On the 25th of April, Alexandra Gonçalves, the coordinator for the iHERITAGE Portugal project attended a seminar dedicated to the presentation of a book developed around the importance of the Mediterranean Diet titled “The Mediterranean Diet: Fostering a Common Vision Through a Multidisciplinary Approach”. Together with the iHERITAGE team in Portugal, Alexandra represented the project in a discussion on the importance of the topic and how the project aims to promote it throughout the Mediterranean. 

Organized by the University of the Algarve, through the  Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development (MED), this initiative aimed to promote the Mediterranean Diet as a multidisciplinary concept, aggregator of a wide set of characteristics that range from territory to food and different lifestyle choices. In fact, the Mediterranean Diet not only offers a significant diversity and plurality of concepts, practices and knowledge as it embodies elements of geography and climate, agriculture, food habits, history, sociological aspects, culture and architecture. Following this framework and as part of the iHERITAGE project, the main goal for the Portuguese team led by Alexandra Gonçalves is precisely to promote and enhance the Mediterranean UNESCO cultural heritage through innovative experiences by creating cross-border living labs for research and innovation.

Within iHERITAGE, and following innovation-driven growth processes, brand strategies for the affirmation and better knowledge of intangible realities has allowed to create an alternative way of showcasing the heritage of different cultural universes. For Portugal, this means working in the development of digital platforms capable of enhance the cultural experience, the history of the landscape and the sense of identity and continuity of knowledge of the Mediterranean Diet, more specifically the country’s geographic case-study: Tavira, focusing mainly on the olive oil activity, with a detailed presentation of the manufacturing process, as well as its didactic interpretation and dissemination about the protection and conservation of Mediterranean research.

The iHERITAGE project aims to support the technological transfer and commercialization of new Augmented and Virtual Reality tools to enhance access to Mediterranean UNESCO cultural heritage through augmented and immersive experiences by creating cross-border living labs for research and innovation. 

Represented by the University of Algarve, the focus of the Portuguese team is to promote the Mediterranean Diet and its importance for the cultural identity of the Mediterranean. The iHERITAGE ICT Mediterranean platform for UNESCO world heritage is a strategic project funded by the EU through the ENI CBC Mediterranean Sea Basin Programme.