29 January 2026, 9.00 CET │Antwerp, Belgium & online
CRAFTOUR is organising a major scientific conference dedicated to the structural future of European craftsmanship. This event is organised by the University of Antwerp.
Opening with a keynote by Professor Gunnar Almevik (University of Göteborg) and with lectures by leading academics, the conference will explore three critical shifts: how definitions of craft are changing, and how new laws (like the GI regulation) impact market authenticity; how AI and digital tools are actually reshaping the way skills are taught and practiced, as well as how to identify the business models and ecological practices that will keep the sector sustainable in the long term.
Speakers include:
Gunnar Almevik (University of Göteborg), Vishv Priya Kohli (Copenhagen Business School), Riikka Räisänen (University of Helsinki), Bert De Munck (University of Antwerp), Francesca Cominelli (University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Luca Pareschi (University of Rome Tor Vergata), Pammi Sinha (University of Leeds), Sofia Soledad Duarte (Politecnico di Milano), Xenophon Zabulis (FORTH), Elisa Guidi (Artex), Ana Nuutinen (University of Lapland), Regina Garcia Núñez (Mad’in Europe), and Llara Fuente (University of Oviedo).
Registration is now open for joining the conference in person or online.
The dialogue will continue the following day (30 January) with the CRAFTOUR General Conference, shifting the focus from academic research to strategic policy.
The CRAFTOUR initiative brings together four pioneering EU Horizon projects: CRAEFT, HEPHAESTUS, TRACKS4CRAFTS, and COLOUR4CRAFTS; and two other EU funded projects MOSAIC, and CULTURALITY. The ECA will be present as a partner in the TRACKS4CRAFTS project, and the conference will serve as one of the key events for the participants of the ECA Knowledge Exchange Programme 2026.