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Project ideas database

CENTRAL EUROPE helps generating project ideas and facilitating partner search. In this section you can search project ideas posted by members of the CENTRAL Community. By clicking on a project idea you will see more information about the aim of a project idea, its expected results, partners involved etc.

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ARISE – ACCESS TO RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR INNOVATIVE SMES innovation
ARISE will address the reduction of barriers for innovating SMEs by improving access to research infrastructure and specific equipment, will facilitate trans-national cooperation of scientific institutions and national/regional authorities and will develop better innovation support instruments. Special focus will be given to Key Enabling Technologies of Europe. SMEs are drivers of innovation in Europe. However, especially small companies and start-ups do not possess the equipment needed to perform research work. Vice versa, in many research institutes and universities specific research equipment is available but often not fully used. ARISE will stimulate the use of R&I; capacities by SMEs.
FOCUSED APPLIED RESEARCH FOR NOVEL BIOCONTROL AGENT COMMERCIALIZATION innovation
Aim: To commercialize novel fungal-based biocontrol preparations and bring down their cost via innovative applied research. Opportunity: Many interesting, novel and innovative ideas are being born every day at public research institutions. Issue: Most of those ideas never see the light of day either through lack of financing of research or because of non-existing entrepreneurship environment. Problem: This issue will not be solved by making good researchers into average or mediocre businessmen (or women).
USE AND APPLICATION OF INDUSTRIAL “3R” BIOCHAR & COMPOST PRODUCTION IN AGRICULTURE innovation
The 3R Recycle-Reduce-Reuse project idea is to promote practical knowledge transfer from applied science into true value industrial practice in the field of added value processing, recycling/reuse of agricultural/food industrial by-products and the safe use of biochar/compost products in the central European region. Today, the knowledge about biochar is almost entirely based on basic science laboratory experiments, which results are often not relevant and/or compatible with agricultural industrial reality/SME farmer practice. Therefore, it is crucial to build bridge links/ synergies between SME enterprises, R&D; centres, higher education and establish industrial replication model/practice under true value industrial, field and real market conditions. It is important to develop stream of knowledge transfer to steer agriculture towards resource-saving agricultural crop production, rural area bio-economy, promote social and environmental developments, most importantly in the field of protecting soil of food crop production, subsurface water and biodiversity. The 3R zero emission biochar production/application training/technology transfer center will implement SME farmer education, specialized training, ecoinnovative low-carbon technology and know-how transfer. The goal is to improve specialized skills and entrepreneurial competences in the field of reducing mineral fertilizers and chemicals use in agriculture by biochar/compost products in the central European regions
SEMINARS FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AWARENESS DEVELOPMENT IN THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN REGION innovation
In the recent years the member states of the European Union have prepared their Smart specialization strategies, these strategies identified the key sectors which have outstanding growth potential in the European regions. The aim of the project is to contribute to the competitiveness of the young generations of Europe, with the development of their skills and competencies and to improve the cooperation between the related actors. The project is focusing on the development of entrepreneurial skills and business knowledge and the project want to create critical mass in the specified sectors of the Smart Specialization Strategies. We want to reach the development of the target groups with new, innovative teaching methods, due to that we would like to provide them modern, innovative and practical knowledge. We expect the project will increase the entrepreneurial spirit in the target group, contributing to the establishment of youth enterprises, the spread of self-employment and the reduction of youth unemployment. In the framework of the project the knowledge transfer has been established by the newly developed innovative teaching methods with the support of the actor of the local business, academic and start-up sphere.
IMPROVE INNOVATION-ORIENTED INTERACTION AT REGIONAL AND TRANSREGIONAL LEVEL innovation
The aim of the project is to strengthen regional innovation systems in Central Europe. The performance of such systems depends from their regional pre-conditions. Most of the metropolitan areas have well established innovation systems whereas less developed areas are missing strong innovation drivers. By means of the project gaps of the innovation process should be identified and closed. The project aims to decrease the disparity of the innovation performance between the involved CE regions.
2020 EU TOWNS innovation
The project aims to create a network of European cities that starting from a bottom-up approach, are able to collect local needs and ideas on how to improve their cities. Starting from there, local enterprises will be called to develop or simply present (in case they are already existing) their solutions to make cities smart, sustainable and inclusive. Different types/sizes of cities will be taken into consideration, in order to develop different models of 2020 European cities, adaptable to different contexts. Mapping different cities, in fact, will made more usable final guidelines, that will propose a peer to peer approach available for all kind of cities. Innovative learning systems will be proposed such as shadowing and mentoring online platform, contributing to local and transnational capacity building and to advancing social innovation.
AETEPS – ADOPTING EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR innovation
To bridge the gap between fast developing innovation driven technologies and their potential users from public sector.
SUPPORTING LOCAL ENTERPRISES IN THE GREEN INNOVATION MANAGEMENT innovation
Promoting the large scale introduction of eco-innovation model analysis at enterprise networks level, with the purpose of stimulating targeted investment to green the industrial supply chain. This is considered a functional step towards a steeply progressive reduction of environmental stress factors determined by the industrial system, in particular the greenhouse gases emitted during the industrial processes. Such approach is consistent with the Product Environmental Footprint / Organization Environmental Footprint demo-tests that are actually under development by the European Commission and that should lead to obligatory or voluntary certification standards from 2017. Therefore, the project should help regional economic clusters to line up their environmental standards with the new EC mainstreaming. The purpose is the involvement of specific local economic sectors and its whole supply chain (row material providers -industry – retailers). About the economic sectors represented in the project, they should be identified among those chosen by the CE regional “smart specialisation” strategies, currently under development. In this sense, the idea is to have in the project some different productive sectors (es: mechanical, agrofood, living and building etc…) that are consider crucial for the Central Europe regions.
SRMC STRENGTHENING RESILIENCE IN MIDDLE SIZE CITIES innovation
A spectre is haunting Europe – the spectre of Agglomeritis. In particular well trained, mobile, young women tend to perceive non-agglomeration-areas as a non-liveable territory, fleeing towards metropolitan cities. This is a problem of mental mapping, prior to hard facts such as labour market or marriage market. Imaginations are antecedent to structures. Since the vast majority of Central European population resides in non-metropolitan areas, the phenomenon of “agglomeritis” is one of the most relevant problems in the Programme Area. In these regions, classical market rules for finding qualified employees and for finding entrepreneurial successors, won’t grip anymore. A negative circulation for local collapsing has started. Without driving actors in the next generation, too, motivated to enact democratic citizenry,
SOCIAL INNOVATION FOR MOST AFFECTED BY DEMOGRAPHIC AND CLIMATE CHANGE – SINNC2 innovation
The world is changing: Climatic, demographic, technologically and from the worldwide economy network point of view! The results are new situations for all stakeholders. Threads and chances are transforming and asking for new solutions. Social and process innovations are approaches to find new solutions for society. The transformation process is leading into dramatically problems which on the other hand are business opportunities. From a NGO perspective it is important to ensure that those businesses are following ethical standards like access for all, availability, voluntariness, achievability, sustainability and as few spill over affects as possible. The project aims to analyse the results of the transformation process and the business potential. Systemic risk analysis should show the most vulnerable areas of modern societies.
CERE-ECO – CENTRAL EUROPEAN REGIONAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP ECO-SYSTEMS innovation
According to the CE Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan (‘Reigniting the entrepreneurial spirit in Europe’) Europe needs more entrepreneurs. In contrast, the main finding of the Flash Eurobarometer 354 (2012) (‘Entrepreneurship in the EU and beyond’) the number of citizens who want to be self-employed is decreasing: “Self-employment is a less popular option than it was in 2009, with a clear majority in the EU now favouring work as an employee.” How to tackle the dilemma: on the one hand the strategic need for entrepreneurship and on the other hand the diminishing individual interest in becoming an entrepreneur? The Entrepreneurship 2020 Action Plan proposes three Action Pillars to reignite the entrepreneurial spirit in Europe: Action Pillar 1: Entrepreneurial education and training to support growth and business creation Action Pillar 2: Create an environment where entrepreneurs can flourish and grow Action Pillar 3: Role models and reaching out to specific groups CERE-eco will develop, implement, pilot, and lay the foundations for successful and sustainable regional entrepreneurship ecosystems by providing the necessary tools and strategies and by including the essential partners without whose active support robust entrepreneurship is not possible.
