The Forum Inn-O-Kultur networks actors from restoration/conservation and archives, cultural policy and administration, with experts from research and industry.

The open alliance Forum Inn-O-Kultur emerged in 2014 from a grant of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, for the creation of interdisciplinary networks. This alliance is referred to as Innovation Forum. With the support of the Thuringian State Office for Monument Preservation and Archaeology, and the Thuringian Museum Association, the industrial research institution INNOVENT e. V. held one conference and four workshops, over a period of five months. A total of over 150 experts from museums, archives, universities, industrial and research institutions, took part in the interdisciplinary discussions. Challenges for the restoration and conservation of cultural assets were jointly identified.

The Innovation Forum was the initial spark for the cross-industry network, which was constituted in autumn 2015 as the "Forum Inn-O-Kultur". Specialist events are held once or twice a year, often in cooperation with museums, such as in 2016 with the GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts in Leipzig. The events serve for the exchange, networking and development of new research alliances.

In workshops, laypersons and experts analyze the current challenges for the protection of cultural assets. Through dialogue, practical approaches are searched for in an interdisciplinary manner. In this way, previously unknown know-how is shared across sectors, and the newly gained perspectives support innovative cultural heritage research. So far, more than 1000 participants have attended our workshops.

Further information can be found on our website www.innokultur.de

Modern Technologies for the Protection of Cultural Assets: Atmospheric Pressure Plasma

The diverse applications of plasma technology have now reached the field of cultural heritage research. Initial national and international R&D projects are investigating the possibilities of gentle cleaning of corroded metal, such as iron or silver, textiles, contaminated wooden surfaces, or the removal of layers of dirt from canvas or stone, with the aid of cold plasmas.

Protective Functions through Nanotechnology

Coatings are another way to protect sensitive surfaces. Nanotechnology offers exciting approaches here: transparent, wafer-thin layers can create special functionalities, and thus protect against moisture, bacteria or fungi. The options for restoration/conservation have hardly been researched so far.

The potential of this technology lies in its scalability, mobility and ability to be combined with other processes.

As the initiator of the network Forum Inn-O-Kultur, the industrial research institution INNOVENT e. V. focuses on its first projects in the research area of atmospheric pressure plasma for the protection of cultural assets.

Further technologies at INNOVENT e. V. that can be used:

• Flame Treatment
• Sol-Gel Technology
• Low Pressure Plasma

Know what's inside - or outside

The Department of Analytics of INNOVENT e. V. performs precise, holistic analyses and measurements for almost all materials. A special competence in materials testing and analysis exists for coatings, adhesives and paints.

Please do not hesitate to contact Dr. Katrin Pawlik if you have any questions.

The focus of Inn-O-Kultur:

• Presentation of current research projects from the restoration/conservation and complementary industries

• Transparent presentation of technologies and new materials

• Interdisciplinary dialogue between restorers, monument conservators, chemists, physicists, material scientists and all other specialists in the protection of cultural assets

Aims of Forum Inn-O-Kultur:

• Continuous networking of actors in cultural heritage research with public sponsors

• Raising awareness of cultural heritage protection in relevant industries

• Initiating cross-industry collaborative projects

Forum Inn-O-Kultur holds two specialist workshops a year, which are dedicated to a specific focus, such as the corrosion protection of metals. In the lectures, approaches to solutions from various industries are presented to provide new perspectives on the challenges. The workshops are mostly held in cooperation with museums or archives and are highly appreciated by the participants due to the attractive supporting program.

Next event: 2022

Location: not yet determined

Subject: New materials & manufacturing processes Facets & opportunities for the protection of cultural assets

Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Innovation Forum
"Innovative Surface Techniques for the Restoration and Conservation of Cultural Assets - Inn-O-Kultur"
Period:             February - August 2014
Partners:          Thuringian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments, Preservation of Architectural and Artistic Monuments, Museum Association of Thuringia and others

The open alliance Forum Inn-O-Kultur emerged in 2014 from a grant from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research for the creation of interdisciplinary networks. With the support of the Thuringian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments and Archaeology or the Thuringian Museum Association, the industrial research institution INNOVENT e. V. held a conference and four workshops with a total of over 150 experts from museums, archives, universities, industrial and research institutions in five months. In the interdisciplinary discussions, challenges for the restoration and conservation of cultural assets were jointly identified. Funding bodies and umbrella organisations, such as the Deutsche Bundesstiftung Umwelt (The German Federal Environmental Foundation) and the Association of Restorers also took part in the discussions. Existing networks, such as the "Cultural Heritage Research Alliance" and "N.i.KE" from the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) also shared their know-how in presentations.

The results of the Inn-O-Kultur workshops were presented to representatives of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, politics, business and cultural protection at the two-day-long Innovation Forum in July 2014. The protection against corrosion, the decontamination of toxic wood preservatives or the development of mass-producible methods for stone conservation were mentioned as particularly relevant.

The Innovation Forum was the initial spark for the cross-industry network, which was constituted in autumn 2015 as the "Forum Inn-O-Kultur". Specialist events are held once or twice a year, often in cooperation with museums, such as in 2016 with the GRASSI Museum of Applied Arts in Leipzig. The events serve the exchange, networking and development of new research alliances.

Contact: Constanze Roth, art historian M.A.

The German Federal Environmental Foundation
"Exemplary decontamination of biocide-polluted cultural assets on an organic basis using new plasma and laser cleaning technologies - DekoPLa" 
Duration: May 2015 - March 2017
Cooperation partner: Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing, Berlin

The aim of the investigations was the testing of novel pulsed laser and atmospheric pressure plasma (ADP) technologies for cleaning unmounted wooden surfaces of art and cultural objects contaminated with the wood preservative "Hylotox 59". The chloro-organic ingredients DDT, lindane and pentachlorophenol are harmful to health and sometimes carcinogenic. The residues of the wood preservative are visible through glittering crystal structures and enter the atmosphere via air. In high concentrations, they are a health hazard for museum employees, restorers, carpenters and joiners. Therefore, decontamination is highly desirable.

Within the scope of the cooperation project, various plasma and laser sources were used, both on dummies and on old contaminated original material.

Using both atmospheric pressure plasma and short-pulse lasers, it has been possible to significantly remove the harmful crystalline residues from wood surfaces without destroying the material.

Contact: Constanze Roth, art historian M.A.