Digitalisation of the cultural traditions of the Banat region - securing the easy access for tourists and experts

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A IPA Romania Serbia

Date of latest update: 2025-09-26

Description

Description (EN):

The public collection sector is one of the most important content providers in the knowledge-based society. Therefore, it is in the interest of European cultural consumers to have access to cultural goods as comprehensively as possible and in the freest possible form. In this process, the tool system of the digital world represents a breaking point. Making digital content accessible contributes to the realization of the cultural policy goals of each country, and thus in particular to the completion of basic cultural provision, the main purpose of which is to ensure free access to culture and cultural values in order to strengthen cultural identity. The digitization of public collections is a process that can be carried out in stages, which was started in an ad hoc manner in both countries in the recent period, thereby ensuring the content provision of public collections continuously and to an ever-increasing extent. Our project proposes to contribute to a very difficult problem of the cultural heritage in the border areas: the lack of digitization. The first problem is the lack of technology, due to sub-financed cultural institutions (like museums and similar institutions). The second problem is the lack of people trained to use the technology required for such a goal. Through this project we intend: 1. To harness the common cultural heritage, with common features; 2. To understand the role of the institute and the museum in the community. The results of this project must reach far beyond the walls of the institutions involved: it aims to dynamizes the cultural heritage material of the Banat region, including the digitization of the cultural assets preserved by the institutions and organizations of both countries and related to any ethnic group characteristic of the region. The impact of this can be felt not only from a cultural point of view, but also from an economic point of view: it has an influence on the information management processes of the entire region. Making a digital copy available only becomes user-friendly and stimulates use only if it is easily searchable and contains additional information relevant to each user group. The project's activities respond to these challenges. The main objective is to create a cultural and local history portal (Banat Heritage Portal), easily accessible to lay end-users and tourists, with additional information and comprehensible content, by integrating the digital content of the VMMI and the Montan Museum in Resica, which will present the traditions of the once complete Banat region, recorded in tangible, written or any other form, over the last more than a century. The portal is designed to offer a set of digital tools - digital makerspace - for the targeted communities. The digital makerspace will help the involved contributors to digitize, publish and re-use valuable content about the heritage of Banat. In order to create a solid database that is compatible with international public collection standards (MARC21, LIDO) data and digital content transformation and aggregation is needed. The data transformation to the standards will significantly lower the risk of data degradation and advance the long-term preservation goals. Currently, there are multiple systems used in both institutions to maintain heritage data and content (Vamadia in Senta, Qulto-M in Resita) these complementary datasets in their current way of operation were not designed to represent the whole and multicultural and multilingual historic Banat area. The solution to have the possibility to interconnect data and content from both sides of the border is to aggregate the data sources into a single repository solution. The sub-goal of the project is to further develop Vamadia and Qulto-M in order to enable more and more public collections in the Banat to directly participate in the enrichment of the database, thus providing more and more valuable cultural content for research, education and tourism. Such an aggregation will allow the institutions to summon partnering institutions (local libraries, museums) and volunteers to take part in the data collection and curation process. With the joint project, we also take advantage of the synergy effects. The portal also presents unique and unique digital traditions that emphasize relationships, so the diversity of the region is also emphasized, thinking here about the natural, social and geographical diversity, which was also caused by the different development of the countries in the past decades. This duality, based on historical similarities, but also on differences due to different development, gives the strength of the development of a digital platform that jointly presents traditions.

Actual Achievements (EN):

As project partners within the Banat Heritage Portal initiative (RORS00227), VMMI and MRM have jointly coordinated and advanced the implementation of project activities in alignment with the approved work plan and funding requirements. Both institutions have played a crucial role in establishing the operational framework and setting the project on a clear path toward its objectives. The VMMI partner has maintained continuous communication with the BRCT concerning essential updates, including project progress, requested changes, and the contracting plan. VMMI’s administrative coordination and its close collaboration with MRM have ensured a shared understanding of the critical phases of the project and how to achieve its results. A tender procedure for project management services was launched with a submission deadline of March 28, 2025, at 14:00, aiming to finalize contracting by early April (planned contract award notice: April 1, 2025). An important online project meeting was held on March 4, 2025, with participation from both VMMI and MRM. During this Joint Steering Committee (JSC) session, the current status of the project was reviewed. All activities were re-evaluated to ensure they are progressing in line with the timeline and objectives. Operational and financial components were also analyzed to confirm compliance and efficiency. It was jointly agreed to prepare an Explanatory Note for the BRCT outlining the required changes in project activities. The JSC will closely monitor further implementation steps. As part of the financial framework, the advance payment towards the MRM partner was successfully transferred on March 14, 2025 (as evidenced by attached bank statements). On MRM’s side, the project team has been formed and the necessary support services acquired. Project management and public procurement services have been contracted, and the event organization agreement has been finalized. In parallel, work has commenced on updating the MRM website to include a dedicated section for the project, which will contribute to visibility and transparency. Furthermore, during the March 4th JSC meeting, the approval of Additional Act No. 1 concerning a budget amendment was officially adopted, further demonstrating the adaptive and responsive management approach undertaken by both partners. Through coordinated planning, open communication, and timely administrative execution, both partners have built a solid foundation for successful project realization, ensuring compliance, transparency, and progress toward shared heritage goals.

