The I-SENSE Group, as coordinator of the Horizon Europe project THETIDA, successfully led the fourth plenary meeting of the consortium, held in Enkhuizen, the Netherlands on 4–5 June 2025. The two-day event marked the completion of two years of work and highlighted the consortium’s shared commitment to climate risk monitoring and the sustainable protection of underwater and coastal cultural heritage.
Day 1 focused on internal project progress, with all work packages presenting their latest results and plans for the third and final project year. Key topics included the development of digital tools, participatory approaches, and strategies for enhancing local engagement and impact across pilot sites.
Representing I-SENSE were Dr. Panagiotis Michalis (Project Manager) and Dimitris Maragkos (Communication & Dissemination Officer), both of whom played a central role in coordinating activities, facilitating dialogue among partners, and supporting on-site dissemination efforts.
Day 2 was dedicated to field engagement and knowledge exchange. The day began with a visit to the Zuiderzeemuseum, offering a direct connection to the region’s cultural landscape. This was followed by a sailing journey on the IJsselmeer, one of the project’s core pilot locations.
A highlight of the day was the deployment of a custom environmental sensor developed by the I-SENSE Group. Designed for monitoring water parameters in pilot sites vulnerable to climate change, the sensor was successfully tested and deployed on-site, demonstrating the project’s applied research capabilities and its commitment to combining cultural heritage protection with real-time environmental data collection.
During the same sailing session, partners and invited guests participated in the third official THETIDA webinar:“Climate Heritage Futures: Participation and Climate Justice at the Crossroads.” Moderated by Deniz Ikiz and Anne Veere Hoogbergen (Eindhoven University of Technology), the roundtable featured contributions from Gertjan Plets, Marlies Buurman, Nuhu Ismail, Thijs Weststeijn, Tijana Zakula, and Mila Avellar Montezuma. The session addressed critical questions of whose heritage is being preserved, how inclusive participation can be ensured, and what futures we are shaping through heritage practices.
Additional presentations on maritime archaeology by Lisa Timmerman and Jan-Willem Oudhof further grounded the discussions in the unique landscape of the Zuiderzee and Waddenzee.
As project coordinator, I-SENSE remains committed to leading the THETIDA consortium through its next phase, ensuring that research outputs continue to translate into meaningful action for heritage, communities, and climate resilience.
More updates and the full webinar recording will be available soon via the official THETIDA website: https://thetida.eu
