Launching the N-RICH Economic Impact of Collections Loss project
We are very pleased to announce the launch of the Economic Impact of Collections Loss project, part of the National Research Infrastructure for Cultural Heritage (N-RICH) Prototype. The N-RICH Prototype is a two-year investment in the UK’s world-renowned cultural heritage collections, made possible through funding from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Infrastructure Fund Preliminary Activity grant awarded to the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC). The project is being delivered by the Towards a National Collection (TaNC) programme in collaboration with AHRC.
Cultural heritage collections play an important role in research, innovation, education and public engagement, but there is currently limited shared evidence about the economic consequences when collections, collections data or the systems that enable access to them become lost, degraded or unavailable. The project will address this gap by developing an evidence base and practical framework for understanding these impacts across the UK cultural heritage sector, including effects on institutions, researchers, public access, innovation and longer-term cultural and heritage value. It will also explore how investment in digital infrastructure and resilience could reduce these risks and will produce a Collections Loss Playbook to help cultural heritage organisations identify, describe and evidence the impacts of collections loss in their own contexts.
The Economic Impact of Collections Loss project will be delivered by London Economics, who bring experience in economic appraisal and evaluation, digital and research infrastructure, resilience and impact assessment. The team will be supported by leading experts in cultural heritage, cultural value and heritage economics: Dr Patrycja Kaszynska, Senior Research Fellow at University of the Arts London (UAL) and Research Fellow at the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (Creative PEC), Newcastle University; Professor Josep Grau-Bové, Director of UCL’s Institute for Sustainable Heritage and Fellow of the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (IIC); and Dr Ricky Lawton, Director of Economic Evaluation at Ipsos and Honorary Research Fellow at UCL’s Institute for Sustainable Heritage.
Anoushka Kumar, Economic Consultant at London Economics and Lead Researcher for this project says “I’m really excited to be working with organisations and experts across the cultural heritage sector on this project. Collections support research, education, innovation and public engagement in so many different ways, so the consequences when they are lost, degraded or become inaccessible can be wide-ranging and extend far beyond the immediate financial costs. I’m looking forward to helping build a stronger evidence base that can support organisations in understanding those risks and making the case for future investment.”
To find out more about the Economic Impact of Collections Loss project, contact the team on info@londoneconomics.co.uk