<< Background >>The cultural and creative sectors are among the most severely impacted by the current pandemic. According to the estimates by Eurostat, the COVID-19 crisis may have affected about 7.3 million cultural and creative jobs across the EU (Eurostat, 2020), while jeopardizing the sustainability of hundreds of independent organizations in the long run (Europa Nostra, 2020). Specifically cultural heritage sectors dependent on the site visits, including museums, galleries, historic buildings, archaeology, events have suffered significant losses, despite being subsidized (CULT, 2021). It has instigated a rapid push to develop new digital models of customer engagement, which has proven to be a significant challenge for some players within the cultural heritage sector. COVID-19 has clearly highlighted existing inequalities between larger cultural heritage organizations and smaller players with the latter having lower potential to go digital, general lack of human resources equipped for the transition and entrepreneurial capabilities to rapidly transform the rigid traditional business models (Europa Nostra, 2020). Going forward, the recovery of the sector is expected to be similarly reliant on novel ways and models of attracting and retaining customers (Europa Nostra, 2020), where more entrepreneurial approaches to developing sustainable future business models that embrace digitalization is necessary for all types of cultural heritage organizations: from large players to micro-size enterprises (Europa Nostra, 2020; UNESCO, 2021).Knowledge institutions hold strong potential to support the European cultural heritage sector’s regeneration. Now more than ever, there is a greater responsibility on the shoulders of HEIs to be “engaged” and contribute to both social and economic recovery in their regions as the Renewed Agenda for HE propagated years ago (EC, 2017). In parallel, as their first mission, HEIs have an obligation to the European talents and drivers of innovation to equip them with necessary skills for the future though relevant and practical education that employs and responds to real-life challenges (Renewed Agenda for HE, 2017). Responding to both missions, HEIs can support the struggling cultural heritage sector with novel solutions to their business model evolution challenges while helping foster their students’ entrepreneurial and innovative mindset though targeted collaborative activities in education. However, while HEIs have traditionally developed long-standing relationships with the independent cultural heritage sector, the relationships tend to, once again, favor larger industry players and collaboration in larger-scale research and development activities (CULT, 2021). Partnerships with smaller organization and specifically in education are largely overlooked (Heritage2020, 2019). Similarly, practice-based learning/ challenge-based learning/student consultancy pedagogies and methodologies in multidisciplinary teams do not yet constitute the norm in the HEI education practices, while the digital approach to these pedagogies has been rarely utilized, though necessary during and after the COVID-19 crisis. There is a noticeable gap in skills, competences and knowledge necessary to deliver digital challenge-based and problem-based learning approaches among the HEI academic staff and educators (Halsam et al., 2021).<< Objectives >>Addressing the above-mentioned, the project will support HEIs to effectively assist the regeneration of the European cultural heritage sector in a highly digitalized post-COVID19 world by equipping the academic staff and educators with knowledge, skills and resources to engage with cultural heritage sector representatives in educational activities and organize problem-based learning interventions in multidisciplinary student teams. We practice what we preach, therefore we will focus on digitalization not only in the future scenario building research, but also in the development and the delivery of the student consultancy course. Specifically, the project responds to the above-mentioned goal by:-analysing the post-crisis needs of the cultural heritage sector and building the forward-looking scenarios of potential for transformation of the sector with the special focus on business model evolution (PR1); -developing a Cultural Heritage 2.0 Digital Student Consultancy Approach, that will comprise of a learning framework and a toolkit for academic staff and educators who will embrace the forward-looking scenarios to facilitate the student consultancy and problem-based learning interventions with real-life practical examples from their local/regional cultural heritage organisations (PR2); -training the trainers for the delivery and pilot-testing Cultural Heritage 2.0 Digital Student Consultancy Approach course (PR2);-pilot-testing the programme and raising awareness and showcasing inspirational examples of successful business model transformation solutions derived from the students’ projects within the pilot-test (PR3).The project will target (1) HEI academics and educators located in the partner countries and regions, (2) HEI students from social sciences and humanities and business studies in partner countries and regions (3) cultural heritage organisations, specifically SMEs, from the partner regions and beyond.<< Implementation >>The project activities will be organised as phases around the project's four main PRs, which will be accompanied by three complementary project activities: Project Management, Dissemination & Exploitation, and Quality Assurance & Evaluation, all three to run throughout to ensure successful project execution.INVESTIGATION –PR1 The Future of Cultural Heritage Sector Scenarios (M1-M8)To set the foundation for the creation of the PRs, the investigation phase will be conducted. The investigation phase will entail following activities:-Desk research and scoping based on foresight research methodology-Undertaking a total of 36+ expert interviews and a local stakeholder consultation event on identifying relevant trends in cultural heritage business models transformation-Producing a total of 24 case studies of good practices-Developing futures & scenarios book The activities will be carried out by all partners under co-ordination by UIIN.DEVELOPMENT – PR2 Cultural Heritage 2.0 Digital Student Consultancy Approach (M7-M14)During the second phase, the strategic partnership will develop a digital student consultancy approach, curriculum and OERs. This phase will entail the following activities:-Development of learning and training journeys based on the identified future