WHO WE ARE
THE CONSORTIUM
Our interdisciplinary consortium involves computer scientists, CCIs, academia from various disciplines, including social sciences, SMEs, public authorities, and non-profit community initiatives to focus on engaging citizens, and ensuring widespread communication and exploitation of CULTURATI in Europe and internationally.
Bilkent University (BU), The Coordinator, Türkiye
Bilkent University has 29 bachelor's and 59 graduate programs in various fields from nanoscience and nanotechnology, computer, electronics, industrial and mechanical engineering to political science, economics, fine arts, management, philosophy, letters, and performing arts. The Bilkent University Library is the most extensive academic library in the country, with a budget nearing $1,800,000. “Bilkent Cyberpark”, founded in 2002, is the fastest-growing techno park in Turkey, serving 250 technology-based companies, five research centres, and 4,000 personnel. BU has vast experience in national and international research collaboration and project management. Faculty members were supported with a budget of approximately $100,000,000 between 2005 and 2020 by the European Union, The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey, and public and private company projects. Faculty members hold 66 international and 17 national patents. The EU funds 84 projects (28 H2020) of Bilkent, in 53 of which BU is the coordinator. In addition, BU has 7 ERC-funded projects.
Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (HHU), Finland
Haaga-Helia University Applied Sciences is the second biggest university of applied sciences in Finland. The European Union funds 14 projects of HHU (1 H2020), two of which it is the coordinator. HHU is a strongly business-orientated university of applied sciences in Helsinki, Finland. The university has 11 000 students and a strong teacher education department. HHU is an international and courageous reformer of working life, and its mission is to open doors to future careers. It aims to ensure the qualitative employment of its students and wants to keep all doors open to working life. HHU's profile consists of four important elements: service business, sales, entrepreneurship, and higher education pedagogy. At HHU, the operations are based on innovative solutions for continuous learning and guidance and are supported by applied research that creates new competences and by effective national and international cooperation networks. The university integrates research into teaching, and its mission is to establish its presence as a university with strong networks in Finland and abroad. Through education, research and development, HHU prepares professionals for careers in business and other disciplines in a variety of industries.
Porvoon Kaupunki (HHU-PK), Affiliated Partner, Finland
Porvoo is the second oldest town in Finland after Turku. The settlement in the Porvoo region began in the 13th and 14th centuries. People come from around the world to see the Old Town's uniqueness. Old Porvoo, with its red-ochre painted riverside warehouses, is one of Finland's most photographed national landscapes. The City Council of Porvoo promotes sustainable tourism and is the highest political decision-making body. The Municipal Board is responsible for leading and developing the city following the Council’s goals, plans, and decisions. Political decisions are also made in the city’s Delegations and Departments. The Mayor and Concern Administration is the highest civil official of the town. Mayor Jukka-Pekka Ujula has held the highest civil servant position in the City of Porvoo since 2009.
Rahmi M. Koç Museums (RMK), Türkiye
Rahmi M. Koç Museology and Cultural Foundation, founded in 1993, includes The Rahmi M. Koç Museums located in Istanbul, Ankara, and Ayvalık. The museums collect and exhibit items from across the globe relating to all eras of industry and engineering, supporting their protection and conservation and further research. A large number of the items in the museums are from the private collection of Rahmi M. Koç. The Istanbul Rahmi M. Koç Museum stands in Hasköy district of Istanbul on the left bank of the Golden Horn. The Museum consists of ample open-air space and two historical buildings. The “Lengerhane” building was built during the reign of Sultan Ahmed III in the early 18th century over the remnants of a 12th-century Byzantine building and the Ottoman-era Hasköy Shipyard constructed in 1861. The Rahmi M. Koç Museology and Cultural Foundation restored all the facilities and museum spaces. The exhibits include land, air, sea, and rail vehicles, models and engines, clocks and their mechanisms, astronomical instruments, binoculars, microscopes, abacuses, calculators, printing presses, telephones, gramophones, radios, phonographs, cine cameras, cameras, televisions, bicycles, motorbikes, and pushchairs. The Education Department of the Museum has a wide variety of educational programs for school groups and weekend workshops. The interactive displays invite visitors to experiment and discover. In summer, historical boat tours offer a unique experience on the Golden Horn. The Istanbul Rahmi M. Koç Museum received the European Museum Forum’s (EMF) European Museum of the Year Award, followed in 2001 by the Arts and Culture Grand Prize awarded by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Serdar Vural Öktem (SVO), SME, Türkiye
Serdar Vural Öktem is a micro-entity specialized in Agile development. Serdar Vural Öktem (M) – Role in CULTURATI: Senior Technical Consultant for Data Management and Protection. As a dedicated analyst, SME owner, and operator, Mr. Öktem puts the customer first. His systematic approach with great care for detail makes him unique. Besides being a top-notch Analyst, he has teaching experience in academia. Mr. Vural has a M.Sc. in commerce and marketing. He completed Database Management System Program at UCLA Extension and Oracle University. For the last 19 years, he has worked as a business analyst, software developer, product owner, and project manager. In particular, he is responsible for Data Management and Protection in this research project. He will be involved in all WPs and ensure the protection and security of data and its compliance with the General Data Protection Regulation. He also has a patent from the USPTO for a system to create games and routes for cultural and natural heritage.
