As part of the Erasmus+ co-funded project NICHE 2 – Nurturing Intangible Cultural Heritage for Entrepreneurship, the University of Dubrovnik organised two co-creation events on 17 and 28 November 2025, gathering cultural professionals and stakeholders active in the field of Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH).

The events brought together 16 participants from cultural institutions, organisations and NGOs in Dubrovnik and the wider region. Participants represented diverse fields, including music, ethnology, museums, conservation and restoration, marine sciences and biology, libraries, publishing and theatre. Their experience enabled a rich discussion on how green and digital transitions are influencing ICH practices at the local level.

During the workshops, participants were introduced to the NICHE 2 project objectives and the GreenComp Matrix, with a focus on identifying competences needed for cultural professionals in the context of climate change. Adaptability, exploratory thinking, risk awareness and innovation were highlighted as essential skills for safeguarding and managing intangible cultural heritage in changing environmental conditions.

Participants also stressed that ICH is often perceived mainly as entertainment or a tourism product, rather than as living heritage requiring long-term investment and strategic management. In addition, they pointed to infrastructure challenges in Dubrovnik, including inadequate cultural spaces, humidity, temperature fluctuations and exposure to coastal climate risks, which increase the vulnerability of cultural programmes and heritage-related activities.

The co-creation process confirmed the importance of interactive and scenario-based learning. A GenAI-supported scenario exercise helped participants connect climate change risks with concrete operational challenges faced by their organisations, demonstrating the value of practical tools, case studies and simulations in future NICHE 2 training materials.

The insights gathered by the University of Dubrovnik will contribute to the development of the NICHE 2 curriculum and operational tools, ensuring that the final training resources respond to real needs in the cultural heritage sector and support ICH operators in strengthening their green, digital and sustainability-related competences.