Abstract
This roundtable aims to explore the role of cultural institutions not only as generators of research but also as incubators capable of welcoming and mediating it. Their potential lies in the ability to connect different disciplinary fields and concerns, reducing the distances between otherwise isolated sectors.

One of the fundamental levers of this potential lies in the very nature of the research that institutions can activate: research oriented by an agenda rather than bound to a rigid method, and for this reason intrinsically heterogeneous, flexible, and interdisciplinary. Starting from these considerations, the roundtable intends to reflect on possible sustainable models of cultural institutions, imagining them as spaces of critical thinking and experimentation, whose research can capture the interest of different stakeholders: territories, communities, businesses, universities, and beyond.

Is it possible to imagine such a future for cultural institutions? If so, how can both their economic and ecological feasibility be guaranteed? Under what conditions can they become both an agora for conceiving new ideas and effective disseminators of them? And, last but not least: what can ensure that cultural institutions remain relevant in the face of climate catastrophe?

Main questions for discussion

1. What sustainable models of cultural institutions can we imagine—spaces of critical thinking and experimentation whose research is able to engage different stakeholders such as territories, communities, businesses, and universities?
2. How can research-driven cultural institutions remain economically and ecologically sustainable?
3. What strategies can ensure that cultural institutions stay relevant and resilient in the face of the climate crisis?

Date : Sep 26, 2025

Time : 12:00 - 14:00 PM