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The AGREE Project (Routes of the Great Atlantic Expeditions) partners in Ireland, Spain, France, and Portugal are continuing to work together through a series of regular meetings to establish the project’s international Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC), a key structure supporting the future Cultural Route under the Council of Europe framework.

Significant progress has already been made, including the development of a draft strategic plan for the SAC, agreement on governance roles for research, communication, evaluation, data, and training, and the preparation of a collaborative research programme focused on the heritage and legacy of Atlantic exploration between the 15th and 18th centuries. Partners have also begun identifying researchers, heritage practitioners, and cultural organisations from across the Atlantic region to participate in the growing SAC network.

As part of this process, the SAC includes a series of thematic Research Groups coordinated by the project partners according to their expertise and territorial experience. These groups currently include History Valorisation, Legacy and Tourism in Atlantic Territories Valorisation, Memory Valorisation, Pedagogy Valorisation, Technology Valorisation, and Encounter Valorisation.

The SAC will support transnational cooperation in areas such as maritime heritage, intercultural exchange, digital heritage, cultural tourism, and the interpretation of complex histories including slavery and forced migration. Work is also underway to establish Scientific Local Committees (SLCs) in participating territories to strengthen local engagement and heritage valorisation.