On November 7 and 8 in Sofia, the second international seminar of the project Blue Culture Technology Excellence Hubs in EU Widening Member States (BCT Hubs), funded under the Horizon 2020 program of the European Commission, took place. The seminar focused on underwater cultural heritage, underwater archaeology, marine scientific research and technological innovation, as well as the creation of interconnected hubs of organizations supporting underwater cultural heritage.
The event was organized by the Center for Underwater Archaeology under the Ministry of Culture and the Balkan Heritage Foundation and was officially opened by the Deputy Minister of Culture of Bulgaria, Arch. Chavdar Georgiev. In his opening speech, he emphasized that the implementation of the project aligns with the policies and goals of the Ministry of Culture, and expressed readiness to support and collaborate in achieving the shared objectives: the preservation, research, and promotion of Bulgaria’s underwater cultural heritage and the development of underwater archaeology.
The project was launched at the end of 2022, when the Center for Underwater Archaeology in Sozopol, together with 14 other organizations from Greece, Malta, and Bulgaria, signed an agreement with the European Research Executive Agency (REA) of the European Commission to participate in the project Blue Culture Technology Excellence Hubs in EU Widening Member States (Project 101087146 — BCThubs). The project is fully funded by REA under the Horizon program, sub-program HORIZON-WIDERA-2022-ACCESS-04. It aims to build capacity for research and innovation in the field of maritime cultural heritage and the blue economy. Prototypes of technological solutions will be developed to support research on underwater cultural heritage and the valorization of underwater tourism. The Center for Underwater Archaeology is engaged in the development of innovative technology and methodology for marine geophysical surveys using geo-electrical resistance in a three-dimensional environment, as well as in the creation of a national consortium in Bulgaria. The project is being implemented during the period from January 1, 2023, to December 31, 2026.
Link to the project website: https://bcthubs.eu/