On 12 March 2025, more than 120 researchers from across Europe gathered online for the ATHENA Alliance webinar „Opportunities for Collaboration in Education and Research”.
Hosted by the University of Siegen, the event marked an important step toward building a shared strategy for joint research, education, and innovation across all ATHENA partner institutions.
The webinar brought together representatives from 11 universities – from Portugal and Greece to Lithuania and Ukraine – all committed to shaping a more connected, interdisciplinary, and future-oriented European Higher Education Area.
During the session, ATHENA introduced its updated strategic vision, focusing on:
Joint educational programmes and mobility opportunities.
Interdisciplinary research collaboration.
Cluster development in key thematic areas, including Digitalisation, Sustainable Production, Health & Nutrition, and Creative Industries.
Support for new project proposals, workshops, and innovation exchanges.
The discussions were lively, with participants sharing concrete ideas for cooperation and outlining next steps for building stronger networks across Europe’s research and innovation landscape.
DIGICHer in the ATHENA Ecosystem: Bringing Cultural Heritage to the Forefront
Among the diverse initiatives represented within the ATHENA Alliance, the DIGICHer project stands out for its strong alignment with the Creative Industries Cluster, which focuses on arts, media, cultural innovation, and digital transformation. This cluster emphasises co-creation, community participation, and cross-sector collaboration – values that lie at the very heart of DIGICHer’s mission. DIGICHer addresses one of Europe’s most pressing cultural challenges: how to digitise cultural and linguistic heritage ethically, inclusively, and together with the communities who own it. As VILNIUS TECH’s project overview states, digital heritage is not merely about technology – it is about people, their stories, and their rights to representation and identity in digital spaces.
Looking Forward: Shared Visions, Shared Impact
The ATHENA event demonstrated that Europe’s universities are ready to collaborate more deeply – not only in STEM fields but also in cultural innovation, heritage, and creative industries. DIGICHer’s values resonate strongly with ATHENA’s goals, especially the cluster dedicated to strengthening research and education in creativity, media, and participatory knowledge-making.
Together, ATHENA and DIGICHer are helping shape a more inclusive and culturally aware digital future – one where communities remain at the centre of the stories that represent them.
More: https://athenauni.eu/athena-clusters-opportunities-for-collaboration-in-education-and-research/