CEVETT – CENTRAL EUROPE VET TRAINER innovation
The development of transnational trading and business goes along with the mobility of staff. Creating a mobility culture at the stage of the stakeholders/ knowledge multiplier of teachers and trainers in vocational education and (further) training is the background for this project. The overall idea of the project is to popularise cross-border mobility culture within teachers and trainers in vocational education and (further) training, leading to better recognition of Central Europe as a common labour market and interregional education network. Promoting mobility to this target groups will result in better mobility culture on the labour market (students become future employees). The project aims at integrating educational institutions and companies located in the Central Europe region to increase transparency of the educational models and programmes for selected professions among partners, and hence to strengthen their competences.
INTERSYST – INTERREGIONAL STRATEGIES AND INNOVATION SYSTEMS FOR HUMAN CAPACITY BUILDING, MOBILITY OF PROFESSIONALS AND COMPETENCY DEVELOPMENT innovation
The overall idea of the project is to increase labour force mobility and to enhance cooperation of labour market actors in Central Europe. The project aims at increasing and intensifying cross-border cooperation of job centres and other labour market stakeholders, raising among them the knowledge about employment conditions in the Central Europe countries, developing cross-border job information and promotion concepts, and joint concepts and measures to build the capacity of labour market actors. These aims should result in formulation of the strategies for making the Central Europe labour markets more accessible.
CEURI CENTRAL EUROPEAN RESEARCH INSTITUTE innovation
The aim of CEURI is to promote science and innovation especially in Central Europe (CE). Setting up this group is the first step to establish in the end a high profile Research Institute funded by the Central European EU-member states. CEURI will be a partner for research organization of larger EU countries on the same footing. Based on the long tradition of scientific exchange between CE countries the integration of the Central European region into a common scientific infrastructure seems feasible and strongly desirable. CEURI will entail only research institutes with the highest scientific merits and will share the results with SME and industries in the participating CE countries. In a first step existing high level Research Institutes could participate where they will share some common organizational structures like Scientific Advisory Boards, PhD and PostDoc Programs, selection committees for hiring etc.. These “national” institutes are an “in-kind” contribution to the ERIC formed by the respective EU-member state. The high scientific standards are evaluated regularly and non performing institutes are graced out. CEURI also offers the possibility to invest in new upcoming scientific areas and share the knowledge between the members. Possible synergies will be to cover more different scientific areas, to have a better coordination between the scientific portfolios, to give access across borders.
INNOLOGISTICS – ECONOMICAL AND SOCIAL INNOVATION FOR SMES OPERATING IN LOGISTICS OUTSOURCING innovation
The aim of the Project is to develope innovative solutions that are vital for increasing efficiency and competitiveness of SMEs and their employees. The developed innovative method may be later used in cooperation with companies’ clients and partners. Other important matter is adjustment of SMEs development processes to European standards (cohesion of SME action with those mentioned In EU strategies). The aim of the Project is also to build a technological base and promotion of innovative initiatives.
DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS FOR RURAL SPACES innovation
Rural spaces have growth potential that needs to be recognized and thereby developed. Universities and non-university research institutes located in large cities have the necessary resources and infrastructure to help give rural spaces the chance to develop and grow. We see rural tourism, decentralized energy supply, the establishment of certain areas of the creative industries in rural spaces, and organic farming as all potential drivers of development in rural areas. Even so, increasing problems caused by the impact of demographic trends and policy responses could danger the guarantee of basic functions in rural areas such as transport, shopping, cultural activities, health care, etc. Especially in these areas, new creative approaches that reflect the nature of innovation are needed. Universities and research institutes located in cities are required to cooperate with local actors to solve development problems in rural areas. That is why we are looking for such partners like universities that contribute to solving development problems in rural areas, civil society organizations engaged in rural issues, and also institutions that promote trade and industry that are committed to this field.
GAMED – ACADEMY OF GAMIFICATION GAMIFICATION FOR SUSTAINABLE EDUCATION AND DEVELOPMENT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS innovation
Main goal: Inclusion of gamification at different levels of education as an effective tool and innovative learning system for the development of creativity and an entrepreneurial mind-set. Problems: 1. Low level of pro-entrepreneurial and creative competences of students and as a result: of labour market 2. Mismatch tools used in education to labor market needs – domination of lecturing and direct instructions 3. Lack or deeply unsatisfying flow of innovations and best practices from business to education Opportunities: 1. Transfer of Innovation and know how 2. Development and implementation of strategies and tools based on gamification as an innovative educational method 3. Improvement of creativity and entrepreneurial mind-sets on different levels of education 4. Cross-sectorial cooperation for innovative learning: to promote and strengthening new social relationships and collaboration between education and business Benefits of gamification method: increasing competences of students: attitudes, skills, creativity and entrepreneurial mind-set as well as knowledge through: growth of motivation and engagement of the students, systematic learning, decision making about how to learn, shift from memory-learning, change of the role of teacher, developing: critical thinking and problem-solving skills, Networking and leadership through good effect, agility and flexibility, Initiative and entrepreneurship, effective communication.
BFB BE FAMILIAR WITH BUSINESS innovation
The project idea is about promoting capacities in female people to manage situation of business and finance. We are sure that women can be a plus in the development of our economies but they are aren’t still able to cope with issues related to money and finance
GAME – INNOVATIVE LEARNING SYSTEM TO IMPROVE COLLABORATION BETWEEN EDUCATION AND BUSINESS innovation
The project faces the problem of high number of employees aged over 50 who are not qualified with regard to the requirements related to the development of technology and innovations in the economy. Ageing society and reduction in the number of employees require new approach in human resources management. Due to the fact that the number of young who enter the job market drops, it becomes necessary to encourage older people to remain in the company even after they reach the retirement age. There is no reason that their leave was sudden and definite. For both parties it may prove to be purposeful to maintain employment e.g. in proportion of working time, or for the time of specific tasks’ implementation. In order to maintain the current number of people who work in economy it seems necessary to activate older people, both at working and post-working age. Furthermore, it is important to increase competences of employees of public institutions and associations, which task is to ensure support and care over older people. The main objective of the project is to increase the professional activity and growth in self-employment and the employment of older people. In addition, the objective of the project is to raise knowledge and abilities of employees and entrepreneurs from the SME’s sector with regard to creation of the game-learning applications, simulation games and their efficient use.
INNOVATION BROKERAGE SERVICES MAKING LOCAL YOUTH AND CE CITIES SUCCESSFUL innovation
The overall aim is the transition of municipalities of CE cities from service providers to facilitators applying novel quadruple-helix approach, empowered to develop entrepreneurial skills of young people resulting in the better use of the youth’s innovation potential. Young people are, unfortunately, treated as problems by Central European cities instead of considered to be resource of innovation. Being the “digital and gaming generation”, it is of great value of the youth that they are creative, full of new ideas, bear a high digital literacy and are sensitive for social topics. These features are all needed for innovation. However, other indispensable skills and competences are missing to become successful entrepreneurs, employees or freelancers or to start implementing a new/novel idea. City municipalities of Central Europe have key role in providing support to the local population distressed by different social problems. Bringing local governance and public services closer to the actual needs of the population with using the quadruple-helix approach is an actual challenge the municipalities of Central Europe face. Cooperating on innovation by bringing together “innovation actors” (young innovators equipped with entrepreneurial skills – innovation driven companies – municipalities committed to social value creation) and thus creating local innovation eco-systems might contribute to a more efficient use of the entire region’s innovation capacity.
EMPLOYMEN – RAISE EMPLOYMENT OF YOUNG MEN BY ESTABLISHING INNOVATIVE SOCIAL ENTERPRISES innovation
The project aims at advancing social innovation to improve entrepreneurial skills and social capacities of rural regions tackling demographic challenges, such as a shrinking and ageing population, declining public services, brain drain of young well-educated people and youth unemployment. The project partners create a transnational network of knowledge transfer for advancing social innovation in their regions. Smart and innovative social enterprises are established on local level. To raise youth employment socially disadvantaged young men are actively involved in the implementation process of social enterprises. This way they can improve their social and entrepreneurial competences supported by professional local trainers and regional stakeholders. As a main result of the project public actors will gain the necessary expertise and policy instruments to bring forward socially innovative services and learning systems tackling youth unemployment. Current regional innovation strategies may be revised and/or extended according to the findings and experiences made in the project.
