Work Packages

The main objective of this WP is to Coordinate the whole project execution in terms of legal, contractual, financial, and administrative issues. To ensure the timely delivery of high quality deliverables through the effective coordination of partners, robust technical and financial management, and strict Quality Assurance (QA) for all project activities and associated deliverables. For the reasons above exposed, the duration of this work package will extend during the total period of the project. The specific objectives of the WP are the following:

• Management and coordination of the partners including effective and systematic communication and collaborationbetween all project partners.
• To establish and implement a QA procedure, ensuring the delivery of high quality deliverables.
• To undertake a risk assessment of the project activities
• To manage and monitor the project progress in order to ensure successful implementation within the time and resource constraints of the program.
• Ensure effective communication with and timely reporting to the European Commission Officers.
• To establish efficient management boards.
• To organize meetings necessary for the best execution of the WPs.

The primary objective of this WP is to provide a full understanding of the current as well as forthcoming research and innovation agenda within as well beyond Europe in the field of RS Archaeology. Part of this WP will be to define the options and alternatives of the Centre of Excellence to be created, based on international established best practices. The present WP together with the next one (WP3) (concurring for a certain period of time) will cover all the literature review of the field, relative to the new coming Centre’s needs as they come out from the present proposal and will define its future position in the specific research and academic field. For this reason several thematic topics will be analysed related to RS technologies applied to archaeology and cultural heritage.The specific objectives of WP2 include the following:

• Define the scientific context for the proposed Centre of Excellence, considering international, European and national strategies and programmes of relevance to the proposed Centre of Excellence, and their long-term objectives, which focuses on providing and supporting transnational access to the Center infrastructures for RS to CH strengthening high-quality collaboration in and outside the EU and access to high-quality information and services for the user communities (research, CH protection authorities, etc.), in particular also making benefit of European Copernicus initiatives.
• Define the nature and scale of demand for RS archaeological research and innovation, which refers to building close ties between industries relating to remote sensing techniques (including equipment) and research to optimize scientific instrumentation for future research activities.
• Profile international best practice in the delivery of RS archaeology, architectural cultural heritage and innovation, which refers to enhancing training of scientists in the field of RS techniques and technologies, environmental information systems, and best practices in CH management.

The primary objective of this WP is to assess and fully understand the gaps of the existing Remote Sensing and Geoenvironment Research Laboratory of the CUT and its personnel and roadmap their capacity development, as well as to understand the context for the proposed Centre of Excellence, and the local capacity, skills and infrastructure that might be exploited. For the accomplishment of the present WP, the contribution of all partners is valuable, since the outcomes of the WP will provide a very detailed catalogue of the needs of the existing lab and will subsequently define its scientific upgrade. This will indicate the level of expertise of the existing personnel and the capacities of the facilities used by the Lab. Specific objectives include the following:

• Map the context for the new Centre of Excellence, including the national Smart Specialisation Strategy and local socioeconomic structures, resources and priorities;
• Identify short and long term research needs;
• Identify and engage with local stakeholders in order to test proposed research and innovation priorities, and identify potential partnership and investment opportunities.

WP4 is amongst the most crucial WPs of ATHENA’s project, since it will concretely proceed with the actual training of CUT’s personnel through a number of activities (workshops, summer schools, lectures, webinars etc). The overall objective of the present WP is the training of the existing personnel operating in the existing RS Lab of CUT and the transfer of knowledge between the partner’s institutions (the specific actions of the present WP will be defined in further detail based on the outcomes of the WPs 2 and 3). Nevertheless, the fundamental needs are the impetus for the training to start immediately, as soon as from the second month of the project. Specific objectives include the following:

• To transfer technological knowledge, exchange knowledge and experience with CUT’s personnel during the ATHENA project;
• To train CUT’s personnel on state-of-the-art methodologies in Remote Sensing and Earth Observation Sciences applied in Archaeology and CH;
• To enhance the research potential of CUT;
• To increase CUT’s potential in participating in existing European networking activities.

The objectives of this WP are the promotion of the centre both locally and internationally in an effort to create networking for the Centre’s future activities. Through promotion activities of WP5, the Centre will establish a strong collaborative network (locally and internationally) by the end of the project. The specific objectives of this WP are:

• To define possible network stakeholders.
• To promote the Centre both locally as well as internationally.
• To establish long term cooperation with key partners.

The present WP will concentrate on the dissemination of the project itself, its various and variable activities, its results, as well as with the exploitation of its outcomes. The dissemination will be twofold. The first aspect will be scientific oriented and will be achieved primarily through publications in scientific journals, conferences and academic presentations. The second will be oriented towards a wider audience interested in innovative technologies, CH and generally research innovation and will be accomplished through media sources and public presentations of the project.