The Interegg IIIB MEDOCC programme is an EU-funded initiative aimed at stimulating trans-national cooperation between countries in the Mediterranean area. One of the approved projects, entitled Route des Marchands, Villes des Marchés en Méditerranée, acronym MERCATOR, is headed by Heritage Malta, the National Agency for Museums and Conservation practice together with the collaboration of prestigious institutions including the Diputacion de Alicante – MARQ in Spain, the University of Mertola in Portugal and Istituto di Storia della Cultura Materiale (ISCUM) on behalf of the Regione Liguria in Italy.  This project is aimed at the study, understanding and valorization of various facets of Mediterranean maritime history with special emphasis on merchant cities of the Mediterranean.  Other partners who are participating in this project hail from Italy, Spain, Portugal, Greece, Morocco and Lebanon.

Throughout the centuries, all regions of the Mediterranean Basin played an important role in trading activities of the region. This created an important long-lasting links between different areas of the Mediterranean.  A vast commercial system requires good transport logistics in order to achieve shorter, safer, and hence more viable journeys. Moreover, such journeys not only served to transport merchants and their cargoes. Artists, works of art, religious beliefs, political ideas and other human values spread across Mediterranean sea-routes.

The final purpose of MERCATOR is not to rediscover the aforementioned heritage from a specialists' point of view. Whilst respecting scientifically correct interpretations, this project intends to make the subject available to all via modern means of information technology and modern communications.  One such initiative was the development of a database with pictures which can be accessed online http://www.mercatorproject.eu/on-line-atlas/malta/atlas

This historical and technological information was also discussed at a number of conferences and workshops which were organized over the last two years.  These events brought about the exchange of ideas and technologies involved in the presentation of the maritime past of the Mediterranean.  All in all, five conferences were organized by Alicante, Mertola, Genova, Rome and Malta.  There were also four workshops which were planned by Alicante, Thessaloniki, Pisa and Malta.  The project also developed its own website that incorporated information on events related to MERCATOR, as well as various educational pages.

In Malta, funds from the MERCATOR project financed, amongst other things, the setting up of a heritage trail in the harbour area. This heritage trail starts from Barriera Wharf, along Valletta waterfront and goes up to Marsa waterfront at the Menqa.  It consists of 9 different panels. All partners collaborated for the publication of a book with information on all heritage trails.  This enables the visitor to any partner country to understand better the heritage trails.  EU funded 75 per cent of the Maltese expenses whereas the remainder was financed locally.

This project was also aimed at the younger generation.  To propagate historical maritime information amongst children, an interactive trivial pursuit game was thought out and built by the Greek Partner from Thessaloniki.  In Malta a small workbook was compiled and is aimed at helping children read and better understand various maritime artefacts in the Malta Maritime Museum. 

From the start of this project, it was agreed that some partners will help to bring together various guidelines on how to incorporate new technological techniques in Maritime Museums.  These guidelines were grouped together by the Alicante partner.

The project which started in June 2006, was officially launched during the first Steering Committee Meeting which was held in Malta in October 2006 at the Malta Maritime Museum in Vittoriosa.  The same venue was chosen for the closing of this project which was held in Malta in June 2008.