EFFECTIVENESS OF BILINGUALISM IN DELAYING THE ONSET OF DEMENTIA innovation
In Europe, an estimate of the future cost of dementia, of which Alzheimer’s disease contributes with 60-70% of cases, from 2008 is expected to rise by 43% reaching 250 billion Euros per year in 2030. The Alzheimer’s Association presented a model with a hypothetical treatment that would delay the age of onset of Alzheimer disease by 5 years, and it was calculated that in the USA by 2050, the reduction in total costs to all tax payers would be USD 447 billion; decreasing from an expected USD 1078 million to USD 631 billion with the hypothetical treatment. Recently, it was suggested that lifelong bilingualism may significantly delay the onset of cognitive impairment, affecting the quality of life due to Alzheimer’s disease. A few studies from Canada and India indicate that this delay period can be from 4 to 5 years. It was hypothesized that lifelong bilingualism is associated with better cognitive functioning, and despite advanced brain atrophy in elderly bilinguals, active lifelong bilingualism may be capable of inducing similar levels of cognitive functioning as compared to monolinguals, due to cognitive reserve built up during their lifetime. This exploratory project wants to investigate whether associations between bilingualism and dementia among elderly people do exist. We propose to study this among various bilingual subpopulations in Europe, in order to be able to exclude the influence of confounding factors.
IN-RADIO innovation
The aim of this project is to develop a Central Europe web radio model targeted to children’s needs (age 0-13) and useful for educators, teachers and parents. Such new model will create new synergies between providers of educational contents (publishers, museums, natural parks, …), schools and families. The project will be developed throughout two main channels: 1) The study and creation of a business model for a non-profit, sustainable media, i.e. an inclusive digital common for children’s education based on the web radio as educational environment. 2) The development of multi-language and multi-formats contents for children (0-13), complemented by pedagogical contents for adults. Contents will be multidisciplinary and an area will be devoted to promote active European citizenship, through multi-language storytelling co-developed by schools and other local partners.
REACT – RECIRCULATION AQUAPONIC CULTURE TECHNIQUE innovation
REACT aims to develop, share and transfer experiences of social and environmental innovation on the theme of aquaponic culture. Aquaponics is a tecnhique that combines hydroponics and aquaculture ensuring a lower environmental impact compared to traditional soilless agricolture and aquaculture. In an aquaponic system the water from the fish pools is vehiculated to the vegetable growth beds. In such a synergistic system, waste waters coming from fish pools are used by vegetables for their growth, purified and released again cleaned to fish. Water is recirculated, its consumption is very low (1/3% on daily basis) and pollutants like nitrates are not released into the environment. Aquaponics is becoming very popular in the world because is an environmental friendly culture system contributing on one hand to solve problems of pollution from fish farms on the other providing high quality food in a controlled system. Whilst aquaponics is well established in Australia, USA and Canada for instance, Europe is far to fill the gap although scientific network have been recently established (see for instance the EU program COST1305) to increase public awareness, and scientific and technical informations exchange. The REACT proposal is coherent with this reference scenario and aims to contribute to fill this gap, combining social, environmental and technical innovation in the light of sustainable use of resources and social inclusion.
THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE YOUTH INTERNSHIPS innovation
How can entrepreneurs support young people through social innovation in order to the economic crisis? On one side generation Y is full with talent and creativity, they know what they want to achieve and have new ways of networking and learning, they are brought up in digital era, gained a high level digital literacy, on the other side there is a significant gap between their being adaptable to labour market and the requirements of the world of work.
ECC : THE EUROPEAN CAPITAL OF CULTURE CHALLENGE innovation
In 2016, in Wroclaw there will be organized the European Capital of Culture, therefore we are looking for partners among organizations whose aim is to promote cultural tourism , and which operate in cities that have won the title of European Capital of Culture. The project involves the exchange of good practice between organizations operating in the cities that received the title of European Capital of Culture. Event such as the European Capital of Culture requires a lot of action so as to increase the number of tourist arrivals .
LOOP TIME – CIRCULARITY TOOLS AND STRATEGIES TO PRESERVE NATURAL RESOURCES AND TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH OF CENTRAL EUROPE innovation
In July 2014 the EU Commission adopted a Communication which explains how innovation in markets for recycled materials, new business models, eco-design and industrial symbiosis can move us towards a zero-waste economy and society and, together with a supportive regulatory framework, can help boost the European economy. In brief, circular economy is the new framework. But the transition from a linear to a more circular economy is a fundamental change which requires the establishments of closed loop models: easy to understand but a daunting task to implement. In specific terms, the circular economy approach is about new business models shifting from selling products to selling services, eliminating waste from production and making sure any waste is recovered as a valuable resource. Specific Objective Increase the involvement of companies, customers, waste managers, administrations, citizens, trade unions, associations in the product life, and can contribute to redesign it with the aim to unlock new wealth – now hidden – from certain assets – and to reintroduce a human touch to exchanges. Being part of the same process to redefine collaboration in order to establish closed loops implies discussion, confrontation, participation and finding ways to generate solutions and real projects in line with the CE principles.
ACCELERATOR – IMPROVING ACCESS TO EQUITY-TYPE FINANCE FOR INNOVATIVE SMES THROUGH ACCELERATOR PROGRAMMES innovation
Overall objective: Strengthening links between equity financing institutions, SMEs and the public sector in the partner regions to test and customise successful acceleration programmes that facilitate the access to equity financing of innovation Specific objectives: • Knowledge transfer building on successful acceleration programmes from the partnership to partners with less experience by improving the existing acceleration programmes at experienced partners and testing, modelling and introducing new practices at less experienced partners • Intensifying links between partners within regions for improved regional innovation systems resulting in knowledge transfer to SMEs to unlock their innovation potential • Feedback to and dialogue with public sector on related policies, programmes and actions
MYWAY – CENTRAL EUROPEAN SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP ACCELERATOR innovation
Social entrepreneurship as driven force for the social innovation is extremely needed taking in consideration current and also forecasted socio geographical structure of the population in Europe, which includes of course Central Europe. Social entrepreneurship and its support is very diverged across CE regions, while we have in our macro region some leading regions ( i.e. Lombardy from Italy), but regions in NMS have no special infrastructure developed yet. One of the core supporting tools for social innovation are new ventures – start-ups. Most useful tool to be used in case we would like to quickly boost the social entrepreneurship start-ups is acceleration. Acceleration in social entrepreneurship is low profit acceleration due to the social entrepreneurship nature thus support from public sources or from corporations as part of their CSR ( Corporate Social Responsibility) programs is important. Currently we can identify the lack of capacities and knowledge across majority of CE regions in the field of social entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship acceleration, and cooperation with corporation in their CSR schemes and financing of social entrepreneurship acceleration in Central Europe. All these challenges we would like to tackle with MyWay project, using the great opportunity of transregional learning and good practice transfer from Lombardy region.
CE- INNOVAIR AIRPORT RELATED ECO- SYSTEMS FOR INNOVATION IN CENTRAL EUROPE innovation
CE-INNOVAIR should pave the way for embedding airport areas in the larger innovation systems and for establishing innovation networks within and among airport regions in order to contribute to the competitiveness and economic boost of CE. Airports, being the catalysts for regional economic development and gateways of materials and immaterial flows have a crucial role in strengthening innovation capacities: 1. An innovation demand is generated by the airports themselves and by the businesses linked to the airport. 2. The innovation potentials of those sectors which are not directly related to airport activities, but can be supported by the proximity and functions of the airport should also be revealed. In this context airports are gateways for innovation and, if these innovation potentials are exploited, can give an enormous advantage to the regions they are situated. Therefore, planning and smart specialisation has to be sensitive to the various impacts an airport can have on the territory and to propose a vision defining the own driving forces of the airport area exploiting its unique characteristics. This approach, supported by a transnational dialogue can help developing non- competitive regional strategies in CE. Local/regional public authorities are having direct policy responsibilities in these planning processes. Nevertheless, in most of the CE regions, the role of public authorities has to be reconsidered to become pro-active facilitators of innovation processes
IMA – INNOVATION MANAGEMENT ALLIANCE FOR THE SUPPORT OF UNIVERSITY, RESEARCH INSTITUTION AND SME CO-OPERATION OUTSIDE OF INNOVATION CENTRES innovation
Project IMA addresses the following issues: -In regions outside of innovation and educational centres local SMEs lack the ability of proper innovation management: business owners rather “work in” their companies instead of “working on” them. -The mobility of the workforce leads to a brain-drain of young and well-educated people to innovation centres. -Regional decision makers often face with the question of supporting competitiveness (resulting in better economic potential around innovation centres) or convergence (aiming at decreasing the wealth-difference inside the region). -Despite emerging business university co-operations, university staff is still not familiar with the real challenges of businesses since most of the lecturers do not have real-life experience at an SME, thus they cannot transmit the necessary skills for successful innovation. The IMA Consortium teams up for providing a common solution to: -establish a self-sustaining and multipliable network that – by facilitating the exchange of knowledge – enhances the innovation potential of SMEs outside of innovation centres; -elaborate a training curriculum of a real-life based innovation management course using state-of-the-art teaching methods custom-tailored to the needs of SMEs; -provide inputs to sustainable innovation development policies of Central European regional policy makers by capitalising the experience of the project.
