Scientific Conference - University of Antwerp

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AGENDA

Welcome & introduction

9h00 – 9h30
Welcome coffee
9h30 – 10h00

Opening : introducing the objectives of the event,  projects & CRAFTOUR

10h00 – 10h45

Keynote : Gunnar Almevik, Professor in Conservation at the University of Göteborg

11h00 – 12h30

Coffee break

11h00 – 12h30

Roundtable 1 : Histories of value(s) and the governance of culture

– Addresses the fundamental questions of what constitutes “craft” and by whom and how are its social, economic, ecological, and cultural values are constructed, perceived, and governed.

– Mapping definitions and meanings of “craft” in European contexts, and taking a critical look at the political practice of “mapping craft”.

– Authenticity – examining how consumers construct and perceive it in the market, with a reflection on the GIs and the contextualisation of craft products.

– Exploration of values leading craft practices.

Participants :

– Vishv Priya Kohli, Associate Professor of Law & Management at the Department of Business Humanities and Law at Copenhagen Business School, Denmark.

– Riikka Räisänen, Professor of Craft Science and Craft Pedagogy, University of Helsinki, Finland. 

– Bert De Munck, Professor at the History Department at the University of Antwerp, Belgium.

– Francesca Cominelli, Associate Professor at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Vice-Director of EIREST, France.

Moderator : Dr Julie De Groot, Post-doctoral Researcher and Project Coordinator at the University of Antwerp, affiliated with the Department of History and the Antwerp Research group in Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES), Belgium. 

12h30 – 13h30

Interactive lunch : during lunchtime, the attendees will have the opportunity to see the demos and poster

13h30 – 15h00

Roundtable 2 : Digital imaginaries and crafts in transition

– Exploring the application of technology across the crafts ecosystem, mapping current practices and emerging trends, and offering a structured overview of technology’s potential (including AI) in sustaining craftsmanship and cultural identity.

– Examining how digital interventions challenge, reinterpret, or reinforce established practices, values, and authenticity.

– Examine the role played by technological innovation in the training and learning process of craft-makers.

– Presenting case studies and pilot findings where digital tools have been implemented and tested in diverse craft environments.

Participants : 

– Luca Pareschi, Associate Professor of Organisation Studies at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy.

– Pammi Sinha, PhD, Professor of Fashion Management University of Leeds, School of Design, United Kingdom.

– Sofia Soledad Duarte, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, designer, and lecturer at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. 

– Dr Xenophon Zabulis, Research Director at the Institute of Computer Science – Foundation for Research and Technology, Hellas, Greece.

Moderator : Jouke Verlinden (tbc), Professor at Faculty of Design Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium.

15h00 – 15h30

Coffee break

15h30 – 17h00

Roundtable 3 : Organisational transformation and resilience

– Holistic perspective on crafts, addressing the full ecosystem from skills transmission and institutional frameworks to sustainability, business models, and ecological practice.

– Highlighting sustainable and forward-looking practices, including natural resource use, ecological awareness, experimental methodologies, and innovative business
models, demonstrating connections to diverse European policies.

– Contradictions and practical barriers in pursuing ecological practices.

Participants : 

– Elisa Guidi, General Coordinator of Projects at Artex – Centre for Artistic and Traditional Crafts of Tuscany, Italy. 

– Ana Nuutinen, PhD, Professor of Fashion and Clothing, Team Leader, University of Lapland, Faculty of Art and Design, Finland.

– Regina Garcia Núñez, Project Manager at Mad’in Europe, specialising in crafts, built heritage, and the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, Belgium. 

– Llara Fuente, Art Historian and Severo Ochoa Predoctoral Fellow in the Department of Art History and Musicology at the University of Oviedo, Spain.

Moderator : Annick Schramme, Professor and the academic in charge of the master’s program in Cultural Management at the University of Antwerp, Belgium.

