ERIH - A netwokr in the Heart of European History, Culture and Identity

ERIH was initiated as a project in 1999 with the objective of fostering this growing awareness of our shared European industrial heritage and to take it from what was perceived as a limited niche market to a mainstream cultural and tourism product. Since the foundation of the legal entity in 2008 ERIH has continuously grown. The network has become the voice for European industrial heritage sites and industrial heritage tourism encouraging the economic well-being of ERIH sites and associated former industrial areas. With more than 1,000 industrial heritage sites in 43 countries ERIH is the most comprehensive cultural and tourism inventory of industrial heritage in Europe. With the current project ERIH aims to sustain existing membership and attract new members and thereby increase the importance of the network and ensure its long-term sustainability. For existing and new members additional services and benefits will be provided to make membership more attractive and to encourage more active participation in the network. Additional content and projects make the network interesting and vital. As an experts´ network ERIH intends to develop and provide services (such as market research, experts´ database, cross-marketing effects etc.) and support the exchange of experience and cultural co-operation (joint events, audience development, cultural and artists exchange etc.). As a seal of quality and European brand ERIH wants to become more visible and well-known and to raise awareness about the fascinating common European cultural industrial heritage by using the cross-marketing opportunities of the network. More members and the implementation of additional projects require more management and administration; therefore the organisation of ERIH will be enhanced by additional permanent staff in the secretariat, and by the establishment of national chapters and international thematic task forces who help to co-ordinate and structure organisations and activities in Europe.