FABLABNET innovation
The theme of the FabLabNet project is fully in line with Specific Objective 1.1, as the project intends to capitalise on the innovation potential of the Fab Labs by working out a proper innovation ecosystem in which Fab Labs can facilitate business. This will be achieved by the elaboration of service and operational models aiming at defining roles and responsibilities and strenghtening the cooperation between the different actors of the innovation circle (research, education, public and private sectors) related to the outstandingly new phenomenon of Fab Labs in order to boost local business development and entrepreneurship linked to the Fab Labs, laboratories of creative ideas. The innovation ecosystem around Fab Labs must be efficient, enabling all stakeholders in the circle to play to their strengths. The project also intends to organise a strong network of Fab Labs in the region, which enhances the internationalisation of the regional Fab Labs. Most importantly, the project contributes to the goals of the CENTRAL EUROPE 2020 Programme as well as the cohesion policy of the EU by fostering innovation-driven growth at regional level and reducing territorial disparities simply because Fab Labs provide a cheap, but smart way of connecting a region to innovation.
PHINE – PROMOTING HEALTH INNOVATION NETWORKS innovation
Health industry is one of the key sectors of economy in Central Europe, as also reflected in many of the RIS3 strategies. The aging society, limited financial and human resources of the public sector and increasing demand for a healthy, active and independent life call for innovative solutions in key healthcare sectors. SMEs, start-ups and spin-offs fulfil a major role in delivering the needed innovative products and services. Although there is a wide range of business support organisations dedicated to provide assistance for innovative SMEs, still important gaps can be revealed, especially at the validation stage of innovations. Support organisations have to be able to identify innovators with highest potential for business success and to deliver specialized set of support functions facilitating to overcome market entry barriers. The main objective of the project is to create transnational linkages among actors of the innovation ecosystem – including public authorities, knowledge centres, business support organisations, SMEs and potentially also end-users – in order to facilitate market entry and internationalization of innovative products and services in key healthcare sectors. Transnational cooperation of Central European regions with significant potential in health industry will contribute to increased capacities of support organisations for providing effective innovation support services and facilitating networking among actors of the health innovation chain.
INOSCHOOL – BUILDING ENTREPRENEURIAL MIND-SET IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ACROSS CENTRAL EUROPE innovation
The project is going to: – Improve entrepreneurial mind-set in Elementary Schools and present self-employment as an attractive career option. – Improve school attendance and performance. – Increased problem-solving and decision-making abilities. – Improved interpersonal relationships, teamwork, money management, and public speaking skills which enhance social development of pupils. – Create game developing entrepreneurship skills.
SME-SMILE – SME’S FOR SMART MANAGEMENT FOR INDEPENDENT LIVING OF ELDERLY innovation
Demographic changes are one of the most important challenges for Central European regions. Population ageing cause that more and more people will need help/ assistance in their daily activities. Senior citizens who spend long hours alone face the risk of not receiving assistance in case of an emergency (e.g. feeling sick, falling). This also creates a problem for their family members, restricting their possibilities of working or leaving home for a few hours. The economic factors also result in a lack of proper care, especially in peripheral areas, e.g. unemployment and resulting migrations, commuting. Statistics show that 1 in 3 people aged over 65 years fall at least once a year (70% of falls at home occur in the bathroom, where using a phone is limited), one third of them end up with hip injuries. In addition, 50% of senior citizens are unable to correctly dial the emergency number when distressed and 25% are unable to give precise personal data and address to the dispatcher. At the same time, there is insufficient care personnel (carers, nurses) to support families at the place of residence instead of using a nursing home. On the other hand, the number of places in nursing homes is significantly below needs (in some regions long waiting times can be observed) and this type of residential care is the most expensive for public budgets. Regional authorities have to face these challenges in the circumstances of restricted budgets (demographic change means also less professionally active people and less tax incomes). The solution could be silver economy, because the ageing population means also an opportunity for entrepreneurs who can develop a strong market of “silver” services and products. These “silver products” should include smart housing and tele-care solutions. Main goal: to ensure that elderly/sick/disabled citizens can live safely in their own home as long as possible by providing care, assistance, and necessary services at home with the use of ITC. Local authorities could support the market of “silver goods” by identifying the needs of society and promoting good practices (solutions that were successful on a small scale). The project should be an opportunity for regions, SMEs, and local groups of interest to meet, elaborate, test, and implement innovative solutions for more independent and active living of elderly and to prepare sustainable management strategies for enterprises that are willing to operate on the “silver market”.
STREGHTENING ENTERPRENEURAL COMPETENCES THROUGH BUSINESS INCUBATOR NETWORKING innovation
Project idea in development of business related infrastructure is designed for the purpose of strengthening economic growth and competitiveness within the region. Construction of infrastructure in purpose of strengthening entrepreneurial capacity, innovation, increments employment rates and the development of a dynamic entrepreneurial climate.
DEVELOPING QUINTUPLE HELIX CO-OPERATIONS IN THE CENTRAL EUROPEAN REGION innovation
Establishing and sustaining the conditions of knowledge based economy have recently become a general economic objective. The so-called Triple Helix model – where university, government and industry cooperate – is accepted in knowledge based economy. However, further actor was added to the model (this is Quadruple Helix model), recognizing that civil society plays a great role in the economy not as consumers but innovation promoters too. This approach appears both in the EU’s Fifth Cohesion Report and in the strategy of EU2020. This strategy aims at creating and sustaining the conditions of smart, sustainable and inclusive growth. Smart growth aims to improve effectiveness by investing more in education and research and innovation. Regarding sustainable growth, the aim is to establish an economy with low carbon-dioxide emissions, while inclusive growth emphasizes job creation and poverty reduction. As a result, high attention is paid to smart specialization strategies (S3) in line with the objectives of cohesion policy: all regions in the EU have had to prepare their own specialization strategy, and it was motivated by the fact that the grant of EU funds was on condition of having such a strategy. However, one must notice that S3 is based on Quadruple Helix model, but the sustainable part of EU2020 is missing from it. Consequently, a further actor needs to be involved: the Quintuple Helix model may solve this as society for (natural) environments appears in this model.
MIGROVATION innovation
Fostering entrepreneurship and innovation of European companies with Migrant Background. European Migration is increasing – Migrants do often start Business activities as survival strategy: they open small shops, commerce activities, small handicraft and services. Small parallel urban centres are rising up in the middle of European towns which are frequented principally by migrants. This “new Migrant economy” often is disadvantageous to the old established economy: uncontrolled growth of micro companies, uncontrolled merchandise, not approved Management System or product quality, disintegration, prices below the market price etc. and a big unused potential of product Innovation. MIGROVATION aims to introduce the Innovation process and Quality Standards for Migrant companies through social Innovation, Training and cooperation with local companies.
ACCELERATING CENTRAL EUROPE SMES INNOVATION POTENTIAL innovation
Regional innovation policies in the EU still largely focus on technological innovation and the funding of research activities, rather than supporting all forms of innovation, knowledge and creativity, what places innovative SMEs and would-be entrepreneurs in a rather difficult position when it comes to commercialization and internationalization of their innovative business services, products and ideas. Furthermore, commercial banks, on whose credits SMEs have been historically relying in their start-ups and development, especially after the year 2008., sees investments in start-ups as a risk investments, what places huge difficulties in front of entrepreneurs in the process of raising finance in the early stages of their businesses. Project aims to create a new approach for stimulating SMEs innovations in the central Europe. It will provide regions across the Central Europe, through the bottom-up approach, innovative tools and services that will enable more efficient support to innovative businesses and will enable better links between public and private actors, knowledge service providers, research institutions, entrepreneurs and citizens to share knowledge, contribute with practical experience and articulate their needs and competences.