17h00 – 17h45

Concluding remarks / concluding panel of coordinators

18h00 – 19h00

Reception

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Speakers

Regina Garcia Núñez

Project Manager at Mad’in Europe , Craeft Speaker

Riikka Räisänen

Professor of Craft Science and Craft Pedagogy, University of Helsinki, Colour4Crafts, Speaker

Bert De Munck

Professor at the History Department at the University of Antwerp, Tracks4Crafts, speaker

Llara Fuente

Severo Ochoa Predoctoral Fellow in the Department of Art History and Musicology at the University of Oviedo, CULTURALITY, Speaker

Gunnar Almevik

professor in conservation at the University of Göteborg, keynote

Elisa Guidi

general coordinator of projects at Artex, Tracks4Crafts, Speaker

Dr Julie De Groot

Post-doctoral Researcher and Project Coordinator at the University of Antwerp, Tracks4Crafts, moderator

Dr Xenophon Zabulis

Research Director at the Institute of Computer Science – FORTH, Craeft, Speaker

Francesca Cominelli

Associate Professor at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and Vice-Director of EIREST, Tracks4Crafts, Speaker

Vishv Priya Kohli

Associate Professor of Law & Management at the Department of Business Humanities and Law at Copenhagen Business School, hephaestus, speaker

Ana Nuutinen

PhD, Professor of Fashion and Clothing, Team Leader, University of Lapland, Faculty of Art and Design, Colour4Crafts, speaker

Sofia Soledad Duarte

Post-doctoral Research Fellow, designer, and lecturer at Politecnico di Milano, Tracks4Crafts, Speaker

Luca Pareschi

Associate Professor of Organisation Studies at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, hephaestus, speaker

Pammi Sinha

PhD, Professor of Fashion Management University of Leeds, School of Designs, Colour4Crafts, speaker
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Regina Garcia Núñez

Project Manager at Mad’in Europe, specialising in crafts, built heritage, and the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. She manages research and content development within Erasmus + projects, including BRICKS, MindCrafts and Reskilling Crafts, among others, where she examines how non-formal and informal learning can complement formal education to reinforce the transmission of craft skills. Her work includes coordinating research, producing reports, developing training content, and organising international workshops and events.

She holds a Master’s degree in European Studies from the Université Libre de Bruxelles and combines experience in cultural heritage with an early background in climate advocacy. Her research focuses on the strategic role of non-formal education in ensuring the resilience of Europe’s craft and heritage ecosystems.

Riikka Räisänen

PhD, is a professor in craft science and craft pedagogy at the University of Helsinki, Finland. She has a background in natural sciences, i.e. chemistry, physics and environmental studies, textile technology, craft studies and education. Her research interests are in sustainable textiles, craft culture and textile heritage, as well as natural and bio-based colourants. Räisänen has over 20 years of experience in education, which she sees in vital role when maintaining and developing craft skills and heritage.

Rikka will contribute to the roundtable with the topic ‘Values leading craft practices among crafters and craft educators – results from Colour4CRAFTS project’.

Bert De Munck

Professor at the History Department at the University of Antwerp, Belgium, teaching ‘Early Modern History’, ‘Theory of Historical Knowledge’, and ‘History of Science and Society’. He is member of the Centre for Urban History, Antwerp, and board member of the Antwerp Urban Studies Institute. His research is at the intersection of social history, urban history and the history of knowledge, with a focus on solidarity, craftsmanship and the evaluation of skills and knowledge. His publications include Guilds, Labour and the Urban Body Politic: Fabricating Community in the Southern Netherlands, 1300-1800 (Routledge, 2018), and ‘Artisans as knowledge workers: Craft and creativity in a long term perspective’, Geoforum, 99 (February 2019): 227-237.

He will be presenting the  difficulty of defining and categorising craft, linked to different frameworks of value, and its impact on policy. 

Llara Fuente

Art Historian and National End-of-Degree Award recipient granted by the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities. She is currently a Severo Ochoa predoctoral researcher at the University of Oviedo. Previously, she was employed at the same institution, where she participated in several national and international research projects, notably CRAFT Cultural Heritage. She is currently a member of the European project CULTURALITY.

Her publications, at both national and international levels, focus on rural environments, crafts, landscape, tourism, sustainability, and cultural dissemination, approached from a transdisciplinary perspective. She has also curated the exhibition Creators & Keepers. Women Weaving Europe, accompanied by its related publication.

Gunnar Almevik

Is a building conservator and Professor in Conservation at the University of Gothenburg. He has played a leading role in integrating vocational craft pathways for carpenters, masons, and gardeners into higher education in Sweden, and founded the Craft Laboratory to bridge research and craft practice. Much of his research is carried out through multi- and transdisciplinary collaboration and in real-world settings where craft practice is integrated into the research process.

Talk outline: This keynote celebrates the rise of practitioner-researchers who use craft itself as a mode of inquiry. It reveals how hands-on making drives new insights, sparks innovation, and delivers knowledge that matters directly to craft and heritage practice.

