Message from the PEH Workshop Chairs

he growth of mass communications including the Internet has accelerated the trend towards globalisation, which is viewed by some as leading to the loss of regional identity, culture and heritage. Similarly, within the commercial sector, globalisation can be seen to fuel the dominance of international brands insensitive to regional culture. Conversely, globalisation can be viewed as an opportunity for different cultures to co-exist and learn from each other, and can also be taken as an opportunity for regional cultural commerce itself to be promoted on a global scale. Within this context, a great deal of research and development effort has been applied to the area of online cultural content.