This project addresses Egypt’s needs of promoting economic development and social welfare within strategic industries, in particular creative and handicraft industries which are under threat by mass production and the loss of traditional know-how.
It is a collaboration between the University of Brighton, University College London and the Egyptian Heritage Rescue Foundation (EHRF) with the aim to develop a deeper mutual understanding of priorities and routes for research to support the digital transformation of Egypt’s handicraft industries. The project is an extension of the GCRF-funded project Linking collections with the living heritage of craft: enhancing communities through digital innovation.
As outcomes, the project will deliver a 10-year strategic research and development plan on the digital transformation of craft industries, including the scoping of the digital infrastructure and funding required to support this area, as well as a knowledge exchange visits which will bring together various stakeholders, including researchers, designers, crafters, business leaders and funders.
It will develop sustainable impact by building capacity for the digital transformation of craft; (b) reaching to handicraft industries, such as designers, crafters and digital creators, through market research and knowledge exchange activities; and (c) disseminating outputs to wider audiences. The long term impact is to establish a creative and innovative space in which the UK partners and the EHRF can support handicraft industries through knowledge exchange, capacity strengthening and digital innovation. We are confident that these timely and realistic objectives will bring Egypt’s handicraft industries to keep pace with modern fashion trends and designs; while keeping a connection to Egypt’s history.
To learn more about our research agenda, see here.
