Figure 1: “Connect and Create” networking event held in Rome, 5-6 December 2023
Enhancing European Collaboration
EXTRACT partner, LOGOS RI, participated in the networking event “Connect & Create,” organized by the Grant Office for European funding from the Italian Ministry of Culture and the Fondazione Scuola dei beni e delle attività culturali, with support from Aedeka and EXTRACT work package leader, Raffaella Santucci.
The event took place on December 5th and 6th in Rome, at the National Central Library, and centered on the theme of European project design for cultural heritage and the cultural and creative sectors. This theme inspired participants—including institutes of the MIC, associations, foundations, enterprises, and research entities—to dynamically collaborate in creating a network of interconnected subjects and potential partnerships to access European funding for cultural and creative sectors.
During the work sessions, all participants were encouraged to play an interactive role with brief pitches to introduce their organization and areas of interest, and they engaged in B2B meetings to establish contacts and share possible project ideas for upcoming European calls. Dr. Emanuele Bellini (LOGOS RI) took this opportunity to give a short presentation during the event, introducing LOGOS’ project portfolio and the EXTRACT project.
Figure 2: Work session pitching organisations and projects
Dr. Alessandra Gariboldi from the Fitzcarraldo Foundation moderated discussions featuring Dr. Laura Serrao from the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) and Professor Giorgio Fazio from the Policy and Evidence Center at Newcastle University Business School. They highlighted the strategic role of the cultural and creative sectors in Europe as engines of economic and social development and their contribution to innovation and sustainability.
To update all attending organizations on upcoming opportunities offered by European programs in terms of project funding, Dr. Claudio Prandoni of Aedeka, in collaboration with Dr. Raffaella Santucci, presented open calls for Horizon Europe, Creative Europe, Interreg (Euro MED and Next MED), in the fields of digital, green, and innovative sectors.
Dr. Alessandra Lucchese, Lead at MiC and Head of the Grant Office for European funding, outlined the achievements of the GO to date in terms of providing technical assistance for project design to the Ministry’s institutes and monitoring of surveyed interventions. She also introduced an innovative vision of the Grant Office itself, which aims to act as a facilitator in a process that seeks broader research and interconnection with entities, businesses, and institutions to find synergies and potential collaborations for participation in European calls and European transnational cooperation.
This participation not only underscores LOGOS’s commitment to fostering innovation and collaboration within the cultural and creative sectors but also highlights the importance of European funding in supporting these initiatives, marking a significant step forward for the EXTRACT project and its partners.