From Conflict to Cooperation: Applying Business Ecosystem Theory to Adriatic Fortified Heritage - A Comparative Study of Italian and Croatian Fortress Management

Fortifications represent one of the most significant legacies of European cultural heritage: originally conceived as military structures, they have evolved into complex socio-political and architectural systems. While their defensive role is obsolete, today they embody valuable assets with strong potential for adaptive reuse, tourism development, and cross-border cooperation. This thesis investigates whether and how the business ecosystem framework can be applied to the valorisation of fortified heritage in the Adriatic area. The research combines a theoretical analysis of ecosystem models with empirical evidence from a questionnaire addressed to selected Italian and Croatian municipalities and stakeholders. The survey provided both quantitative and qualitative insights into orientations, challenges, and strategies of fortress management. Results highlight an unbalanced development across the sample: attractiveness (tourism and events) emerges as the most consolidated scenario, territorial functions (community and identity) are visible only in certain contexts, while dissemination (cultural production and creative industries) remains weak. The comparative analysis shows that Italian fortresses tend to rely on fragmented governance and volunteer-based management, while Croatian cases present more structured models, with Šibenik standing out as a keystone example. To complement these findings, the thesis analyzes the FORTIC project (Interreg Italy–Croatia, 2021–2027) as a laboratory for innovation, testing the role of digital technologies (e.g. AR, 3D mapping, virtual archives) and cross-border cooperation in building resilient and diversified ecosystems. The study concludes that fortified heritage can generate lasting value if managed as part of a broader ecosystem that balances conservation, community involvement, innovation, and technological integration. Once built to divide, fortresses can now become hubs of resilience, transforming memories of conflict into opportunities for cooperation, sustainable growth, and shared European identity.