Project outputs: Establishing a common heritage portal (EN)
Banat as the Cross Border destination in digital world(EN)

Thematic information

ICT and digital society Cultural heritage and arts Tourism

Priority: (VI-A_RO-SR_2) Social and economic development

Priority specific objective: RSO4.6. Enhancing the role of culture and sustainable tourism in economic development, social inclusion and social innovation

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO4 A more social and inclusive Europe implementing the European Pillar of Social Rights

Type of intervention: 166 Protection, development and promotion of cultural heritage and cultural services

Partners (2)

Lead Partner: Zavod za kulturu vojvođanskih mađara

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 925838423

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 105720345 | 105720345 | 08891893 (EN)

Department: Management

Address: Poštanska , 24400 Senta , Serbia

Department address: Poštanska , 24400 Senta, Serbia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: http://www.vmmi.org

Total budget: EUR 193 998.08

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 164 898.36

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 29 099.72

Contractors:

Name: DOO TIPPNET KFT SUBOTICA
VAT registration or tax identification number: 100850677,

Muzeul Banatului Montan, Reşiţa

Name: Muzeul Banatului Montan, Reşiţa

Department: Management

PIC (Participant Identification Code): 883332538

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 3228420 | 3228420 | N/A (EN)

Address: Bld. Republicii, 320151 Reşiţa, Romania

Department address: Bd. Republicii, 320151 Resita, Romania

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.mbmr.ro

Total budget: EUR 171 999.98

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 146 199.98

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 85.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 25 800.00

Contractors:

Name: Purice Bujorel Petru I.I.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 19888724
Name: Truta Cristina PFa
VAT registration or tax identification number: 24518680

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Museum of Highland Banat, Reşiţa

Digitalisation of the cultural traditions of the Banat region - securing the easy access for tourists and experts

Partners and Projects info

Zavod za kulturu vojvođanskih Mađara

Digitalisation of the cultural traditions of the Banat region - securing the easy access for tourists and experts

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Digitalisation of the cultural traditions of the Banat region - securing the easy access for tourists and experts

Project acronym: Banat Heritage Portal

Project ID: RORS00227

Project start date: 2024-12-31

Project end date: 2026-08-30

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

HUSRB/1903/33/0103 – SALVAGE, (EN) | Traditional ecological knowledge was explored and digitized in this project, so the results achieved there are now included in this database as records, increasing the dissemination of the results of the previous project. The cultural heritage discovered at that time, by connecting the cultural traditions of the Romanian-Serbian Banat, gets a new context in this project. (EN), HUSRB/1602/32/0086 NEWTRAD (EN) | During this project, the architectural heritage of the Szeged landscape was surveyed. This region also includes the northern part of Banat in Romania, so it is possible to link the digital copies of the built heritage that are owned by the Romanian partner or the institutions associated with it during the project to the results of the Newtrad project, taking Romanian records into account, so in a tripartite collaboration, we integrate the theme of the project and get a broader picture of the built heritage in the area. (EN), ROSRB 2007-2013 programme Call 1 Pr. nr 430 Caraș and Nera Valley – Communication channels, civilization roads (EN) | The project promoted the natural and the cultural legacy, including traditional costumes and the water mills patrimony through promotional activities sustained in educational, cultural, ethnological and scientific research institutions through conferences, photo and video expositions.
We will digitizing the records collected during this project and we are now adding the traditions of Northern Vojvodina to the result, so that the common portal will contain material covering a much wider geographical area, facilitating both the work of researchers and the orientation of tourists.
(EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 365 998.06

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 311 098.34

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 85.00%

Co-financing sources:

IPA/IPA II/IPA III: Amount, EUR 311 098.34. Co-financing rate, 85.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Joint database and portal
Common exhibition
Digitalised material
Researched cultural heritage
Organized conference and workshop

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyDanubeRegion EU Strategy for the Danube Region - Priority Area 03 of the EUSDR "To promote culture and tourism, people to
people contacts" is in coherence with the project.
Priority Area 09 “Investing in People and Skills” of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region promote social inclusion
through regional co-operation networks and initiatives.
TerritorialAgenda2030 We call upon communities and civil society across Europe to help overcome growing development differences between people and between places. Building bridges between people with different incomes, educational backgrounds, cultures, traditions and religions is key to keeping Europe together. We shall facilitate cooperation and increase solidarity between civil society to reduce segregation and to promote social inclusion as well as using diversity as an asset for everyone’s well-being.
Other Strategy for the development of the culture in Serbia
Special goal 5. Digitization in culture corresponds to modern development of technologies and communication systems, and is aimed at developing the digitization process, which is of great importance for research, protection, and interpretation of cultural heritage, as well as production, presentation and interpretation of modern creativity. Regulation of the digitalization process in the culture of the Republic of Serbia corresponds to all three priorities of the strategic development of culture.
During the digitization of national cultural heritage and modern creation, a comprehensive procedure involving, but is not limited to:
- Development of complete electronic catalogs of national cultural heritage, achievements of modern creativity and participants in these areas;
- translation from physical in electronic form of national cultural heritage and modern creation and appropriate documentation;
- describing national cultural heritage and modern creation and work on the development of unique metadata;
- development and connection of the program and physical network of information systems on digitized national cultural heritage and modern work;
- research and digitization of cultural heritage and modern creation;

Deliverable (other than infrastructural investment) areas:

Serbia (RS), Senta, Poštanska, 18, 24400
România (RO), Resita, Bld. Republicii, 10, 320151

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 077 - Number of cultural and tourism sites supported, Measurement unit:
RCO 087 - Organisations cooperating across borders, Measurement unit:

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 084 - Organisations cooperating across borders after project completion, Measurement unit:
RCR 077 - Visitors of cultural and tourism sites supported, Measurement unit:

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSDR

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A IPA Romania Serbia

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-09-26

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

32 / 32 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

91 / 91 (100%)

Notes on the data

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Digitalisation of the cultural traditions of the Banat region - securing the easy access for tourists and experts

Description

Thematic information

Partners (2)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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