Manuela Milica Graf
Research Associate @Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
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WORK HISTORY
Research Associate @Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Jena, DE
Innovation manager and heritage expert on the Nukleus project: The aim of the project is to make the research-based transfer of ideas, knowledge and technology more effective as a key prerequisite for successful result-oriented innovation processes in Jena and the area of Eastern Thuringia and thus actively contribute to solving future economic, environmental and social issues. Coordinator of S3 Interregional Partnership Virtual and Smart Cultural Tourism: The Partnership currently unites eight European regions with almost 60 actors from different sectors. It is a cooperation of regions whose key smart specialisation priorities and activities are linked to tourism and creative industry, and which need responsive strategies to better align innovation activities and value chains.
EDUCATION
University Singidunum, Belgrade, Serbia
Master of Economics - Tourism & Hospitality, the UNWTO TedQual Certified Programme
Faculty of Philology, University of Belgrade
Master's degree
Justus Liebig University Giessen
PhD
SKILLS
ABOUT MANUELA MILICA GRAF
With extensive experience in heritage management and corporate communications, my work focuses on branding, strategic positioning, value creation and innovation development. Some of the key questions driving my research and projects include: How can leveraging heritage and strategic storytelling contribute to effective branding, value creation, and the (re)shaping of unique corporate and place identities? In what ways can the heritage route model and the metaverse be employed to accelerate innovation and unlock new opportunities for growth? My projects are inherently multidisciplinary, intersecting cultural and corporate heritage, branding, tourism, creative industries and sustainable development. Over the past decade, I have specialised in heritage routes, where I have developed deep expertise. Since 2012, I have mapped, created and developed several international cultural routes, two of which are now part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH), a certified Council of Europe route. In addition to my work in cultural heritage, I have cultivated expertise in cross-sector networking and business cluster development. As part of the experimental phase of my master\'s dissertation, I founded the Cluster of Cultural Routes, an innovative model designed for the management of cultural route networks. This cluster brings together more than 50 cultural institutions, tourism organisations, civil society groups, SMEs and six universities across Serbia, Slovenia, Croatia, the Czech Republic and the USA. Moving forward, I aim to drive innovation by transferring knowledge from academia to practice, enhance interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration and strengthen interregional networking while fostering the development of business metaclusters.
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