HE-RMES (Azione 1.1.2. di HELIX)

The HE-RMES project was conceived as an incremental and complementary evolution of the two projects funded by the PNRR: SAMOTHRACE (Innovation Ecosystem, with a technological focus) and CHANGES (Extended Partnership, focused on interaction between the hard sciences and the humanities). Both projects have worked on the development of technologies and protocols for the diagnosis, restoration, monitoring, and enhancement of tangible cultural heritage—particularly archaeological and architectural heritage—reaching a maximum technological maturity level of TRL5.

This project is carried out under Action 1.1.2 – Support for a Limited Number of Strategic Research Clusters, as set out in Ministerial Decree 307/2025, and forms part of the wider HELIX project alongside the two projects HE-RA (Heritage Empowerment through Regional Alliances), under Action 1.1.3b – Support for the Validation and Networking of Collaborative Arrangements that Foster Cross-Fertilisation within the Research System, and HE-LIOS (Heritage Empowerment through Learning, Innovation and Open Systems), under Action 1.4.3 – Strengthening Skills for the Active Functioning of the Innovation Ecosystem.

HE-RMES aims to bring tools, products, and solutions that have already been tested to TRL7 and TRL8 levels, making them available to the market—understood in both a commercial and institutional sense—in the near future. A decisive impetus in this direction comes from the growing role of artificial intelligence, which was not foreseen during the planning phase of the PNRR and which opens up new possibilities, particularly in the management of data monitoring platforms.

At an operational level, the project is making progress on several fronts. In the diagnostic field, it focuses on ultra-high-resolution non-invasive imaging technologies, particularly electromagnetic ones, to analyse the state of conservation of cultural heritage without causing damage, suggest targeted restoration techniques, and ensure continuous monitoring over time. For the monitoring of historic landscapes, an integrated system is being developed that combines historical data, satellite and drone surveys, environmental sensors, and AI, with the aim of detecting critical issues at an early stage, such as hydrogeological risks or archaeological degradation. The result will be an interactive WebGIS platform, accessible via the web or QR code, available to public bodies, tourism operators, and local communities.

The project also focuses on environmental sustainability through the use of Key Enabling Technologies (KETs), the circular economy, the reduction of carbon emissions, and the minimisation of physical travel thanks to virtual access to sites. Rounding out the picture are the development of models for sustainable tourism, digital ecomuseums, participatory platforms, and the prototype of a scalable Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model capable of transforming large volumes of data into rapid decisions and accessible narratives, thereby promoting conservation, informed engagement, and local development.

The University of Catania coordinates the entire project and participates in individual work packages (WPs) with specific activities: the creation of eco-sustainable materials for restoration (geopolymers and mortars); the digitisation and management of archaeological data (ARCADIA-ARCHEOSTORE); advanced diagnostics for the conservation and enhancement of heritage (SMART HERITAGE); geotechnical anti-vibration solutions for historic sites (GINESTRA); and the integration of technologies for tourism and cultural engagement (VAT-EREDI).