EU launches €215 million Partnership for Climate-Resilient Cultural Heritage

A new European research and innovation partnership, “Resilient Cultural Heritage”, was launched in Marseille on 29 September 2026 with a total budget of €215 million. The ten-year initiative receives €65 million in funding from the EU's Horizon Europe programme. Its aim is to better protect Europe's cultural heritage from the impacts of climate change and other environmental pressures. The partnership will launch joint transnational calls, creating new funding opportunities for international research and innovation projects.

Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, flooding and environmental pollution are increasingly threatening historic buildings, monuments, archaeological sites and cultural landscapes across Europe. At the same time, traditional practices and innovative approaches in cultural heritage conservation can contribute to climate change adaptation and a climate-neutral future.

The new European Partnership for Resilient Cultural Heritage addresses the intersection of cultural heritage, climate research and innovation. Bringing together 90 partners from 30 countries, it aims to strengthen international research cooperation and accelerate the translation of scientific findings into practical protection and adaptation measures.

Research and innovation to protect Europe's cultural heritage

The partnership pursues three main objectives:

• Strengthening international cooperation: Connecting research institutions, public authorities and other stakeholders across countries and regions to develop joint solutions.
• Improving research coordination: Enhancing collaboration at the intersection of cultural heritage, climate change and environmental pressures.
• Integrating cultural heritage into climate strategies: Ensuring that research findings and practical experience are better reflected in environmental policies, climate adaptation strategies and relevant regulatory frameworks.

The initiative will contribute to the objectives of the European Green Deal, the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

New EU funding opportunities through transnational calls

Over the next ten years, the partnership will launch joint transnational calls for research projects. These will support the development and application of new approaches to protecting and sustainably managing cultural heritage.

The calls will be complemented by capacity-building activities, networking opportunities and impact monitoring. These measures are intended to facilitate the transfer of research results into practice and strengthen their long-term impact.

For universities, research institutions and other stakeholders in Bavaria, the partnership offers new opportunities for international research cooperation in cultural heritage, climate change adaptation and sustainability.

Specific call dates and funding conditions have not yet been announced. Information on upcoming funding opportunities will be published through the partnership's official channels.

Further information

• European Partnership for Resilient Cultural Heritage
• European Partnerships in Horizon Europe

Have a project idea? Get in touch with us – we will be happy to advise you on suitable EU funding opportunities.

Dr. Alexander Christian Widmann
Team Coordinator and Scientific Officer Social Sciences and Humanities | Security and Defence Research 
Phone: +49 89 9901888-162
Email: widmann@no-spam-pleasebayfor.org