CE READ SOCIAL – CENTRAL EUROPE REGIONAL ADVANCED DEVELOPMENT THROUGH SOCIAL INNOVATION innovation
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) form the majority of business entities and are the biggest employers in central Europe (CE). CE is facing social polarisation and segregation. The encounter with the theme of “Social innovation”, including the sub-themes of “Innovative development of regional potential through city/country exchanges, social entrepreneurship, and promotion of participation”, has received a tremendous boost in particular to the financial and economic crisis 2010-2012. Where classical fields of work of regional development are dwindling, social and not technical innovations can create again perspectives (especially in the rural areas or agglomeration space county/city outside of metropolis regions). Accordingly to the CE 2020 Co-operation Programme the general objectives of the action are: – Strengthening regional innovation capacities as well as building knowledge and skills for improving social innovation. – Strengthening competences and stimulating entrepreneurship for social innovation – Increasing skills of employees in the business sector (particularly SMEs) regarding social innovation contributing to regional smart specialisation strategies – Developing and implementing strategies and tools for improving technological and managerial competences for entrepreneurship and social innovation. – Adapting, developing, and testing innovative learning systems for increasing skills and entrepreneurial competences considering demographic change challenges
ŠTART UP SAVINJSKA innovation
In Slovenia and Europe is a big problem for employment of young people (youth), that just finished their studies. Gradually there is less and less possibilities for youth to get jobs in the common forms. Because of this fact it is vital to faciliate a direct support so that they can discover and learn their own potential so they can develop themselves to the level of more flexible job opportunities and develope project or bussines ideas. The ones, that have already established a company need in first 2 – 3 year good supporting enviroment so that their bussiness efforts also succeed in the market in the long term.
SMART-WATCH: NETWORK OF BRANCH OBSERVATORIES OF INTELLIGENT MARKETS IN CENTRAL EUROPE innovation
A key element of the EU’s activities aimed at providing the regions to develop their own methods for emerging from recession is smart specialization. Smart specialization is not only a concept, but also a tool of great potential for defining and building the present and future position of the region or the country in the knowledge-based economy. None of the regions can achieve good results in all fields of science and innovation, but each region has the potential to stand out in a certain area. The implementation of smart specialization will require the creation of a relatively large area of research and innovation that will result in competition between many rivals. It will allow the use of the effects: economies of scale, scope and economic spread. The smart specialization is said when a region is internationally competitive. Competition of European countries and regions in the same fields of science and the economy will not provide the expected results due to the lack of economies of scale and critical mass achievement. Implementation of the SS should therefore rely on “entrepreneurial” learning process, which includes the fields of science and technology, in which a given region or country can be a leader in Europe. In the case of regional development, smart specialization is based on the relationship between science, the public sphere, education and business.
GREEN DIALOGUE innovation
The Green Dialogue project supports transition to green economy in the CE Countries and contributes to establishing a low carbon, resource efficient economy with a sustainable supply of raw materials and to develop a CE network to ensure exchange of information, best practice and techtransfer and to strengthen regional innovation capacities. The network will be a coalition of research, business and civil society organisations. The projects enhances coordination of low carbon economy stakeholders in the CE to exploit knowledge gained through RTDI. The consortium will implement support measures for policy objectives that address environmental challenges and help exploit economic opportunities and indirectly contribute to creating growth and jobs. The project involves clustering, coordinating and creating links between European and other RTDI programmes on low carbon economy. Desk research and policy analysis, incl. compiling a list of stakeholders and of physical and knowledge infrastructure in CE will be followed by organising forums for dialogue on low carbon economy. Information activities will take into account the specificities of Central Europe, and the tools and method best suited to reaching a lot of stakeholders and civil society. The partnership contributes to evidence-based policy making and to finding cooperation platforms between RTD and industry for showcasing good practice in tech transfer and thus supporting a smooth transition to green economy.
HONEYCOMB innovation
Classic product Manufacturing ecosystem were made of a chain of: designing, prototyping, manufacturing, storage, distribution and clients, where banks, guarantees, real estates and venture capital had an important role. Now we are living a new paradigm in manufacturing, where traditional manufacturing chains are changing, becoming more holistic and social in their own territory, even if they cannot lose the possibility of sharing and selling their products in distant markets. We are facing “Smart Fabrication Ecosystem”, where the new supply chain is made of small fabrication facilities or FABLABs, 3D printing HUBs, E-commerce Platforms, requiring new actors like: the social media, the crowdfunding organizations and marketing organizations with knowledge based on big data analysis. To create favorable conditions for the diffusion and replications of such “Smart Accessible Fabrication Ecosystem” it is necessary to identify the key figures behind the development of these processes and proceed to their training and qualification with an accompanying program to the market with advantageous rules of engagement.
BUILDING ENTREPRENEURIAL SKILLS TO EXPLOIT THE POTENTIAL OF INNOVATIVE LIGHT SOURCES innovation
The project intends to tackle the shortage of skilled labour force, an issue faced by many SMEs in Central Europe (CE), by increasing entrepreneurial capacities related to Innovative Light Sources (ILSs). Lack of skills, and consequent difficulties in accessing innovative RTD facilities, contribute to regional disparities and call for a response at transnational level. This objective will be pursued by designing a specific training path able to provide end-users with the know-how necessary to fully exploit the potential of ILSs present in the programme area. ILSs can be seen as exceptionally powerful cameras that allow taking pictures of the smallest parts of matter (atoms and molecules), as well as movies of their fastest movements induced by the interaction with the external environment. A deeper knowledge of the properties of matter opens up new opportunities and triggers novel applications in several innovative scientific and technological fields. Indeed, ILSs promote cutting-edge innovation through both their construction/development and the use of the light they generate. The need to reinforce the link between these two correlated aspects of innovation is at the origin of this project. In spite of their different size, complexity and cost, all ILSs rely on complementary technology. Also the characteristics of the light they generate are complementary. The intention to exploit this complementarity offers an additional incentive to the genesis of this project.
EC4SI – ECOSYSTEM FOR SOCIAL INNOVATION innovation
Social Innovation is now considered a dramatic booster for entrepreneurial development whilst fixing societal issues. It is not only a way to provide goods and services to more disadvantaged people, but it is also a way to create and scale new solutions to tackle contemporary Central Europe societies’ need. Impactful social innovation requires to combine profit generation (entrepreneurial component) with the capacity to answer the societal needs through innovative solutions, even leveraging new available technologies. This allow generating profits, to scale up and to start a virtuous approach towards societal challenges resolution. This new entrepreneurial model can be nurtured by “societal impact enterprise”. However, its development requires culture, vision, skills and competencies among entrepreneurs, funders and the public sector. The entrepreneurial development requires a conducive ecosystem, which is generated by a positive combination and interaction among: people, competencies and culture, demand, rules, capital and policy. The ecosystem level of development differs from region to region; the weight of the different components may change. Therefore, it is important to define small – scale pilot actions to close the existing gaps towards ecosystem generation or reinforcing. Small scale pilot projects are fundamental also to create a “cultural co-evolution” among actors that can represent a lever for further development.
CENTRAL EUROPEAN PROGRAMME FOR COMPETITIVE ENTERPRISES BY/FOR MENTAL WELLBEING innovation
Several hundred millions of lost working days across Europe are due to health related problems –often mental health issues–- of the workforce, which are rarely diagnosed, but have severe economic consequences. Furthermore, recent research shows that the main reason for employees to change job was very often linked to stress, burn-out and in general mental health status, rather than to financial reasons. Relevant problems: (1) Most of the managers and entrepreneurs –especially in SMEs– do not recognise the link between the employees’ mental health and the productivity, competitiveness of their company. (2) There is a lack of knowledge concerning (a) prevention, (b) the medical diagnosis and (c) the possible treatment of mental health problems at the workplace. (3) There are important differences between regions in Central Europe regarding how mental disorders at workplace are perceived, diagnosed and treated. (4) The situation of SMEs is particularly difficult compared to multinationals which have more resources and capacities in recognising and solving such problems. (5) Regulators and policy makers in the health sector do not put the necessary emphasis on the problems related to mental disorders in the working environment and there is a lack of general incentives. The present project’s aim is to support SMEs in adopting innovative and cost efficient policies and practices which prevent mental disorders and strengthen positive mental health and wellbeing.
