The popularisation of digitisation techniques has boosted the generation of digital cultural heritage assets in recent years. However, such techniques should not be regarded as an end in and of themselves, but as a means for enabling European citizens to engage with cultural heritage more closely and in different ways. ARCHES aims to create more inclusive cultural environments particularly for those with differences and difficulties associated with perception, memory, cognition and communication. It will achieve this through in-depth research analysis and the development of innovative applications, functionalities and experiences based on the reuse and redevelopment of the aforementioned digital resources. Our participatory research methodology situates real user needs at the heart of an iterative design and implementation process, through their active involvement in 3 pilot exercises. This will also facilitate the validation of potential solutions in scenarios at 6 museums, as well as engagement with broader audiences (e.g. children, the elderly, and other potentially marginalised groups) and extension to other sectors, mainly education and tourism. The online accessible software platform, applications for handheld devices and multisensory activities will form the basis of a technical approach that will exploit state of the art technologies – e.g. augmented reality, avatars, relief printers and models, context-sensitive tactile audio guides, metadata and advanced image processing techniques – to underpin the generation of a dynamic ecosystem. In this framework, museums will play an important role by adapting content and reinterpreting cultural heritage in manners most suitable for target groups. Our interdisciplinary consortium – involving academia, SMEs, research centres and museums – will focus on ensuring widespread communication and exploitation, stimulating cross-border collaboration to address a challenge common across Europe.

Transportation systemic risks are not well understood across modes, regions, and critical interdependent sectors, creating uncertainty about risks resulting from a major system disruption. There is a lack of resilience schemes, especially for the long term, integrated into transport infrastructure due to the inability to monetize resilience for investment decisions, and there are also strong barriers to its implementation to operating practice. The overall objective of FORESEE is to develop and demonstrate a reliable and easily implementable toolkit for providing short and long term resilience schemes against traffic disruption due to flooding, landslide and structural damage for rail and road corridors and multimodal terminals. It will help move towards a performance based risk assessment framework, relying on: a) an update on best available methodologies, practices and solutions with data-enhanced: models, solutions and cost benefit assessments, b) the development of new solutions regarding drainages, pavements and landslides, and c) a detailed strategy for its successful implementation, integrated into the infrastructure life-cycle usual procedures. Prestandardization activities will be carried out throughout the life of the project. The FORESEE toolkit will include: a) A reliable Data Acquisition System, satellite and terrestrial, b) A Situation Awareness System for the prediction and alert of extreme events c) New materials and systems regarding permeable pavements; drainage and culvert systems, and slope stabilization systems d) A Decision Support System to provide better informed resilience schemes e) Guidelines on Standards, Design and Technological recommendations. The setting up of a Stakeholders Reference Group at early stages of the project, will guarantee the accounting for the demands and the acceptance of all endusers. FORESEE will enhance international Cooperation by twinning with world leading institutes.

FUTURES: Create. Imagine. Explore. will bring together learning from the past and visions of the future by celebrating cultural heritage and exploring innovation. We will achieve this by hosting two nights of activities across the cities of Bristol and Bath engaging the South West region in a celebration and discovery of European cutting-edge research and its place in society. The consortium will be led by the University of Bristol, with the University of Bath as bid partner plus Bath Spa University as a core partner. FUTURES will have a distinctive regional flavour, as we are bringing together Marie Skłodowska-Curie fellows from the Universities of Bristol, Bath, Exeter and Cardiff, and utilising the strong research connections across the West of England and south Wales that exist through the "GW4 Alliance" between these universities. We will also work closely with popular venues such as We The Curious and The Holburne Museum, as well as community spaces such as The Island and Barton Hill Settlement. This range of partners in both cities will ensure a diversity of citizens across the South West region will be able to participate in a range of thought-provoking and inspiring activities engaging them with research. We have a strong emphasis on engaging school children and families to increase awareness of careers in research and to break stereotypes about researchers. We are also aiming activities at specific groups who may not normally have access to research or researchers. For all activities, direct interaction with researchers will allow audiences to engage with the people behind the science. We will provide a coherent story of cultural heritage and innovation that have characterised the region’s scientific and socio-economic development. With Responsible Research and Innovation in mind, working with socially engaged artists we will reflect on how current developments have the potential to influence the future of the region and beyond.