The special session of the TECTONIC Project “New Perspectives and Solutions in Cultural Heritage” is a forum for sharing ideas, projects, research, and applications, focusing on the Preventive Conservation of marine and aerial Cultural Heritage. New technological proposals based on artificial intelligence are increasingly being applied to conservation processes.

Preventive Conservation of cultural heritage, especially underwater heritage (UCH), is crucial in safeguarding tangible testimonies of past human life preserved on the seabed. However, UCH conservation remains costly and challenging due to the complexities of marine research, requiring advanced technologies, skilled operators, and coordinated efforts. Underwater sites are harder to access and riskier than land-based ones, making solutions less accessible to general operators.

The session aims to share research solutions tailored to the technical needs of professionals involved in the Preventive Conservation of Cultural Heritage, particularly in the UCH sector (e.g., underwater site managers, institutions, and authorities). It brings together experts and researchers focused on intelligent approaches for sustainable management of aerial and underwater heritage, enhancing monitoring, promoting in situ conservation, and providing precise maintenance guidelines.

The main topics of the session (although not limited to these) are:

• Monitoring systems provide awareness of the artefact conservation status and the surrounding environment;
• AI-based decision support system (DSS) helps collect data from the aerial and marine environment;
• Data processing using AI techniques is used to infer subjacent relations among the parameters registered and to perform a comparative data analysis that can define which environmental aspects have a more profound impact on the preservation of the CH;
• Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) are used to perform and support monitoring and maintenance activities based on innovative modular and configurable architecture;
• Systems management and protocols for the maintenance and enhancement of CHs;
• Underwater conservation and restoration strategies;
• Methodologies and digital tools for underwater and aerial archaeology;
• Sensors and innovative monitoring for the aerial and marine environment;
• Green Conservation strategies applied to the Cultural Heritage;
• Sustainability and Cultural Heritage: new perspectives.

The main goal is to exchange ideas and showcase technological and digital solutions for safeguarding Cultural Heritage while gaining a deeper understanding of threats and strategies for more effective and sustainable conservation management.