Project launch for EMY: Cultural offerings intended to engage Gen Z

On 8 April 2025, project partners from Italy and Austria met in Maniago, in the Italian region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia, for the official launch of the Interreg project EMY. The University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol was also present and will work together with the other institutions until 2027 on new formats for sustainable tourism and innovative educational offerings for social development. The focus is on Generation Z, which will be more closely integrated through interactive museum offerings and a modern form of cultural education. At the first meeting, the participating organizations introduced themselves and presented their planned work packages.

The University of Applied Sciences Kufstein Tirol contributes its expertise in the fields of management and cultural tourism to the cross-border Interreg project EMY. The project is embedded in the degree programs Leadership & Business Management and Sports, Culture & Event Management.

Together with the municipality of Maniago as lead partner, the aiku - Arte Impresa Cultura center based at the Fondazione Università Ca' Foscari in Venice, and the municipality of Montebelluna, the Kufstein University of Applied Sciences is working to enhance cultural resources and preserve cultural heritage in the regions of Veneto, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and Tyrol. 

Innovative concepts to increase the attractiveness of museums 

“The project aims to make museums and cultural sites more attractive to young people,” says Emily Kirchlechner, MA, project assistant.

Young people are to be actively involved in the design and communication of cultural offerings. The project also promotes cross-border exchange between museums, companies, and educational institutions in Italy and Austria with a view to developing sustainable cultural tourism. Another goal is to promote sustainable mobility by linking cultural offerings with gentle forms of tourism such as cycling and hiking routes. One highlight of the project is the cross-border learning experience, in which young adults discover museums in the cross-border region between Italy and Tyrol on foot and by bike. 

 PARTNERS GET A FIRST PREVIEW 

Another highlight of the event was the guided tour of the Museum of Blacksmithing and Cutlery Museo dell'Arte Fabbrile e delle Coltellerie in Maniago. The museum is one of four museums in the cross-border region between Austria and Italy that are part of the project and is an impressive example of living cultural heritage in the region. 

Maniago has been considered a center for blacksmithing since the 15th century. The museum focuses not only on the origins of knife production, but also on the importance of this craft for the identity and economy of the region, as well as on social aspects such as working conditions and the role of (working) women. 

The meeting was rounded off with a networking lunch, which provided an opportunity for informal discussions and initial joint project ideas. With this successful start in Maniago, the foundation has been laid for an exciting cross-border collaboration that will continue until the end of the project in February 2027.

Links:

• Interreg-Project EMY | Research Project
  
• Museum of Blacksmithing and Cutlery, Maniago | Website