Universita Degli Studi Di Foggai (UNIFG), Italy
Founded in 1999 by the Italian Ministry of Education (Ministero dell’Istruzione, dell’Università e della Ricerca – MIUR), UNIFG researchers have relevant experience in organizational studies and their application in the tourism sector. They focus on innovation and information systems at the organizational and territorial levels; technological application of digital tools in various economic scenarios, and innovations’ effects on companies’ competitiveness. The research funding is covered by more than 90% by participating in regional, national and international research projects. Since its foundation (Italian Ministerial Decree 05.08.1999), the University has presented a dynamic and innovative proposal in terms of education and research. A module characterized by didactics in step with global and local requirements, basic and applied research projects, internationalization, orientation, cultural events, and promotion of University activities. UNIFG also stations the following research infrastructures that will be involved in the project: Laboratory of Archeology, Laboratory of Methodologies and Technologies of Archeology, and Laboratory of History (Department of Humanities, Literature, Cultural Heritage, and Educational Sciences); Tourism and Environmental Economy and Cultural Heritage Observatory, and Business Laboratory (Economics Area). The European Union funds 24 projects (6 H2020) of the University.
IOTIQ GmbH (IOTIQ) SME, Germany
Founded in 2017 in Leipzig, IOTIQ has been specializing in IoT, mobile device management, software development, and R&D. IOTIQ is also part of R&D projects, advancing its knowledge in IoT, IIoT, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Data Mining, Digital Twins, Edge Computing and DLT Interoperability. IOTIQ’s expertise in the requirements definition, software architecture design, and software development of backend, mobile apps, and websites will majorly contribute to developing the project's server-side, website, and application. This partner will take the role of Innovation Management in the project.
NIMBEO Estrategia e Innovacion, S. L. (NIMBEO), SME, Spain
Founded in 2012, NIMBEO builds on cutting-edge IT solutions for companies in the field of technology-enhanced education, telecommunications, and Smart Grids. NIMBEO is fostering technological development and innovation, leveraging the creation and development of interactive environments in education and science communication, the use of new applications related to virtual networks and mobile devices, and, particularly, working on the concept of "Smart Big Data'' to harness a new Industrial Revolution.
Universidad Carlos III De Madrid (UC3M), Spain
Since its foundation, UC3M has strived, to make research one of the fundamental pillars of its activity, both for the enhancement of its teaching and the new knowledge and new areas of research. The quality and research capacity of the university has been highlighted in the report COTEC, where Carlos III University has won the top spot in competitive research among Spanish universities. The EU funds University’s 232 (131 H2020) projects, in 75 of those, the University is the coordinator. This partner will be in charge of Quality Assurance in the project.
Ankara Governorship (AG), Türkiye
Governorship of Ankara is the local appointed public authority in Ankara Province. Ankara, the capital of Turkey, is the second largest city after Istanbul in Turkey. The city has a population of around five million. Ankara is one of the most important training and research centres in the country. It has 18 universities, several of which are among the most reputable ones in the country. Ankara Governorship has the legal capacity to coordinate, control, and support all directorates such as education, employment, family and social policies, youth and sport, science, industry and technology, culture, agriculture, health, environment, security, tourism, and to foster cooperation among them in Ankara. Ankara is a city with a cultural diversity that has come to this day with its deep-rooted traditional knowledge of hosting many civilizations for centuries. Therefore, one of the most critical missions of the governorship is to preserve and transfer cultural values over the centuries to the future. Ankara's cultural and artistic values have been neglected for a long time, and its awareness has remained weak. To keep the city's living heritage alive and strengthen the sense of identity and continuity, the governorship places utmost importance on the city's cultural, historical, and artistic heritage and preservation. As such, it supports projects like CULTURATI. In the Ankara Governorship, the EU and Foreign Affairs Unit is responsible for the EU projects conducted in Ankara. The Unit leads the province's civil societies and public institutions and provides technical support during the European Union harmonization process activities. The Unit performs several tasks such as the monitoring and announcement of the grant programs, project circle (PCM) training, and providing technical support to project preparation, daily correspondence, and compliance with its Advisory and Steering Committees for the European Union. The Unit consists of eight team members who are experts in their fields. In addition, academicians from universities in Ankara are integrated into the Unit’s activities according to the project content and needs.