scenarios (PR1) -Development of student consultancy programme approach, ready for implementation framework and a toolkit for the academic staff and -Open educational resources (OERs) -Train the trainer activity. The activities will be carried out by all partners under coordination by Ca’Foscari UniversityPILOT TEST & SHOWCASE – PR3 Cultural Heritage 2.0 Programme implementation & success stories collection (M12 – M24)During the last phase, the strategic partnership will pilot-test the programme at partner HEI institutions and showcase the results of the pilot-tests in partner regions. This phase will entail the following activities:-The pilot-test of the Cultural Heritage 2.0 Digital Student Consultancy Approach each HEI partner with a total of 9 cultural heritage organisations, 6 academics delivering the programme and 36+ students from social sciences, humanities and business disciplines. -The success stories collection as a digital library of videos highlighting the outstanding student projects and their uptake by the consultancy subjects (cultural organizations participating in the programme). The activities will be carried out by all partners under coordination by UNIVIE. During this period, the national multiplier events will take place in M19-M23.5. PROJECT MANAGEMENTAll partners will prepare detailed work plans prior to the first project meeting. Ca’Foscari University will ensure the production and circulation of a detailed work plan and of all necessary information from the funding agency, as well as the Project Management Handbook which conveys project guidelines and rules regarding communication, project meetings, administration and financial arrangements. Quarterly Progress Reports will be collected from all partners to monitor whether outputs, activities and tasks are on time and on budget. The partners IPR Agreement will establish the intellectual rights and ensure open access to resources after the completion of the project.6. DISSEMINATION AND EXPLOITATIONMomentum will produce a Dissemination Strategy and Dissemination Database, both to be updated throughout the project as new opportunities arise. The Exploitation and Sustainability Strategy will include actions to ensure maximum uptake of resources upon project completion and include public relations, and high-profile stakeholder meetings, and showcasing the resources in further events.7. QUALITY ASSURANCE AND EVALUATIONCa’Foscari University will develop a Quality Assurance and Evaluation Strategy, covering procedures for quality both in outputs and processes, and the means to monitor, evaluate and propose corrective measures to optimize quality of the project<< Results >>The Cultural Heritage 2.0 project follows a ‘dual study’ plan, where research and practice are deployed side by side to inform partners and the development of the project results. The expected outcomes of the project are linked to its PRs, as well as activities related to Project Management, Dissemination & Exploitation, and Quality Assurance & Evaluation.(1) PROJECT RESULTSPR1: THE FUTURE OF CULTURAL HERITAGE SECTOR SCENARIOS (M1 – M8). A free access downloadable document “The Future of Cultural Heritage Sector Scenarios” aims to examine the current needs of the cultural sector, amplified by the pandemic crisis while employ foresight research methodology to examine the future and potential business models to sustain the sector. The partnership will undertake desk research, 36+ qualitative interviews with experts and 24+ case studies PR2: CULTURAL HERITAGE 2.0 DIGITAL STUDENT CONSULTANCY APPROACH (M7 – M14). Based on the needs research and the forward-looking scenarios for the future of cultural heritage sector, we develop a (1) scenario-based learning journeys (2)comprehensive learning framework and (3)a toolkit for the academic staff and educators to undertake interdisciplinary student consultancy projects based on the real problems from the cultural heritage stakeholders in the region/city. The focus is on problem-based learning and student consultancy, yet designed and implemented digitally. PR3: CULTURAL HERITAGE 2.0 BUSINESS MODEL EVOLUTION SUCCESS STORIES COLLECTION (M12-M24). We pilot-test the learning framework and the toolkit in the digital space among the partnership (involving at least 9 cultural heritage organisations and at least 36 HEI students) and showcase inspirational examples of successful business model transformation solutions for the participating organisations derived from the students’ projects in an interactive format. Additionally, we produce a short guidebook for the educators to help showcase their consultancy projects’ stories and bring more successful examples of cultural heritage model evolution through an interactive success stories repository. (2) MULTIPLIER EVENTSThe project results will be further supported by 1 international and 4 Local Multiplier Events delivered in various formats: the international event organised online while national events organised face-to-face. Attended by 170 participants, multiplier events will be focused on presenting and promoting all project results and the journey the HEI educators can take to replicate the activities within the project. Multiplier Events will result in an increased understanding and awareness about the need for joint activities between cultural heritage organisations and HEIs as well as expand the partners’ networks, and help set the foundation for the exploitation of the project results outside of partnership.(3) PROJECT MANAGEMENTProject management activities will be coordinated by Ca’ Foscari University. The partners’ activities would furthermore be supported by the Project Management Handbook that will include clear guidelines for partners regarding communication, meetings, and administrative and financial arrangements.(4) DISSEMINATION AND EXPLOITATIONDissemination & Exploitation activities will result in dissemination and exploitation strategy, contact database comprised of 2,500+ individuals from target groups and stakeholder contacts of the partners, social media accounts (Twitter, LinkedIn), project brochure, flyer, banner, 1 media pack comprising press release and notes for editors on project results, 4 professionally designed newsletters distributed to wide ranging stakeholder database. Each partner will take a set of sustainability measures throughout the project lifetime to build up the desired exploitation targets would be achieved after project completion.(5) QUALITY ASSURANCE AND EVALUATION1. Quality Management and Evaluation Strategy2. Quarterly progress reports 3. Interim Evaluation Report