The Interreg M.A.R.K.A.T.O. project was presented in Matera:Greece and Italy join forces to revitalise traditional crafts and cultural heritage

The M.A.R.K.A.T.O. project – Maintaining And Revitalizing Knowledge And Traditional Occupations – was presented this morning at HubOut in Matera. It is a cross-border cooperation initiative funded by the Interreg VI-A Greece–Italy Programme 2021–2027 and co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), under Specific Objective RSO4.6 dedicated to culture and sustainable tourism.
M.A.R.K.A.T.O. aims to preserve and enhance professions linked to intangible cultural heritage, while strengthening their economic sustainability and capacity for innovation.
The following spoke at the press conference: Maristella Mantuano, Head of Communications at the Joint Secretariat for Interreg Italy-Greece projects -Apulia Region, Vasia Kougia, project manager for the Achaia Chamber of Commerce; George Panagiotopoulos, project researcher for the Municipality of Metsovo; Iakovos Kontaratos, Vice-President of the Zakynthos Chamber of Commerce; Daniela Leo, project manager for the Puglia Creativa Production District; and Rita Orlando, director of the Matera Basilicata 2019 Foundation.
The meeting forms part of a three-day programme of events in Matera dedicated to the project, which kicked off on 15 April with an Info Day, organised in collaboration with Materahub, aimed at fostering dialogue and engagement among local stakeholders, institutions, cultural operators and local actors, brought together to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with traditional crafts. Alongside the Info Day – the third in the series following those held in Patras, Greece, and Bari – the programme for the event also included a meeting of representatives from the cross-border partnership.
With a duration of twenty-four months and a total budget of € 1,119,632.80, the project responds to a shared challenge between Greece and Italy: the progressive marginalization of traditional crafts and artisanal knowledge, increasingly threatened by globalization, urbanization, and shifts in consumption patterns.
Project activities are implemented in the territories of Achaia, Zakynthos, and Metsovo in Greece and in the regions of Puglia and Basilicata in Italy, with particular reference to the areas of Bari, Matera, and Bisceglie. The initiative is based on strong institutional cooperation between Greece and Italy, built around a network of public authorities, chambers of commerce, and cultural organizations committed to promoting local heritage and sustainable territorial development. The project is led by the Chamber of Achaia, acting as Lead Partner, and includes for Greece the Zakynthos Chamber of Commerce and the Municipality of Metsovo. For Italy, partners include the Creative Apulia Cluster Association (Distretto Produttivo Puglia Creativa), the Participation Foundation Matera Basilicata 2019, and the Municipality of Bisceglie.
The project follows an integrated pathway that begins with the mapping of traditional professions and the analysis of operators’ needs, and then activates training programmes, workshops, and cross-border exchanges aimed at strengthening skills in areas such as innovation, digital marketing, and sustainability. The objective is not only to safeguard artisanal knowledge, but to make it competitive within the contemporary market.
A central element of the initiative is the creation of two joint digital tools: a Joint Digital Marketplace, enabling artisans to promote and sell their products on a broader scale, and a Digital Archive, designed to document techniques, stories, and skills related to traditional professions, ensuring their preservation and transmission to future generations. Through these platforms, M.A.R.K.A.T.O. integrates tradition and innovation, combining cultural protection with market accessibility.
For Basilicata region, the M.A.R.K.A.T.O. project involves setting up 10 local workshops in the Province of Matera, designed to strengthen the technical and digital skills of local master craftsmen. Great importance will be placed on the European dimension through cross-border exchange activities, which will involve 15 Italian professionals and artisans on study visits to Patras and Metsovo, whilst simultaneously hosting 15 Greek colleagues in Matera. To this end, a call for expressions of interest has been launched, available at the following link https://forms.gle/oxNmThasaDYGCrEw9 , aimed at all those practising traditional trades and professions rooted in the cultural heritage of the regions involved. The initiative will provide access to the various opportunities that will become available over the coming months.
The project also foresees the organisation of cultural events, thematic routes, and local sustainable tourism plans, intending to transform intangible heritage into a strategic component of territorial tourism offerings. The integration of craftsmanship, culture, and tourism represents one of the key pillars of the intervention, in line with European priorities for sustainable development and the promotion of cultural diversity.
M.A.R.K.A.T.O. seeks to generate a concrete impact on the involved territories by strengthening the economic resilience of micro and small cultural enterprises, expanding the international visibility of traditional professions, and encouraging the involvement of younger generations. The project intends to build a stable cross-border ecosystem between Greece and Italy, developing solutions that can be replicated in other European contexts.
M.A.R.K.A.T.O. demonstrates how cross-border cooperation can transform a shared challenge into a common opportunity, reinforcing cultural identity, innovation, and sustainable development. Preserving traditional crafts means investing in the future of territories, keeping alive skills that represent not only historical memory but also economic potential and social cohesion.
For further information:
https://www.greece-italy.eu/