FARMERS EUROPEAN VISION innovation
The development of competitive production and agricultural structures, which leads to a reasonable agricultural production, form the basic prerequisite for sustainable viability of farmers and agricultural businesses in Europe. The consistent use of technical, biological and organizational progress allows the company’s continuous growth and a demonstrable increase in productivity. The project “farmers european vision” on the one hand supports the European agricultural model of a nationwide economizing and multifunctional oriented agriculture with the goal of a resource-efficient production and other regional competitiveness, but also the competitiveness of European agriculture to consolidate on the world markets. This can only be maintained in the long term, if the structural change in agriculture keeps pace with the technical progress. The project contributes to the application of new technologies and the abilities of collaborators and business owners to apply these technologies to increase productivity and thus improve their immediate operating results. Through the precise and sustainable use of agricultural management systems, a high contribution to environmental policy is made. The aim should also be to use the knowledge lead of certain countries in the field of agriculture and to implement it in other countries.
RZESZóW CONVENTION BUREAU – THE CORE OF SMART CITIES NETWORK innovation
The aim of the project is to develop cooperation with innovative domestic and foreign urban centers, in order to increase competitiveness and mutual international promotion as “Cities for tomorrow” and “Cities for Life”. Cities while discussing the experiences of other urban centers, domestic as well as foreign, will search for their niches on the basis of which in future they will develop international cooperation and on the basis of which they will build their position as an innovative “growth poles” influencing the regions. Cities included in the network, using its own advantages, will aim to increase their competitiveness, point the presence at global markets, build position among the major centers and in consequence they will build innovation systems. The core of the smart cities network will play Rzeszów city, which has a convenient location on the map of Europe, developed transport network. Rzeszów is the center already perceived abroad, among the others thanks to the internationally recognized local clusters (Aviation Valley, Podkarpackie Informatics, Plastics Cluster POLIGEN, Cluster Quality of Life, Organic Food Valley). High potential for the development of international relations are also long and good relations with Polish diaspora from all over the world and organized in Rzeszow since 1967 World Festival of Polonia Folk Ensembles.
SMB – STUDENTS‘ MICRO BUSINESSES – AN INNOVATIVE TOOL FOR ENTREPRENEURIAL MINDSETS BUILDING OF SECONDARY AND VET STUDENTS AS A PREVENTION OF MIGRATION AND BRAIN DRAIN FROM CE REGIONS innovation
The project is focused on implementation of students’ micro businesses into classes at all kinds of secondary schools and VET schools. The student’s business is an innovative educational tool for support of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial mindsets development for young people. The goal of students’ businesses is to realize a real entrepreneurial intention on a small scale in the sheltered school environment. Their main impact is based on the fact that the education takes place through the form of practical personal experience that is having first-hand experience which has proved to be the most effective way of learning. The students’ businesses are the effective instruments how to develop creativity, initiativeness, team building as well as managerial skills. They are powerful tools to build in young people entrepreneurial self-confidence together with entrepreneurial habits, which will be reflected in their future working life.
IMPROVING SKILLS AND ENTREPRENEURIAL COMPETENCES FOR BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN CENTRAL EUROPE innovation
The main aim of the project is to establish new innovative learning system for knowledge sharing and motivation for entrepreneurship and employment in central European regions.
PARTNERSHIP OF BUSINESS AND ADMINISTRATION TOWARDS SMART SPECIALIZATION innovation
Defining regions’ smart specializations should be a bottom-up proces. Attempts have been made to involve enterprises in defining regional smart specializations. However, representatives of private enterprises are reluctant to participate in identifying the targets of strategic intervention through cooperation with the public administration. One of the diagnosed reasons for such a state of affairs is the social and cultural background in which the enterprises function. Public administration is often not seen as a partner in the strategic development of businesses and the economy. At the same time, enterprises and the public administration do not fully treat each other as partners when defining economic needs and the ways to satisfy them. Contacts between enterprises and the public administration are often treated instrumentally and are incidental rather than systematic. The main objective of the project is the consolidation of the entrepreneurial discovery process and the implementation of smart specialization strategies. Strengthening the links between the public administration and SMEs, as well as increased involvement of SMEs, would facilitate the defining of strategic objectives in the area of innovation, making them better adapted to the needs of the market.
CREINET – CREATIVITY AS A LEVERAGE TO IMPROVE INNOVATION NETWORK IN CE innovation
CE Territories are very rich in terms of services and networks dedicated to innovation, but often SMEs need a stronger support to trigger innovation process. CREINET project aims at working with regional networks of innovation actors to strengthen innovation processes of SMEs. In particular, the project aims to promote the transfer of knowledge and know-how from communities of creative companies, institution & professionals to clusters, value chains or single SMEs, connecting the former with the latter and develop common innovation projects. CREINET methodology will have a transnational approach to be then applied both at local and transnational level, with a specific attention to activate exchange of knowledge and skills from one area to another thus promoting the balanced development of the program area. Pilot Actions with a transnational and local dimension will be activated in CE territories, in order to test the methodology. Innovation projects will be supported with actions like working groups, events, voucher, specific tools (on and off line). The projects will be the output of local and transnational working groups organized looking at regional smart specialization strategies. An evaluation committee will be implemented in order to evaluate CREINET model of cooperation and Pilot Actions results in view to transfer the model to other areas and to policy makers for a in contribute to the implementation of the local SMART SPECIALIZATION Strategies.
TINT innovation
The project is focused to the establishment of the CeCom (Centre of competences) The main task of the CeCom is to: – Systematic design of the potential new products/services in tourism sector by involving different stakeholders (public, private and non-governmental actors) Number of SMEs and other actors in the market is using their own solutions/products/services, which are not always the best of intended for the right clients. Therefore, the situation in the field/market can be described as environmentally and economically not sustainable in a long-term run. Current situation in the market of tourist products/services is marked with a number of different tourist products that significantly vary in their: – Quality – Quantity – Safety Additionally, the number of potential tourist products and services has not been yet developed and offered to the market (both to tourists on one-side and SMEs/destination management companies on the other side). This is due to the fact that number of resources (natural, historical, gastro etc.) has not been yet properly managed by the relevant authorities. The project TiNT and newly established CeCom involve active participation of different stakeholders (public, private and non-governmental sectors).
WILD CEU – REVIVAL OF WILD PLANTS USAGE AND PROCCESING FOR ADVANCMENT OF SOCIAL INOVATION IN CENTRAL EUROPEAN REGIONS innovation
Today the biodiversity of wild-grown plants presents a valuable and insufficiently used resource even though their usage and economic valorisation has been known in past. The population decrease, as well as aging, is a general trend in each of the selected project areas. The aim of the project idea is to develop the necessary capacities in Central European partner regions leading to economic innovation in the sector of wild-plant collection and processing. The project will built the preconditions for development of sustainable self-employment possibilities for people in rural areas, create a management model for the usage of natural resources and raise awareness on the importance and the benefits of the wild-grown plants and their derived functional products.
FUNCTIONAL INTEGRATION FOR SUSTAINABLE DWELLING MODELS innovation
The relation between demography and housing need opens to challenging and complex problems that are more severe because of the economic situation and the shrink in the public resources dedicated to welfare policies. These trends generate new vulnerable groups and pose a crucial issue to housing policies also because of the economic crises that has led to a great amount of buildings underused due to an unaffordable real estate market. This project meets societal challenges related to poverty issues, cultural integration, aging population, quality of life, liveability of places and services accessibility, lack of healthcare and welfare services, demographic changes. It provides a sound and fruitful integration of social, business and research dimensions. As far as business is concerned, the pilot actions foreseen in the project will support the rejuvenation of housing and social services through the integration of new functions and with a cross-sector approach thus enhancing European SMES and start-up. Financial institutions will be involved to define specific financial tools and frameworks for the development of a self-sustaining business model. ICT approaches will support the development of a competitive business model to address societal challenges. Key words: social and functional mix, financial sustainability, building re-use. Specific objective: The project will address innovation in business model; societal challenges concerning social inclusion and new jobs;
SKILLS CROSS OVER innovation
The project idea is to equip professionals working in Cultural and Creative Industries (CCIs) with relevant skills to champion innovation and social change in the European regions. The project aims to make a genuine step change in the performance of CCIs and social entrepreneurship at the heart of Central Europe’s economy, thus contributing to economic and social development, job creation and counteracting depopulation of cities and regions. The project undertakes to address these challenges in a number of ways, namely through: – strengthening trans-regional collaborations within the CCI sector, incl. exchange of know-how and innovation, resulting in enhanced international exposure and market expansion opportunities – equipping a number of individuals operating within CCIs with knowledge and skills to improve their business – implementing learning/ peer-mentoring schemes to improve managerial competencies, fostering creative mind-sets and initiatives, facilitating mutual sharing of knowledge and innovation – facilitating the cascading of the newly gained skills to members of national and international creative networks to address the issue of imbalanced accumulation of knowledge and skills across Europe‘s regions – developing joint strategies for innovation for a better deployment of synergies within the sector – fostering digital social innovation (DSI) as one of the tools to mobilise new investment, generate business and deliver spill-over effects for the economy and society
FINANCIAL COOPERATIVE innovation
Cooperation constitutes a natural part of people’s culture that enhances an economic and social life of periphery (east and south) areas. The historical as well as recent experiences show that in some developed (central and west) EU countries and some sectors cooperatives play a key role. Based on these favourable experiences and the fact that cooperatives have been called “schools for democracy” we can state “there are correlations between progress towards democracy, moves towards a market economy and economic growth”. It is proclaim that cooperatives could play a major role in the process of EU development enlargement. A fundamental difference between the cooperatives in central, west EU countries and the east, post communist countries exist. Due to the discontinuity of the natural cooperative development caused by the command economy of the communist regime, the cause of the malfunction of current eastern cooperatives is most likely attributed to this communist legacy. Regarding the positive experiences from a number of cooperatives that exists in the west and central developed EU countries, many sources advocate that financial cooperatives should be reintroduced in the post communist European countries.
