Cultural heritage is considered a resource for local sustainable development, although there are some contradictions. The sites recognized as cultural heritage are increasing; the costs for functional maintenance/reuse are growing, while public resources available are becoming scarcer, and private actors are increasingly focused on the short time for payback. The consequence is that there is a growing risk that the decay of heritage increases year by year, because of lack of funding support and viable business models.

The CLIC project adopts a trans-disciplinary and systemic approach that integrates technology, business models and economic organisation, finance, governance and regulations as well as skills and social innovation, framed in the perspective of the circular economy as possible model for a more inclusive, resilient and sustainable development. The project combines traditional knowledge with scientific knowledge, developing multistakeholder win-win business, financing and governance models, inclusive planning and decision-making.