CIPHER: Enabling Communities of Interest to Promote Heritage of European Regions

The growth of mass communications including the internet has accelerated the trend toward globalisation, which is viewed by some as leading to the loss of regional identity, culture and heritage. Similarly, within the commercial sector, globalisation can be seen to fuel the dominance of international brands insensitive to regional culture. Conversely, new technology can be used to help different cultures to co-exist and learn from each other, and can also be taken as an opportunity for regional cultural commerce to be widely promoted. Within this context, the CIPHER project aims to develop innovative technologies and methodologies that enable the celebration and exploration of national and regional heritage on a global scale.