PRIVATE & PUBLIC INTEGRATION FOR IMPROVMENET OF ENTREPRENEURIAL CAPACATIES FOR TOURISM(WORKING TITLE) innovation
This problem can be solved by creating an integrated private-public approach for improvement of entrepreneurial skills and knowledge for improvement of tourism market efficiency and creation of mutual innovative added value product and services. In this way entrepreneurs will improve their businesses and offer new and innovative tourism products and services with support of public administration and these areas will become more attractive for visit, which will boost the economy of this EU regions. Thus, the strategy for development cooperation plan for tourism stakeholders has to be created with guidelines for improving business and competitiveness.
GRANT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR EU BENEFICIARIES innovation
Distribution of EU grant goes through various institutions: – European Commission – International Organizations – National authorities – Research centers – Regional authorities Each of activities mentioned above undergoes different rules for application submission, application evaluation, reporting, and controlling on both sides (agency and beneficiary). For many calls, there is no good documentation describing the process of grant settlement process. For example, the are no lists of documents required to present upon partial or final grant settlement. This is a huge problem, especially for SME’s, without big project departments, which strive to successfully complete the grant reporting process. This problem is much enlarged by the lack of trust between companies and administration i Central-East Europe, dating back from communist times. Grant agencies fear that some beneficiaries will try only to get the money and drop the projects (which unfortunately True in some cases). To avoid negative grant settlement and returning money to the EU, agencies tend to require too much documentation. As result, many companies, even with good ideas, fear the “formal” part of grant settlement. They also fear the lack of help from the controlling agencies and risk grant return, and company bankruptcy. This becomes a huge problem in a global scale, as UE money absolution rates in countries like Romania are much below expectations.
GLOBAL PAYROLL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM innovation
More and more companies act internationally (see http://ec.europa.eu/economy_finance/international/globalisation/international_trade/index_en.htm). In many cases this means not only finding international partners, but also creating branches and divisions in different countries. European Union regulations and International standards (e.g. international accounting standards) facilitate the process of emerging onto Central European markets. One of the biggest formal problems that companies do encounter in Central-East Europe are human resources and payroll legal systems that are highly incompatible between countries. Much of the law has remained still unchanged from the communism (due to high political cost of such changes) and is in every country full of difficult constructions, exceptions, ambiguities and even contradictions. SME’s usually have a dedicated system/accounting office to calculate payroll for each country. This is very painful, especially, when company tries to analyze and optimize its global payroll, have employees that are employed in different countries in the same time.
URBAN INNOVATION LIVING LABS (UILLS) innovation
The development of the built environment is crucial to the smart, sustainable and inclusive growth of the European societies as they are highly urbanized. In this sense, innovative urban development plans are more and more urgent throughout Central Europe because of its economic, social and environmental transformations. Yet, the urban built environment is a complex product shaped at economic, legislative, technical and social level, whose realization emerges from the interaction of a quadruple helix of actors (the construction industry, the public governing institutions, an heterogeneous technical community, the final users who are both private clients and citizens). Consequently, the innovations required to foster the present and future urban development depend on the difficult alignment of their different interests, roles and assets. Therefore, the present project aims at contributing to strengthen and modernize the complex value chain underlying the development of the urban built environment. To this end, the project pursues 3 specific objectives: a) implementing innovative models for the interaction of the actors and tools for jointly governing the development processes; b) validating such solutions through pilot cases regarding crucial urban issues; c) planning the consolidation of these solutions as core capacities of the systems underlying the development of the built environment in the territories involved and their adaptation to other Central European contexts.
CUTTING- EDGE SOLUTIONS IN EUROPEAN LOGISTICS ENTERPRISES – INNOLOGISTICS innovation
The aim of the Project is to develop innovative solutions that are vital for increasing efficiency and competitiveness of SMEs and their employees. The developed innovative method may be later used in cooperation with companies’ clients and partners. Other important matter is adjustment of SMEs development processes to European standards (cohesion of SME action with those mentioned In EU strategies). The aim of the Project is also to build a technological base and promotion of innovative initiatives.
BE GREEN BE CREATIVE BE INCLUSIVE innovation
The aim of the project is to consider environment as resource in order to develop new job and social inclusion in urban area. The project particularly wants to bring out the social innovation and the challenges deriving from demographic change, migration and brain drain, using an integrated approach that in meantime can be useful for a sustainable development The project aims to develop new ideas (products, services and models) that simultaneously meet social needs and create new social relationships or collaborations. Fields of activity are ecosystem services in green urban areas. The project can improve environment management, lead to a sustainable economy, create and develop economic activity by blending creativity in order to propose innovative solutions, including work integration.
NEWGROWTH – NEW REGIONAL SUPPORTING MODEL FOR COMPANIES TRANSFORMING FROM STARTUP TO A GROWTH-STAGE innovation
The different stages of the life cycle of a successful enteprise (development, startup, survival, growth, early-maturity) have different characteristics and need individual supporting schemes. As difficult as it can be to develop a good business idea to viable startup company, the next transition process to growth-stage can be even more difficult. The mainstream service support for developing entrepreneurs are mostly related to financial assistance (e.g. venture capital) meanwhile a range of suport services available in the startup phase. Meanwhile entreprises in the growth-stage can be the key contributers to long-term growth. Yet because innovation is characterized by significant informational frictions, supporting the growth of these firms is challenging. In addition to the financial support (grants, venture capital etc) a range of tailor-made professional supporting services are in a need. As most of the supporting instruments are dedicated to the startup and then the early-maturity stage, the development and implementation of a coordinated growth-stage supporting network is crucial. Following the abovementioned approach, the NewGrowth is concentrating on the supplement of financial instrumnents in 5 key areas which all relate to crutial issues of the non-financial support of entrepreneurship in the growth-stage: 1) market narrowing technics 2) product design/definition 3) partner network development 4) operational structure development 5) branding.
DESIGN MANAGEMENT; DESIGN & INNOVATION FOR SMES innovation
The project aims to provide SMEs with specific transdisciplinary knowledge to increase the innovative space and improve operational capacity of SMEs
CREATIVE COMPANIES IN CENTRAL EUROPE innovation
The project aims at increasing the contribution of creative and cultural companies (CCIs) in the socio-economic development of the territories involved and a stronger connection among Creative Industries, SMEs and R&TD; institutions, public entities. The main objectives are the support to the birth of new start-ups in the cultural and creative sectors through the implementation of dedicated pilot actions and the creation of a long lasting transnational network of hubs (co-working centres, incubators, services centres) offering services to these companies.
