With over 430 participants from 39 countries, the 1st BCThubs International Conference “Widening the Big Blue Horizon,” held under the auspices of the Hellenic Ministry of Culture, concluded successfully on Friday, December 6th.
The conference took place from December 4th to 6th, 2024, at the Domotel Xenia Volos Hotel in Volos, Greece. Centered on Innovative Technologies and Sustainable Practices for the Protection and Management of Underwater Cultural Heritage (UCH), the event consisted of five sessions featuring 39 presentations. These sessions provided a fertile ground for discussions on the protection and accessibility of UCH, showcasing innovative technologies and global initiatives. Topics included citizen engagement projects aimed at raising awareness, management strategies for the promotion of underwater cultural and natural heritage, as well as the challenges and opportunities of scientific diving and the integration of UCH into maritime spatial planning.
All sessions concluded with engaging discussions, while our European project NERITES was presented by the Founder of Atlantis Consulting, Mr. Angelos Manglis, and our European project TOURAL was presented by the Director of RnD Dept of Atlantis Consulting, Mr. Polyvios Raxis.
The in-person attendees had the chance to network and visit the Blue Culture Technology Exhibition, hosted in an adjacent room during the first two days of the conference. The Blue Culture Technology Exhibition highlights included CREAMARE – The Game, a serious game under development to raise public awareness about preserving UCH. Visitors experienced a virtual “dry dive” to the impressive Classical-era shipwreck at Peristera, Alonissos, and explored virtually the modern Christophoros shipwreck in Panormos, Skopelos. Additional highlights of the exhibition included interactive AR leaflets that “brought shipwrecks to life” via augmented reality apps, a VR setup using cardboard glasses for an immersive “dry diving” experience, and cutting-edge underwater research and monitoring technologies such as the ROV “Hydria” and the i-blue Culture system. Interactive videos offered attendees a comprehensive journey into the depths of underwater cultural heritage.
A detailed report on the conference’s findings and conclusions, videos of all presentations, and photo highlights from the three days will soon be available on the conference website. The conference proceedings are expected to be published in 2025.
Stay tuned for updates on the BCThubs conference webpage and mark your calendars for the 2nd BCThubs International Conference in 2026!
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