ABOUT US
ECHE Lab – European Cultural Heritage Enhancement Lab is a research laboratory located within the DICEAM Department of the Mediterranean University of Reggio Calabria.
ECHE Lab’s mission is to conduct Research and Transfer Activities in the field of cultural heritage enhancement and management. It also carries out Third Mission and Territorial Animation activities and Training for young professionals. The results of field trials feed into Scientific Production and Debate, both in terms of theoretical research and the development of innovative tools.
ECHE Lab identifies Cultural Tourism as one of the most effective tools for valorizing Cultural Heritage, but also as a potential source of risk. ECHE Lab’s research activities, therefore, aim to identify ways of using Cultural Heritage, including through tourism, that balance valorization with heritage conservation.
In this context, the ECHE Lab’s research activities focus specifically on:
- Strategic Planning and Integrated Design
- Management Plans and Models
- Organization of the Cultural-Tourism Offer
- Economic Feasibility/Sustainability Assessments
- Assessment of Carrying Capacity and Impact on the Territory
- Community Engagement
The ECHE Lab’s scientific research activities also aim to support potential applications for recognition from major national and international institutions (UNESCO, Council of Europe, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Tourism, etc.).
The results of the ECHE Lab’s research activities are transferred to the local community through the activation of Local Laboratories in collaboration with a large and qualified partnership consisting of local authorities, associations, stakeholders, and local communities.
ECHE Lab provides technical and scientific support to public and private entities for the enhancement of cultural heritage, including through the activation of public-private partnerships and the development of economic feasibility projects and proposals for calls aimed at accessing national, regional, and European Union financial resources.
ECHE Lab develops its research activities with the involvement of experts from other Italian and international universities, who make up the laboratory’s Scientific Advisory Council, and Young Professionals seeking training and/or experience in the field of scientific research.
ECHE Lab also fosters scientific debate through the biennial international symposium NMP – Networks, Markets & People .
The name ECHE Lab arose following the Institute’s recognition of Cultural Routes and its inclusion in the Council of Europe University Network for Cultural Routes in 2023 .
Previously, the laboratory was called UNESCO Med Lab and inherited the expertise of the Quantitative Evaluations Section of the LaborEst laboratory, founded by Edoardo Mollica in 2002.