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Draft:WRECKS4ALL Project

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  • Comment: No substantial improvement since previous decline. '''[[User:CanonNi]]''' (talkcontribs) 12:48, 7 June 2025 (UTC)

Protecting underwater heritage through its digitalization and valorization as a novel touristic offer (WRECKS4ALL)
Launched15.8.2020.
BudgetInterreg IPA Cross-border cooperation Programme Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Montenegro 2014-2020
Websitehttps://interreg-hr-ba-me.eu/2014/project/wrecks4all/


The WRECKS4ALL project, officially titled "Protecting underwater heritage through its digitalization and valorization as a novel touristic offer", was an initiative funded by the European Union under the Interreg IPA Cross-border cooperation Programme Croatia - Bosnia and Herzegovina - Montenegro 2014-2020. Launched on August 15, 2020, the project focused on promoting and preserving the underwater cultural heritage of the Eastern Adriatic Sea region by integrating digital technology into tourism. The University of Montenegro served as the lead partner.

Objectives

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The main objective of the WRECKS4ALL project was to support the tourism sector in the Eastern Adriatic by focusing on underwater cultural heritage through cross-border management, protection, promotion, and valorization. Specific goals included:

  • Improving the status of underwater cultural heritage in the region.
  • Digitally documenting and safeguarding underwater heritage.
  • Promoting underwater heritage as a component of sustainable tourism.
  • Developing national capacities for digital documentation of underwater cultural heritage, particularly through training in photogrammetric methods.

Activities and Outcomes

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The project's activities contributed to dive tourism, improved accessibility to underwater cultural heritage, and supported cross-border collaboration in the Eastern Adriatic.[1]

The project developed Virtual reality (VR) and Augmented reality (AR) applications, including a mobile application and a virtual map, enabling virtual exploration of Adriatic underwater sites. These digital tools allow users to explore wrecks and other sites, providing detailed historical and contextual information.[2][3][4][5] Three Wrecks4All VR showrooms were established in Split (Croatia), Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Kotor (Montenegro), providing public access to underwater sites through VR technology.[6][7] The project also produced a thematic route publication, a physical map, and brochures detailing wrecks and underwater cultural heritage in the Eastern Adriatic.[6][7]

Training sessions were conducted for 60 individuals in participating countries on destination management and tourism promotion of underwater cultural heritage.[8] Training in underwater archaeology and photogrammetric surveying was provided to 42 individuals, focusing on digital documentation and 3D modeling.[9] The project has been noted for its contribution to regional standards for accessibility of underwater cultural heritage through digitization and the promotion of scuba diving tourism. [10]

Partnership and Funding

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The project was led by the University of Montenegro[8]. Other partners included:

The WRECKS4ALL project received funding as a grant under the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA). The total budget for the project was EUR 1,016,778.32, with EUR 952,617.81 provided as EU funding and EUR 168,109.04 from national public sources.[6][8][11]

WRECKS4ALL 2.0

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WRECKS4ALL 2.0 is a capitalization project that builds upon the WRECKS4ALL project's experiences and outcomes.[12][13] This project, titled "Capitalization by transferring to new territories the WRECKS4ALL model for the protection of underwater heritage through its digitalization and valorization as a novel touristic offer," aimed to transfer methodologies and outputs, such as VR showrooms and an action plan for destination improvements, to new territories in the Adriatic, specifically Italy and Albania.[14] The project's total budget is EUR 187,096.68, with EUR 154,970.83 contributed as EU funding (82.83% co-financing rate from IPA/IPA II/IPA III).[15][14]

Activities

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Activities of WRECKS4ALL 2.0 include:

  • **Knowledge Transfer:** This involves the transfer of lessons learned from the WRECKS4ALL project's initial implementation.[15][13][12][14] The project facilitated the adoption of an action plan for improving dive destination management, which incorporates digital access to underwater cultural heritage, designed for transferability to new regions.[14]
  • **Conferences and B2B Meetings:** The project organized events for knowledge transfer and collaboration.[14] These included the conference "The Future of the Adriatic Past - Challenges of the Adriatic Underwater Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Tourism Development," which convened experts and stakeholders from the Adriatic region.[16][17] A B2B networking event also aimed to foster collaboration between ICT companies, cultural heritage actors, creative industries, and tourism sectors.[18][19]
  • **Training and Capacity Building:** The project conducted training sessions on underwater archaeology and photogrammetric surveying to develop capacities for digital documentation and preservation of underwater heritage in Montenegro and Albania. This training involved 20 participants from the cultural heritage sector.[20]
Project Partners:
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Sustainability and Transferability

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The WRECKS4ALL project developed a model for preserving and valorizing underwater cultural heritage.[6][8] Its sustainability is supported by revenue-generating VR/AR showrooms and the establishment of research units at the University of Montenegro.[12] The project's replicable components include VR/AR technology, photogrammetry training, and community engagement.[12] The successful transferability of the model is evidenced by the WRECKS4ALL 2.0 capitalization project, which expanded the model to new territories in Italy and Albania.[14][13]

References

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  1. ^ "Bottom-up Approach Towards Systematic Management of Underwater Cultural Heritage in Montenegro". Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  2. ^ "Underwater cultural heritage and modern technology: In Kotor, a virtual "dry dive" to shipwrecks and an amphora will soon take place". Retrieved June 1, 2025.
  3. ^ "Visit Adriatic Shipwrecks Using Your Mobile Phone with the Free WRECKS4ALL Application". 14 May 2023.
  4. ^ "University of Montenegro has released Wrecks4All, a new free-to-use application". Retrieved June 3, 2025.
  5. ^ "Wrecks4all geoportal". Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h "Wrecks4All". Retrieved June 1, 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Leaflet on WRECKS4ALL VR SHOWROOMS" (PDF). Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h "Wrecks4all at keep EU". Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  9. ^ "Completed training in digital documentation of underwater cultural heritage within project WRECKS4ALL". Retrieved June 6, 2025.
  10. ^ "Montenegro's Laboratory of Maritime Archaeology to expand Wrecks4All project". 12 March 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
  11. ^ a b c d e "About Wrecks4all". Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  12. ^ a b c d "Montenegro's Laboratory of Maritime Archaeology to expand Wrecks4All project". 12 March 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
  13. ^ a b c "The citizens of Kotor will teach their colleagues in Albania and Italy how to digitize shipwrecks and underwater archaeological sites". Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  14. ^ a b c d e f "Capitalization by transferring to new territories the WRECKS4ALL model for the protection of underwater heritage through its digitalization and valorization as a novel touristic offer". Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  15. ^ a b c d e f "Wrecks4all 2.0 capitalization" (PDF). Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  16. ^ "Conference "The Future of the Adriatic Past - Challenges of the Adriatic Underwater Cultural Heritage for Sustainable Tourism Development"". Retrieved June 2, 2025.
  17. ^ "Wrecks4all conference". 23 April 2024. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
  18. ^ "Wrecks4all 2.0 B2B meeting". Retrieved June 4, 2025.
  19. ^ "Wrecks4all B2B Molise". Retrieved June 1, 2025.
  20. ^ "Training in Underwater Archaeology and Digitization of Underwater Cultural Heritage". 4 March 2025. Retrieved Jun 3, 2025.
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