Panel discussion

How will SHIFT technologies help cultural heritage institutions make more engaging exhibitions and develop audience participation

The panel will present planned results of EU funded project SHIFT emphasising the benefit for cultural heritage institutions as well as blind and visually impaired persons. Representatives of three partner organisations will talk about their work and the potential for improving their future strategic directions and work. BMN is one of the partner organisations in the project SHIFT.

Robert Davies

Chair of the Europeana Network Association (ENA)

Robert Davies currently serves as the Chair of the Europeana Network Association (ENA) and works on the SHIFT project on behalf of the Heritage Management Organisation (Greece). He has been involved with the Europeana initiative since its outset in 2007, managing several EU projects and actions which have resulted in the contribution of over 20 million digital cultural heritage items from all over Europe and from various domains. With almost 30 years of experience, Davies has worked with cultural organisations in the Balkans region in a variety of contexts.

Andreas Bienert

The Staatliche Museen zu Berlin, Director

Andreas Bienert has been charged with documentation and digital collections at the Directorate General of the National Museums in Berlin – Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation (SMB). As such he has been responsible for the implementation and best use of related ICT applications and storage systems in the Museums. Prior to this he has been strongly involved in media technology projects like Bildindex and DISKUS (Digital Information System on Art and Social History) at the Federal German Center for Art History Documentation and at the Kunstmuseum Basel, Svizzerland. His expertise in electronic inventories and information systems in museums, archives and galleries has been acknowledged in several European projects, research co-operations and chairing the EVA-Berlin conferences. He studied art history, literature and linguistics in Marburg and Munich and experienced archival research in Venice and Rome. He holds a PhD in art-history. In 2017 he was appointed honorary professor of “Art-History and Digital Humanities” at The University of Applied Sciences in Potsdam.

Ioana Crihana

National Library Association in Romania - ANBPR

Ioana Crihana has worked, for more than 20 years, in various leadership positions in highly competitive business entities: a government institution, a national newspaper, a well-known Romanian Branding & Advertising Agency, a multinational ICT corporation and in the most representative National Library Association in Romania – ANBPR. Getting involved in several development projects, Ioana Crihana has expertise in creating, restructuring and revitalising different products, services and organisational structures, and, also, in the implementation of some business plans and strategies for sustainability, both in private and institutional environments. Her main objective as a CEO of ANBPR was to achieve the organisational and financial autonomy of the Association through a strategic repositioning in the relationship with its partners, its own members, governmental decision-makers and the community at large. To achieve this, Ioana Crihana was in charge with bringing together all the players involved in the organisational development process: ANBPR’s leadership, members of the organisation, project partners, external collaborators, mass media, and representatives of the authorities, similar associations, financiers and other stakeholders.

Dragoș Adrian Neagu

Braila “Panait Istrati” Public Library

Since 1998 Mr. Dragos Neagu Adrian served as deputy director of the Braila “Panait Istrati” Public Library and since 2007 is the manager of this institution. Is also a member of the National Libraries Commission. Mr. Dragos Adrian Neagu is licensed from the University “Lower Danube” from Galati, Faculty of Materials Science, has a master degree in public management of the Academy of Economic Sciences in Bucharest, and also has an PhD at the University ”Lucian Blaga” Sibiu. Dragos Adrian Neagu is an ANBPR (Romania National Association of Public Librarians and Libraries) member since 1995 and from 2021 is the president of the association (is the second mandate as president, the first one was in 2012 – 2016). Association aims to support the professional interests of public libraries and librarians. With continuous activity for 30 years, it currently has over 3,300 members and has 40 branches nationwide.