Risk Management for Cultural Heritage is a project funded by the EU Erasmus+ programme, led by Mazzini Lab Società Benefit and carried out in partnership with Arte Generali, the arts and culture dedicated branch of the Generali Insurance Group, and three renowned European universities: the University for  Continuing Education Krems, the Università per Stranieri di Perugia and the Ústav Teoretické A Aplikované Mechaniky from the Czech Republic.

The overall aim of the project is to develop and pilot a new vocational training curriculum that meets the needs of the labour market in the field of cultural heritage protection in the face of climate change and formalises the relevant skills and competences.

The RMCH consortium has chosen an term for all project activities that is easy for the public to remember and at the same time stands as an acronym for the project's focus: CHARISMA - Cultural Heritage Academy for Risk Management. The very meaning of this term is also intended to highlight the dedication and commitment of people who choose to pursue a career in the field of cultural heritage protection.

Climate change and global energy- and resource-scarcity are serious threats of our time. Yet there are few studies on the impact of climate change on our material cultural heritage. Cultural heritage is a non-renewable resource that is essential to our identity. It is therefore necessary to develop more effective and efficient conservation, adaptation and protection strategies to safeguard this invaluable property for the long term.

There is usually someone on the staff of a museum, library, archive or cultural institution who is responsible for ensuring that cultural or built property will be protected from extreme weather conditions (e.g. floods) and other natural disasters (e.g. earthquakes). However, task allocation alone is not sufficient and is not always sustainable. Cultural heritage professionals and stakeholders (e.g. historic house owners, conservators, restorers, managers and staff of historic buildings, monuments, archaeological sites, museums, archives, libraries and art galleries) need intuitive digital risk assessment tools for their collections and objects in order to develop structured, comprehensive and shared conservation plans. In particular, they need to be able to activate a new approach that allows them to adapt to the current global situation, develop solutions and act immediately to address the risks that climate change and global warming pose to the cultural sector.

Innovation can only be achieved through the cooperation of different organisations and institutions and the fusion of different cultures and ideals. International cooperation is the only way to achieve the ultimate goal of halting climate change and protecting our cultural heritage.

Risk Management for Cultural Heritage aims to improve the skills of professionals managing historic buildings (castles, monuments, museums, archives, libraries, ...) to properly assess and manage the risks of climate change.

This will be achieved through 4 specific objectives:

• Gathering evidence and raising awareness among relevant stakeholders in Europe of the need for well-trained and qualified people in the field of cultural heritage risk assessment.
• Investigate labour market requirements for different skill levels and competences to protect tangible cultural heritage from climate change.
• Creating a prototype for a digital tool (a cloud database with user interface) that VET trainees need to test their skills and gain practical experience as risk managers.
• Develop and pilot a modular blended learning training course for risk managers and climate change officers in cultural heritage protection.