings together and represents the whole
range of the cultural heritage sector in Europe. The 47 project partners strive towards making
apparent the value of cultural heritage and creating a resilient and responsive sector.
CHARTER works towards creating a lasting, comprehensive strategy that will guarantee Europe has
the necessary cultural heritage skills to support sustainable societies and economies.
The Erasmus+ funded project maps the current and future needs of the sector to bridge the gap of
skills shortages and mismatches between the educational and occupational fields.

How is cultural heritage integrated into regional development? CHARTER Alliance publishes
findings from its six regional case studies
The European Cultural Heritage Skills Alliance CHARTER, Erasmus+ funded project, has
published a new report showcasing all the findings and conclusions derived from its regional
case studies in the Basque Country (Spain), Sibiu (Romania), Bremen (Germany), Alentejo
(Portugal), Tuscany (Italy), and Västra Götaland (Sweden). This report synthetises how cultural
heritage is integrated into regional development policies and strategies and examines sectorintegrated dynamics within these ecosystems.
The six regional workshops, held from October 2021 until June 2023, form the basis of this report.
These workshops brought together diverse stakeholders from each Region’s heritage
ecosystem, who engaged in presentations, panel discussions, surveys, focus groups and
interactive work sessions to provide CHARTER with insights and data. Simultaneously,
stakeholders were introduced to CHARTER models, tools, and assumptions, to test and share
their feedback, thereby contributing the refinement of the project’s results. Additionally, field visits
to observe best practices and dialogue with practitioners in their day-to-day professional working
environments helped to further understand the unique features, projects, and assets of each
hosting Region.
How do cultural heritage stakeholders interact?

The case studies highlight fragmented dynamics within the ecosystems. Despite stakeholders’
willingness to collaborate, short-term project-based efforts and siloed approaches hinder
systemic integration. Additionally, a lack of mutual understanding between education providers
and heritage professionals makes the process more challenging. In this sense, CHARTER
suggests strengthening medium- and long-term collaborations, enhancing vertical and horizontal
policy coordination, and fostering trust among ecosystem actors. Engaging private sector
employers and professionals from related sectors like tourism and construction is also crucial.
In this context, the report identifies Regional authorities as key figures in fostering collaboration
within heritage ecosystems. Their local knowledge is essential in mobilising stakeholders, though
engaging self-employed entrepreneurs and private companies remains challenging. Regular
networking opportunities and a sector-integrated approach are recommended to enhance
ongoing dialogues and collaboration.
What do the regional cases tell us on education and training?
Despite fragmentation, Regions demonstrate potential for innovative Education and Training
solutions, fostering creativity and adaptation to their challenges. Increased networking and
collaboration among stakeholders can enhance the scalability of successful initiatives.
Establishing Regional and Interregional Skills Partnerships is suggested to maximise the impact
of local efforts and improve knowledge circulation.
The report highlights a lack of comprehensive long-term cultural heritage strategies, emphasizing
the need for systemic approaches to assess and address skills shortages and mismatches.
Recommendations include prioritising Continuous Professional Development (CDP), promoting
micro-credentials, and strengthening skills governance through collaboration and data-driven
policies.
In the specific case of crafts and crafts-related competencies, there is a significant risk of these
skills disappearing across all studied Regions is detected, some of which are already lost. Urgent
actions are needed at all governance levels to revitalise these skills, including recognising nonformal learning and ensuring traditional crafts’ eligibility for EU funding.

Continue reading the Full Report in the Results section of CHARTER’s website.

• Learn more about CHARTER Alliance: https://charter-alliance.eu/
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>> Find the full report here.