The international consortium of the ChemiNova project, a European initiative that develops smart tools to protect cultural heritage from the effects of climate change and human risks, held its General Assembly and the first evaluation of the tools in Valencia from November 25th to 28th. The University of Valencia (UV) was the main host, with activities divided between the Boardroom of the Faculty of Geography and History and the emblematic La Nau Cultural Centre.

25th November and the morning of 26th November were dedicated to the General Assembly, where the consortium reviewed the progress of the project's different work packages. A key focus of these sessions was the discussion of strategies to address objectives related to climate change and how to capitalise on the available knowledge about its impact on heritage.

Furthermore, discussions took place in specialised working groups focused on fundamental areas such as the database, applications, data acquisition, artificial intelligence, and awareness and citizen participation activities for the coming year 2026.

Validation of digital tools in real-life scenarios

Starting from the afternoon of 26th November and throughout 27th and 28th November, activities focused on the testing and evaluation of the ChemiNova tools, using La Nau Cultural Centre as a real-life scenario by experts.

Exhaustive tests were carried out on the entire interactive tool suite, covering ChemiPortal and ChemiAnalysis, Chemilnspection and ChemiSensing, ChemiModel and ChemiAl, and ChemiSee.

Participants completed tasks using specific heritage assets at La Nau Cultural Centre and Guerricabeitia Collection, such as the ornamental fountain in the main cloister and the painting by Lola Flores. The objective was to consolidate feedback through evaluations and questionnaires, and to define a list of recommendations for the improvement of potential adjustments to the tools.

Open event: awareness and citizen participation

The pilot culminated on 28th November with the ChemiNova Open event, an awareness and citizen participation event in said main cloister of La Nau, open to the general public. This activity focused on increasing awareness about the impact of climate change and human risks on cultural heritage.

The occasion included demonstrations of the tools, educational games, and a social impact assessment, strengthening the ChemiNova consortium's commitment to implementing technological solutions for the long-term conservation of European heritage.

More about ChemiNova: https://cheminova.eu

ChemiNova is funded by the European Union through grant agreement number 101132442. The views expressed are the sole responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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