Cultural heritage management and smart specialisation – 1st edition

The short course Cultural heritage management and smart specialisation is a training for professional enhancement that aims to make students acquainted with the new specialization policies (SMART) and the tools of their application, such as Living Labs, especially with regard to training in the area of culture where they have special relevance for the safeguarding of cultural heritage and the strengthening of social cohesion and enhanced citizenship.

The 1st edition took place in 2015, on an experimental basis and with the aim of assessing the feasibility of this training.

The programme included the following topics:

Smart Specialization and cultural economy
– The ‘cookbook’ of smart specialization
– The Living Labs as enforcement tools of smart policies
– Living Labs anchored in culture. The Evora experience
– The economy and the new experiences of the Alentejo region

2. Évora and Ouro Preto: World Heritage classification processes and their frameworks
– Documentation and testimonies
– Current rating processes
– Financing projects in the European framework

This was a programme with an open format, comprising mixed sessions which, instead of strong theoretical components, privilege the analysis and discussion of documents, site visits within the city of Évora, exchange with stakeholders in the process of SMART specialisation, discussions with stakeholders from the first PDM city, and the analysis of Évora’s current policy regarding the valorisation of its status as World Heritage site.

Several works resulted from the course, including a video:


Final work for the short course
Cultural heritage management and smart specialisation, University of Évora, UNESCO Chair, March 2015