Elisa Guidi

Is an Architect, she studied in Florence and in Paris.

She has been the general coordinator of projects at Artex – Centre for Artistic and Traditional Crafts of Tuscany since 2004. 

She has assumed many prestigious positions over the years: since 2015, she has been a member of the Board of ECA, European Crafts Alliance (formerly WCC Europe), of which she was President from 2020 to 2023. From 2016 to 2024, she was a member of the board of directors of the MIC Foundation – International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza. Since July 2022 she has been a member of the member of the Steering Committee of CSAVRI, the service centre for the enhancement of research and management of the University of Florence incubator. Since March 2023 she is member Advisory Board of the Craeft, Craft Understanding, Education, Training, and Preservation for Posterity and Prosperity, Horizon, Europe, Research and Innovation Action, funded by the European Commission

Since July 2023 she is member of Skillman Italian Board of Coordinators.

In January 2024, she was appointed to the board of the Artistic Orientation Committee of the Révélations 2025 Biennial, and she was the curator of Italy’s participation in the event as the guest nation.

Dr Julie De Groot

Postdoctoral researcher and project coordinator at the University of Antwerp, affiliated with the Department of History and the Antwerp Research group in Cultural Heritage Sciences (ARCHES). She specializes in historical interiors, material culture studies, and (tangible and intangible) cultural heritage, with a strong focus on traditional crafts knowledge. As the project coordinator of the Horizon Europe project Tracks4Crafts, she co-leads an international consortium exploring the sustainability and transmission of craft heritage. Dr. De Groot is also a guest professor in heritage sciences (UA), contributing to education in historical interiors and project management. Her research, grounded in urban material culture, has been widely published, including the monograph At Home in Renaissance Bruges (2022). She serves as a scientific advisor for museums and heritage institutions and is an active member of international research networks. Her work bridges academic scholarship and public heritage engagement, fostering interdisciplinary approaches to history and intangible heritage. 

Dr Xenophon Zabulis

Research Director at the Institute of Computer Science – Foundation for Research and Technology, Hellas. He received the BA, MSc, and PhD degrees in Computer Science from the University of Crete, Greece, in 1996, 1998 and 2001. From 2001 to 2003, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, at the Computer and Information Science Department and at the Institute for Research in Cognitive Science. From 2004 to 2007, he was a Research Fellow at the Institute of Informatics and Telematics, Centre of Research and Technology Hellas, Greece. Since 2008, he has been a visiting professor at the Computer Science Department of the University of Crete. He is the author or co-author of more than 200 academic papers, has participated in over 30 EU, NSF, ESA, and national projects and has co-supervised more than 20 student theses. His research interests include 3D vision, real-time 3D reconstruction of static and dynamic scenes, human motion estimation, image registration, pose estimation, camera networks, medical image analysis registration, human stereo vision, and computer vision applications in interactive environments.

Talk outline: From the Craeft project, I will bring insights on how advanced digital modelling and AI can support the understanding, education and transmission of craft knowledge, strengthen makers’ working conditions and business models, and inform sustainable policies for preserving Europe’s craft heritage.

Francesca Cominelli

Associate professor at the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, at IREST, Institute for Research and Advanced Studies in Tourism, which she directed from 2017 to 2020. She is a member and vice director of the EIREST research team and her research focuses on the economics and safeguarding of cultural heritage and explores the relationships between cultural heritage, museums, sustainable development, heritage ecosystems, innovation and cultural diversity. Her research methods include audiovisual and have led to collaborations with documentary film makers (Salvo Manzone in 2014/2015 and Caterina Gueli in 2016-2018). Her professional experience has been consolidated through collaborations with the Italian National Commission for UNESCO, the Institut National des Métiers d’Art (INMA), the French Ministry of Culture and Communication, WIPO, the European Investment Bank, OECD, and ICOMOS International. 

 

Vishv Priya Kohli

I seek to protect heritage, fight fakes, and foster fairness through law Law as a Guardian of Heritage, Health and Fairness.

My research asks how law can protect what matters most to society — our cultural heritage, our health, and the fairness of our markets.

I focus on three areas where law plays a vital role in society. I explore how the new EU framework on Geographical Indications can preserve traditional crafts and strengthen cultural identity. I study the risks of counterfeit and falsified medicines, addressing the threats they pose to public health and consumer trust. I also examine intellectual property infringements in consumer markets, shedding light on the challenges of counterfeiting and unfair competition.

