Meet the Projects
Six pioneering projects shaping the future of European crafts through heritage, innovation, education, and sustainability.
Six pioneering projects shaping the future of European crafts through heritage, innovation, education, and sustainability.
CRAEFT is a pioneering research project that explores the deeper meaning and future of traditional craftsmanship. Grounded in disciplines such as anthropology, cognitive science, art history, and computational intelligence, CRAEFT examines the ways in which making practices—those that involve care, judgement, and dexterity—are more than skills: they are cultural expressions, sustainable livelihoods, and rich repositories of knowledge.
The project embraces crafts as living heritage and seeks to develop innovative methods for their digital preservation, reenactable conservation, and scalable documentation across a wide spectrum of materials and techniques.
Partners: FORTH; Institute of Information Science and Technologies (CNR); ARMINES; KHORA; CETEM; Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers (CNAM); Piraeus Bank Group Cultural Foundation (PIOP); CERFAV European Center for Research and Training in the Glass Arts; Mad’in Europe; ETH Zurich
Hephaestus is a Horizon Europe project dedicated to reimagining the future of traditional crafts by merging time-honoured techniques with emerging technologies. The project explores how cultural heritage can become the foundation for a creative, sustainable, and digitally driven economy. By embracing both preservation and innovation, Hephaestus acts as a bridge between the historical and the contemporary—what the project describes as an “ambidextrous Janus Head” approach—where tradition and technology are not in conflict but in dialogue.
Through its work, Hephaestus expands the possibilities of using digital technologies for the conservation and restoration of cultural goods, while also opening new avenues for craftsmanship as a source of economic and creative vitality. The project supports the development of innovative business models and high-quality product design, encouraging the emergence of new markets, forms of entrepreneurship, and collaborations between the craft sector and the wider cultural and creative industries. In doing so, Hephaestus reinforces the value of crafts as both heritage and opportunity in the 21st century.
Partners: Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Department of Business Humanities and Law (BHL); Goeteborgs Universitet; Università Degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”; BOFA under the Regional Municipality of Bornholm; Fablab Venezia; UNIVERSITA CA’ FOSCARI VENEZIA; COMUNE DI BASSANO DEL GRAPPA
WIT BERRY; Associazione Artigiani Venezia; Confartigianato Vicenza; CNA VENETO OVEST
Tracks4Crafts explores how traditional craft knowledge (TCK) can be better transmitted, preserved, and valued in today’s society. By combining traditional techniques with digital innovation, the project aims to enhance the economic and cultural relevance of crafts in Europe. It positions TCK as a key driver of sustainability, creativity, and quality of life—contributing to broader heritage goals and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Through four thematic tracks, the project develops new learning formats, digital tools, business models, and networks that support the transmission and recognition of craft knowledge. Working across eight pilot craft ecosystems, Tracks4Crafts addresses barriers like long learning paths and lack of certification, while tapping into technology to make TCK more accessible, open, and future-proof.
Partners: University of Antwerp; 3Walks; World Crafts Council Europe; Artex; Department of Design; Politecnico Milano; Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne; The Art of Silk Museum; Bokrijk | Museum & Campus on Craftsmanship; Waag FutureLab; Skillman.eu; Icelandic Textile Center; Onl’fait; Semne Cusute; Latvian Academy of Culture; MX3D; World Crafts Council Europe
Colour4CRAFTS brings together a multidisciplinary team of researchers and R&D specialists to explore the future of textile colouration by bridging traditional craft techniques with innovative, bio-based technologies. Rooted in Europe’s rich heritage of dyeing and textile artistry, the project investigates historic practices alongside cutting-edge methods such as biosynthesised dyes and waterless application techniques. The goal is to develop sustainable solutions that honour cultural traditions while supporting modern creative industries and eco-conscious production.
The project centres on the concept of CRAFTS—Combining, Re-engineering, Applying, Futuring, Transforming, and Stretching—to cultivate skills, reimagine practices, and future-proof colouration in textiles. Through scientific research, company collaboration, and educational initiatives, Colour4CRAFTS aims to preserve and evolve European craft knowledge, making it relevant and impactful within today’s circular economy and the broader goals of the European Green Deal.
Partners: University of Helsinki; University of Lapland; University of Tartu; Royal Institute for Cultural Heritage (KIK-IRPA – Koninklijk Instituut voor het Kunstpatrimonium ‒ KIK); University of Leeds; PILI-Bio.
MOSAIC is a European project dedicated to strengthening excellence in vocational education and training (VET) within the Arts & Crafts sector. Focusing on traditional and rare crafts, precious metals and jewellery, and furniture and wood, MOSAIC explores how these disciplines intersect with design, art, and industry. The project brings together EU and non-EU partners to create a platform for collaboration, aiming to deliver high-quality skills that support sustainable careers and meet the evolving needs of a modern, inclusive economy.
By improving collaboration between companies and VET providers, MOSAIC develops new training modules, supports digital innovation in teaching, and encourages international cooperation. Its goal is to modernise craft education, break down silos between creative and industrial sectors, and ensure that vocational training remains relevant, forward-looking, and responsive to societal change.
Partners : CEGEP de Victoriaville; Bulgaria dobrich- Chamber of commerce and industry; CMA Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes; European Forum of Technical and Vocational Education and Training; The National; School of cabinet making and woodworking; INOVEM; LAB University of Applied Sciences; Materahub; Omnia; SEPR L’école des Métiers; Scuola Centrale Formazione; TUMO Studios; Unioncamere Emilia-Romagna; Uniser; Wooden Oy; HARMONIA 1; Université Jean Monnet; Fondazione Golinelli; INMA; World Skills France
CULTURALITY aims to boost rural and remote areas across Europe by promoting cultural tourism rooted in local craft traditions and heritage. By exploring new business models based on the material and immaterial artisan knowledge of these regions, the project supports job creation and sustainable development. It brings together 13 organisations from 9 countries to address the social, economic, and environmental challenges facing rural communities.
The project focuses on building collaborative local networks, enhancing visibility through digital tools, and fostering stakeholder engagement. Through training, peer learning, and knowledge exchange, CULTURALITY empowers local communities to become active agents of change, transforming cultural heritage into an engine for economic resilience and cultural vitality.
Partners: Universidad de Oviedo; Espacio Tormaleo S.L; La Ponte Ecomuseu; UriaXait S.L.; The University Court of the University of St. Andrews; Applied Arts Scotland SCIO; POLITECNICO DI TORINO; Universidade de Aveiro; Scientific Research Center of Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts; Foundation; Museum Nord; Region Värmland; Consiliul Judetean Maramures; University of Tartu
