THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE TATE GALLERY

Their core work

Tate is one of the world's leading art institutions, operating four major galleries in the UK (Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, Tate St Ives). Within EU research, Tate contributes deep expertise in the conservation of modern and contemporary art, including the application of advanced nanomaterials to preservation challenges. They also research the social value of art and cultural practice, exploring how art institutions can shape public policy and community engagement. Their role in H2020 projects bridges materials science, cultural heritage preservation, and the societal impact of the arts.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Tate's early H2020 work (2015–2018) was firmly rooted in materials science applied to art conservation — nanomaterials, gels, graphene, and nanoparticles for restoring artworks. By the later period (2020 onward), the focus shifted decisively toward the societal role of art: social practice, cultural policy, empathetic exchange, and open access. The trajectory moves from "how to physically preserve art" toward "why art matters to society and how to prove it."

Tate is moving from technical conservation research toward investigating the social and policy impact of art, making them increasingly relevant for projects addressing cultural participation, public engagement, and evidence-based cultural policy.

How they like to work

Tate participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with a major cultural institution contributing domain expertise rather than managing research programs. With 65 unique partners across 20 countries from just 3 projects, they operate in large, international consortia. This signals openness to diverse partnerships and an ability to work within complex, multi-partner research environments.

Despite only three H2020 projects, Tate has built a remarkably broad network of 65 partners across 20 countries, reflecting the large consortium sizes typical of MSCA and Innovation Action projects. Their reach spans most of Europe and likely extends to associated countries.

What sets them apart

Tate occupies a rare position in EU research: a world-class art institution that directly engages with advanced materials science for conservation and simultaneously investigates the societal impact of cultural activity. Very few organizations can offer both a living laboratory of 70,000+ artworks and the institutional credibility to shape cultural policy debates. For consortium builders, Tate provides access to real conservation challenges, massive art collections for testing, and a globally recognized name that strengthens any cultural heritage proposal.

Highlights from their portfolio

• NANORESTART
  Largest funded project (EUR 400,000) combining advanced nanomaterials — graphene, nanocellulose, nanocontainers — with real-world art restoration, an unusual cross-sector bridge.
• SPACEX
  Most recent project (2020–2025) signals Tate's strategic pivot toward researching the social and policy impact of art and architecture.
• NACCA
  An MSCA training network addressing the ethics and theory of conserving contemporary art — a field Tate is uniquely positioned to define.