Heritage research matters : case studies of research impact contributing to sustainable development

This report by the Joint Programming Initiative on Cultural Heritage and Global Change (JPI CH) focusses on how the impact of cultural heritage research can enrich sustainable development. It aims to advance the ways that impact can be articulated in the design, implementation and assessment of research. It also promotes a holistic approach to sustainability where its social, economic and environmental dimensions are integrated. The case studies have been collated through an online survey, and collaboratively assessed by the JPI CH partners in the United Kingdom and Sweden. The report is directed towards heritage practitioners, policy makers and funding bodies, as well as researchers within the cultural heritage sector and beyond. Through the explanatory introduction and series of case studies, we hope to inspire and create space for innovative heritage research that contributes to achieving sustainable development. Along with the strategic research goals of JPI CH, the research is linked to the goals of Agenda 2030 and the European Heritage Strategy. This enables us to promote research that has a positive legacy for future generations and which embraces sustainable ways of working and creating impact.