14 October 2025

Vienna Hosts Inspiring 1st STECCI Conference on Cultural Heritage and Climate Change

The STECCI Conference, held in the heart of Vienna from 25 to 27 September 2025, brought together over 200 participants from across the globe to address one of the most pressing challenges of our time: safeguarding stone monuments and cultural heritage in the face of climate change. Organised by the University of Applied Arts Vienna (UAA), the event successfully fostered crossdisciplinary dialogue, blending scientific rigour with an atmosphere of warm collegiality.

The WP5 of the STECCI project (Community-Based Impact Strategies for a Sustainable STECCI Ecosystem) is led by ZSI, which contributes primarily through the active engagement of citizens, stakeholders, and social innovators in the preservation of cultural heritage and the development of sustainable cultural tourism strategies. At the conference, Pamela Bartar and Phillip Brugner represented also the European INHERIT Project at the STECCI Conference with a social innovation approaches in the context of the New European Bauhaus #NEB. If you are interested in topics regarding #retrofit and #culturaL heritage buildings, join the INHERIT Multi Stakeholder Forum Group.

Meanwhile, Gábor Szudi and Pamela Bartar showcased co-creation and tailored, community-driven activities, illustrating how creativity and local engagement can work hand in hand to safeguard cultural heritage.

Day One – Setting the Tone
The opening day unfolded in an inspiring ambiance, marked by outstanding organisation and a warm welcome from the UAA. Experts and researchers shared pioneering perspectives on climate change’s impact on stone monument conservation, ranging from vulnerability assessments and GISbased analyses to sustainable preservation strategies and advanced new materials. Inperson presentations, lively debate, and a vibrant online poster session highlighted the power of international collaboration. The day concluded in quintessential Viennese style at a traditional Heuriger, where participants exchanged ideas in an informal yet engaging setting against the charming backdrop of Vienna.

Day Two – Digital Innovation and SocioEconomic Perspectives
The second day’s programme focused on the potential of digital technologies and socioeconomic insights to transform cultural heritage preservation. Morning sessions showcased cuttingedge approaches, including 3D scanning, neural rendering, and photogrammetry, alongside new methodologies for the documentation and interpretation of cultural assets. Delegates examined the critical role of standardisation, metadata, and paradata management in ensuring transparency, reproducibility, and longterm usability of heritage data.
Afternoon discussions addressed citizen science initiatives, participatory approaches, and economic valuation within the context of climate change, emphasising heritage’s potential to foster social cohesion and local development. The day closed with anticipation for the following day’s field excursions.

Day Three – Excursions and Closing Highlights

The final day enabled participants to experience cultural heritage firsthand through three parallel excursions:

A visit to the Votive Church and its newly opened museum, featuring recent conservation projects led by the UAA.
A behindthescenes exploration of Schönbrunn Palace, confronting the challenges of conserving a worldrenowned monument amid mass tourism.
A walking tour of Vienna’s historic First District, uncovering hidden architectural treasures and sparking vibrant debates on stone conservation, urban development, and the city’s history.

In total, the conference featured over 35 oral and poster presentations spanning numerous disciplines. Despite an opening marked by autumn rain, Vienna gifted delegates with sunshine on the final day, creating ideal conditions for the excursions and a fitting conclusion to this memorable gathering.
The organisers sincerely thank all participants for their invaluable contributions and look forward to the second STECCI Conference, to be held in Malta in 2027.