At the heart of my work is a belief that law is more than regulation — it is a tool for safeguarding traditions, fostering fairness, and building trust. My ambition is to connect legal scholarship with real societal needs, ensuring that today’s protections lay the foundation for a fairer and more sustainable tomorrow.

Talk outline: Authenticity in the EU Craft sector: Learning from Food and Wine Geographical Indications – Regulatory Parallels and Safegaurding Mechanisms

Regulation (EU) 2023/2411 introduces geographical indications (GIs) for craft and industrial products, extending a system long established for food, wine, and spirits. I will contribute by examining the new regime through a comparative analysis with food and wine GIs, focusing on regulatory parallels and safeguarding authenticity.

Ana Nuutinen

Professor emerita of fashion and clothing at the University of Lapland in the Faculty of Art and Design. She holds a doctorate from the University of Art and Design Helsinki (now Aalto University). The focus of Ana’s research is on futures research, which she has applied to craft education at the University of Helsinki. Her current research interest combines futures studies, design and craft, the emphasis being particularly in the early stages of the design process and colour forecasting. Her research involves also artistic activities in which her design expertise and practical experience guide the futures-oriented thinking.

Talk outline: The perspectives offered by futures research can provide visions that help us see craftsmanship in a new light.

 

Sofia Soledad Duarte

Doctor in Design, currently post-doctoral research fellow, designer, and lecturer at Politecnico di Milano. Her research focuses on materials-driven design for environmental sustainability and ecological regeneration, bridging emerging practices with traditional craft knowledge. She is the didactic coordinator of the Master in Design for Sustainability and Regeneration at POLI.design and teaches across several design courses. Her interests include DIY materials, Biodesign, and experimental processes, with a focus on contemporary material experiences and identities that support circular, sustainable, and regenerative approaches. She is an active member of the Materials Design for Transition research group and the Design Intelligences group at PoliMi.

Luca Pareschi

Works on the management of arts and culture and is Associate Professor of Organization Studies at the University of Rome Tor Vergata. He received his PhD in Management from the University of Bologna in 2011 and subsequently worked at the University of Bologna and Ca’ Foscari University of Venice before joining Tor Vergata. Within the Horizon Europe project Hephaestus, he serves as Scientific Lead for the Work Package on training and education, coordinating learning methodologies and leading the editorial direction and writing of PodCraft, a research-based podcast on European makers and craft ecosystems. He also conducts a long-term research engagement with Festivaletteratura in Mantua, examining how organizational choices shape cultural offerings and providing hands-on involvement to initiatives on cultural participation and collaborative knowledge production.

Talk outline: Our research in the Hephaestus project shows that craft-makers remain sceptical of technological innovation whenever it approaches the core of their practice, the embodied gesture and tacit, material knowledge. Yet they adopt technology more readily in phases distant from the craft gesture, such as research, experimentation, and documentation, where digital tools support exploration and help make processes visible. Moreover, technology also proves valuable in surrounding domains like communication, community-building, and education and training. We explore how hybrid learning formats and digital storytelling complement traditional apprenticeship-based learning. PodCraft, our research-based podcast, exemplifies this: a space where makers share situated knowledge to enhance craft learning.

Pammi Sinha

PhD, is Professor in Fashion Management at the University of Leeds, UK. A fashion designer and maker by training, she has researched indigenous crafts, circular fashion design, upcycling, remanufacture and post-consumer textile waste management within UK, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. With 25 years of experience in multi- and transdisciplinary collaborative, qualitative research about the fashion design process from examining processes, activities and their management, market relationships and role of designers, her research has contributed to policies around design and textiles; Dar es Salaam’s policy to reinvigorate the textiles industry in Tanzania (2007), the UK Government’s Sustainable Clothing Action Plan (SCAP) (2008), and postconsumer textiles waste management in Colombo, Sri Lanka (2021). Her current research interests in natural and bio-colourants are in developing deeper understanding about their incorporation or use across fashion and textile companies, educational materials through to artisanal works with the aim of enabling future designers in the fashion and textile propose evidence based sustainable colour decisions in industry.

Talk outline: From the Colour4Craft project, I will bring insights on the role of open science and bio-hacking environments in the development of innovative approaches to craft colour production and implications for craft practises and craft policies.