What is intended here is to create a network - within the frame of the Northern Mediterranean area, and more extensively of some other the European maritime facades - including states, regions, cities associated to the sea and connected to each other by the sea, starting from some "chefs-lieux" of exemplary territories what touches :

  1. the complexity of often conflictual relationships which occurred between industrial production sites and the whole range of patrimonial elements of these territories - natural environment, architectural heritage, etc. ;

  2. the risks which consequently are threatening nowadays the industrial patrimony of the same areas.

The solution “ecomuseum” is, according to the most advanced conception we nowadays have about it in Europe, a mean of comprehension of that complexity as well as a mean of a search for a balance between the tensions which result of that complexity. Furthermore, the ecomuseum becomes a way to enrich both local memory and identity, giving rise to a greater respect of all of their aspects linked to industrial production forms which have already become obsolete. The present project, more precisely, moves towards that kind of industrial patrimony which is connected to determined ports and sea-sides, to estuary or delta areas, including the risks to which this patrimony might be exposed in its turn in such an environment - after having endangered, on its part, precisely that environment.

To summarize the project, it consists in one more initiative, within a very specific geographical and cultural area, of which the main goal is to highlight the trans-national dimension of that kind of common cultural heritage which is embodied in the industrial patrimony. But, in this particular case, the project emphasizes the possibilities and methods of conservation of such a kind or heritage in a balanced relationship with other elements of the overall patrimony in sensitive Mediterranean or European coastal areas.

The project will use the following methods

  the constitution of a network ;

  a circulating exhibition which will be improved, on every site, by gathering various elements of local culture, thus allowing a deeper comparison between different realities. The major asset of this project consists in the circulation of an exhibition of beforehand materials for the creation of an Ecomuseum of the Mediterranean and, furthermore, of areas “between land and sea”. This exhibition will gather and explain the elements of a synthetic determined coastal area in order to identify the resources and strategies which are required for a balanced preservation of the patrimony and the territory. The territories have been selected among others because of their exemplary characteristics of the interaction between industry, and its proper socio-cultural context, and environment.

  a series of specialized training workshops which might also be itinerant, including the attendance by professors and students coming from the different poles and localizations of the network, so that they will learn about the realities of life and culture in every site, and will contribute in their turn to that European exchange of experiences ;

  a constant action of dissemination of the results towards different types of public, with a special attention to be paid to a pedagogical action allowing young Europeans to better integrate thanks to an improved knowledge of the specificities of every involved region ;

  proposing good exportable solutions applicable to other European regions not yet included in the network, together with preparing a catalogue and a website ; · meetings addressing the specialists as well as a large audience, which will take place on occasion of the inauguration of the exhibitions in each of the poles and at the conclusion of the project.

Each of those steps will stimulate the expected exchange of experiences over the shared problematic concerning the preservation and development of industrial patrimony in the considered areas, in view of being able to propose an exemplary and innovative methodology, which will have recourse to “good practices” for the conservation of environmental, historical and economic patrimony, as well as for the communication to a broad public.

Furthermore, by highlighting innovation in the didactics within the network of ecomuseums to be built in these sensitive areas, the project and its participants will point out the importance of a methodological field not yet being enough developed : that of the transmission of memory and of the sensitiveness with respect to new, different kinds of patrimony towards the younger generations. Memory is a continuous construction and patrimony, which happens to be its direct support, requires an equally permanent effort for its own re-appropriation by the society in the course of the times.