The IPERION CH programme (Integrated Platform for the European Research Infrastructure On Cultural Heritage) will fund a European network of research infrastructures dedicated to the study of cultural artefacts until 2019. Praised during the evaluation process for its scientific quality, this project has been selected by the European Commission in the framework of its Horizon 2020 Strategy.

This project, coordinated by the Italian CNR, results from an in-depth dialogue between 23 partners from European Union Member States and from the United States. It gathers scientific instruments and competences, focusing on four activities :

• support to international users for the analysis of Heritage artefacts (access to large-scale facilities, mobile laboratory, scientific archives) ;
• methodological developments ;
• conferences and exchanges ;
• evolution towards a permanent infrastructure.

In France, IPERION CH benefits of the PATRIMA “Laboratory of excellence” and the PATRIMEX “Equipment of excellence”, to which access will be facilitated. Three French partners are taking part in IPERION CH : CNRS, Inria and the SOLEIL synchrotron facility. CNRS stands for several laboratories, including :

• Centre de recherche et de restauration des musées de France (IRCP–C2RMF, Paris) ;
• Institut photonique d’analyse non-destructive européen des matériaux anciens (IPANEMA, Saclay) ;
• Centre de recherche sur la Conservation – Laboratoire de recherche des monuments historiques (CRC, Paris – LRMH, Champs-sur-Marne).