e-Αegean CulTour

The priorities for value creation, through the digital cultural heritage of the Aegean, that are aligned with the strategies for smart specialization in the North and South Aegean, and promote innovation in education, research and sustainability, are the following:

  • the protection and promotion of cultural identity through new digital channels,
  • investing in skills and infrastructure for sustainable digital culture,
  • linking culture with local communities, entrepreneurship and tourism 

The 2.5 years project provides a total of 27 fellowships to researchers at PhD (20) and postdoctoral (7) level. It also employs experienced teachers from within the institution, as well as external research staff with academic or technical expertise. In particular, the ten actions employ, in addition to the fellows, 37 members of Research Teaching Staff, Specialist Teaching Staff, Specialist Technical Laboratory Staff and 101 young researchers.

A New Research Infrastructure of the University of the Aegean

The University of the Aegean is the robust pillar of knowledge production, innovation and education in the Aegean islands, implementing this project. The e-Aegean CulTour: Interregional Digital Transformation of the Aegean Archipelago in Culture and Tourism is a research infrastructure that is being developed, in parallel, in departments of the University of the Aegean. By research infrastructure, we mean all the animate and inanimate material that constitutes this project, which aims to contribute to supporting innovation, promoting research, encouraging entrepreneurship, improving knowledge transfer, and attracting young researchers to the labor market. In this context, it embraces mature, research ideas from the laboratories of the University of the Aegean Departments. It trains talented young men and women with knowledge and critical thinking to become a catalyst for change, progress, and modernization of society.

At the same time, it develops logistical infrastructure, upgrades laboratories with high-tech equipment, while ensuring the dissemination of knowledge, by investing in actions that promote research results to the public. Furthermore, it builds partnerships with cultural institutions, public organizations, local government, civil society organizations, business representatives and other research centers, promoting synergy between them and the three-pronged approach "University, Local-Regional Development and Entrepreneurship". The research methodologies are applied in the local headquarters of the departments of each action, with a direct positive impact on the local communities.

Tourism

Tourism is the “heavy industry” of Greece, especially in the Aegean region, while at the same time, it is one of the sectors of the “Smart Specialization” strategy. Through its actions, the project strengthens tourism, adds innovative features, and promotes cooperation between research infrastructures and businesses, in order to develop the tourism experience in the Aegean.

Cultural Heritage

Cultural heritage and culture are the basic “primary product” of the Aegean Islands. The aim of the project’s actions is the development of tools and an innovative physical or virtual space for the cooperation of all stakeholders to preserve and promote cultural heritage.

Cutting-edge technologies

Cutting-edge technologies, the new possibilities they offer and the challenges they open up are a key tool for data analysis, learning, collaboration between research infrastructures and businesses and organizations, and the development of new products and services. The project exploits Research and Technology as key components for the development and for changing the model of the economy of the Aegean Islands and Greece.