Meridaunia Soc. Cons. Arl (MSCA), Italy
The Meridaunia Local Action Group (LAG), established in 1998, is a joint limited liability consortium with legal offices in Bovino (FG) in the Municipio Square, 2. The Meridaunia Local Action Group is formed of partners in the public sector, including 29 Municipalities of the Monti Dauni and the Municipality of Lucera, the University of Foggia, the Foggia Chamber of Commerce, and private companies representing civil society and the world of local entrepreneurship. The Meridaunia Local Action Group was created to administer, as the implementing body of the Community Initiative Leader II, community funds aimed at developing rural and marginal areas facing economic development problems. The positive results achieved in implementing the program (the ratio between the funds available and funds used stands at 95%) prompted the Local Action Group to put itself forward as a candidate for the implementation of the Community Initiative LEADER+ (2000-2006 program) and as a candidate for the current program, 2007-2013, III and IV axes. The mission of the Meridaunia Local Action Group is to be a real “Development Agency” for the territory, with the overall function of supporting the development and the creation of businesses and jobs. The Meridaunia Local Action Group's institutional work essentially consists of drawing up and carrying out strategies for the development of the territory through the involvement of the greatest number of local socioeconomic actors (public and private) as well as the local community. The field study will be carried out in one of the Municipalities of this consortium involving tangible and intangible cultural heritage, including food and wine culture, by involving local producers and other stakeholders in content creation.
Touch TD Ltd (TTD), Associated Partner, UK
Touch TD Ltd is an SME that brings international expertise to sustainable culture, tourism, and heritage-based projects. TTD’s unique approach involves applying the insights gained from anthropology and thick data methods to the business and development side of research and the exploitation of project outcomes. TTD is experienced at working across all aspects of the project cycle, and have a record both of leading on multi-partner projects (e.g. EuroMED II Mediterranean Voices project 2002-2006), as well as oversight and support at the programme level (e.g. as part of the Regional Management & Support Unit for EuroMED Heritage 4 2008-2011). TTD is currently the work package leader for the Horizon 2020 project ArcticHubs (2020-2024) Dissemination, Exploitation, and Communication work package. TTD will also be in charge of Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation in this project. Importantly for issues of broader dissemination and application, TTD has access to a global range of university, international agencies, business, professional and third sector networks for the dissemination and publication of project results and research findings.
Oxford Brookes University (OBU), Associated Partner, UK
Specializing in world-leading research in strategy, entrepreneurship, and tourism, the EU funds 39 projects (25 H2020) of Oxford Brookes University, 11 of which are coordinated by the University. Oxford Brookes University offers not only a track record of delivering multidisciplinary projects but in the training of high-caliber students and researchers. Researchers at Oxford Brookes Business School provide insights into an increasingly complex world. Technical innovation, shifting population, the internationalization of business, and the transformation of communications drive a need for precise analysis. Through collaborations with other universities, government bodies, and industry, Oxford Brookes University research projects stretch from the local to the global.
Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation (BP), Associated Partners, UK
Blenheim began as a legacy of a legendary victory, an estate gifted by Queen Anne to Sir John Churchill for leading a historic defeat of the French armies in 1704. The magnificent Palace he built, the Park which surrounds it, and the wider Estate are now a World Heritage Site, an attraction for local and global visitors and central to the everyday lives and livelihoods of the neighboring communities. Continuing the legacy for the last three centuries brings a responsibility to keep the unique values for the benefit of people for many centuries to come. That legacy now has a much bigger dimension – for the sake of those future generations, the Palace administrators aim to protect not just the magnificent place, reduce and ultimately remove the impact it has made on the planet. As such, Blenheim’s mission is "to share and protect the place for future generations, to enhance the lives of local people and to be the lifeblood of the local economy". It’s a mission that points the way for everything Blenheim does, woven into the ambitions of its business's three parts: Blenheim Palace, Blenheim Estate Homes, and Blenheim Estate Land.