BEIT- THE ANSWER ON THE PROBLEMS OF THE IT INDUSTRY IN THE AREA OF HUMAN CAPITAL AND THE INTRODUCTION OF NEW INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS innovation
According to Gartner by 2018 there will be a shortage of developers and IT technical specialists for 500 k -700 k people in Europe only. This makes and will make IT companies hire junior staff which will become full value employees after 1,5 – 2 years of work. The companies already agree for such solutions due to lack of qualified resources in the market. Many of developers/IT Specialist are formally one man companies often rendering services to more than one software house or integrator. Problems: IT market in Central Europe is a market of providers rather than producers / too small number of custom solutions in the area of IT (intellectual property) Insufficient number of qualified IT staff in relation to the needs of the market High unemployment among young people who can not find a job in their profession Very well developed IT departments- lack of sales skills Overall objective: Increase the competitiveness of the ICT SME by improving skills and competencies of human capital in terms of programming, entrepreneurship and internationalization. By stimulating mutual exchange and learning, transnational cooperation will help to gain specific objectives of the project: Support for young people to gain knowledge which corresponds to the needs of potential employers (reduction of unemployment among this group) strengthening sales skills towards internationalization develop and implement innovative products, services and/or processes.
B2B SERVICE DESIGN HUB innovation
Our project brings new solutions and continuous innovation platform that helps B2B companies to enter foreign markets. Its main parts are data processing, work with content and technologies for use in modern B2B marketing. We use innovative methods of service design, social media and creating of online applications for the needs of B2B marketing. Thanks to the international verification will be created for our partners an usable solution for obtaining of business contacts and their follow up. Important function will be also B2B service designing according to the needs of particular European markets which will improve the competitiveness of companies.
SHARING KNOWLEDGE AND COMPETENCES FOR INNOVATIVE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES innovation
The project aims at designing and experimenting the usage of open technologies and models for the development of innovative social business opportunities in Central Europe. Regional and local areas addressed by the projects have been facing social and economic crisis. High level of unemployment, lack of industrial strategies and weak human capital investments have diminished their level of competitiveness and increased social segregation and migration. In this period of global crisis, social business initiatives have been suffering particularly, many of them have failed due to the lack of donations and financing or low management skills. There is a strong need to open up business models of social entrepreneurs in order to allow the collective intelligence to contribute and to enable stakeholders participation. Collaborative open innovation can bring diversity and enable the collective intelligence to perform social innovation. Crowdsourcing and knowledge sharing will drive the creation of viable business model approaches and open methods within the social sector. The project will sustain new social business opportunities delivering services that meet social needs and satisfy market demand.
ACCESSIBLE TOURISM innovation
Modern society is increasingly aware of the concept of integration of people with disabilities. A greater understanding of the accessible tourism market has been promoted through research performed by the European Commission where a stakeholder analysis has provided an insight into the complexities of accessible tourism. Making tourism more accessible is a social responsibility, but also a compelling business case to boost the competitiveness of tourism in Europe. Many examples show that making adjustments to a facility, providing accurate information and understanding the needs of disabled people can result in increased visitors´ numbers. Improving the accessibility of tourism services increases their quality and their enjoyment for all tourists, as well as improving quality of life in the local communities. Providers of the most tourism services should take into account its suitability for social accessible tourism. It is defined as tourism available to all. Travelling of persons with disabilities is one of the main goals of social tourism but in general it allows for as many people who are disadvantaged in some way. At the same time it provides the opportunity to enrich their knowledge, promotes their integration into society and the development of their personality.
AVATAR-ACCESSING A VIRTUAL HEALTH AMBIENCE TO AMPLIFY HEALTH RESULTS innovation
The main objective of the project is to promote social/health innovation by approaching and tackling socioeconomic determinants of health. A website/App interface will be developed to help social/health workers at motivating Central Europe citizens to reduce lifestyles related health risks. Risks analysis will be performed and relation with socio-economic determinants will be assessed. Brief motivational interviews will be proposed as if individuals were at their GP’s office. Links will be created with existing social and health services.
A HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACE TO PROMOTE INNOVATION OF SOCIAL AND HEALTH SERVICES IN CENTRAL EUROPE innovation
The main objective of the project is to promote social innovation by approaching and tackling socioeconomic determinants of health. A website/App interface will be developed aiming at motivating Central Europe citizens to reduce lifestyles related health risks. Social and health sectors are very often driven by a passive approach. Assistance and financial support is usually provided without looking for citizens’ participation. While increasing awareness and knowledge is essential for patients to modify their health behaviours, they are seldom sufficient to achieve sustainable change. This is because change behaviour is also influenced by citizen’s values, attitudes and behavioural norms, as well as expectations of success or failure before embarking on a change programme, and self-perceptions about their capacity for sustaining the change. General practitioners, local authorities, social workers provide lifelong, continuing, coordinated and community orientated care to their patients/citizens and are widely seen by them as their most trusted health providers. The project will improve creativity and entrepreneurship of employees of the social and health sectors by addressing these issues by utilizing innovative ICT technologies and improving, thus, European cohesion.
CONNECTMILK innovation
The transition of dairy chain in CE regions after quotas is going to endanger the survival of many small farms; the global investments by foreign companies in processing and retailing, will drive to extensive contracting and vertical coordination while the milk chain will concentrate in some vocated areas. Common challenge is to create a CE strong network focused on the exchange of knowledge and competences among partners, with diffusion of best dairy practices, training people involved in dairy activities and facilitate the technology transfer to strengthen regional innovation capacities in the dairy chain. This network must demonstrate to be able to combine technical innovation, research activities, innovation transfer, organizational model (drawn from milk package) and market competencies at the three levels of the dairy chain to create a more competitive and collaborative network to afford future dairy chain challenges.
ENVIRONMENTAL SKILLS FOR SME innovation
In lack of natural resources compared to global economy, the European commission launched its’ circular economy package in the middle of 2014, to improve the material return rate of discarded municipal waste lost primarily in landfills. Extended producer responsibility (EPR) is one of the cornerstones of consumer waste practices, requiring the producer to take financial, organisational and/or administrative responsibility for postconsumer waste
DESIGN FOR BUSINESS SUCCESS innovation
The main objective of the “Design for business success” project would be inspiring and encouraging SMEs to adopt development strategy based on innovation and design, as well as to implement high-efficiency activities in this field. In the emerging economies, as Poland, Hungary, Czech and Slovakia, strategies based on design and innovation can open up valuable opportunities and bring significant business benefits.
WIN – WOOD INNOVATION NETWORK innovation
In most cases S3 documents lack the transnational dimension and knowledge poles should better identify their role within S3. Territories with similar strategic priorities rarely shared and coordinated their plans with nearby territories outside national boundaries. Cooperation in terms of scientific and technical infrastructure is still poor and synergies and coordination and complementarities must be pursued. Transnational level • – create a transnational network of wood tech centers in Central Europe between territories with common or matching development objectives (Smart specialization strategy S3) • – develop pilot activities coherent with S3, to create a common and shared knowledge base at transnational level and enhance cooperation and rationalization in the use of technical knowledge and infrastructure • -start a coordination on strategic development issues between countries with same S3 priorities (wood) Local level • – foster interaction between knowledge poles and economy , set sustainable interaction • – foster innovation processes in SMEs in line with regional and national development documents • – enhance training schemes for SMEs and tech transfer
STARTUPKIT – START PACKAGE OF INTEGRATED IT TOOLS FOR START-UP COMPANIES IN CENTRAL EUROPE innovation
There are many Business Environment Institutions aiming which facilitate life for start-up companies. Among them, are Pre-incubators ans Incubators, providing training and basic help, Technology Parks, with the space required to run the business and technology clusters, exchanging knowledge between different players in the same industry. In many regions Business Environment Institutions limit their activity only to trainings, consulting and space provision. The main objective of our project is to enhance the offer of Business Environment Institutions. We will use the experience of institutions and companies from more innovative regions to build a STARTUPKIT – Package of integrated IT Programmes and tools for Start-up Companies, which will facilitate business planning and day-to-day company managements. These tools will be distributed distributed to the new companies by Incubators, Technology Parks and Technology Clusters.
INNOVATION BUSINESS MODEL innovation
The aim of the project is to develop inovative service package for IT business sector, SMEs and start-ups. All organizations are now “powered by information”, and this means there’s big opportunity to learn from best practices in completely different areas. Focus of this business support is innovation and making technology simple to use and deploy. In order to gain in business, experience of others can be useful model for sectors in the preparation and implementation.
EU GEEK – EFFECTIVE USAGE OF GREEN ENERGY & KNOWLEDGE innovation
Project EU GEEK will connect stakeholders from Central European countries in order to raise awareness and knowledge and a more active involvement of citizens, as a further step towards the further development of renewable energy in the region. Main project goals are as follow: 1. Verification of educational path/career “RES (Renewable Energy Sources) technician” in Austria, then modification depending on the partner country conditions, introduction of “RES technician” in the partner country. 2. Promoting pro-entrepreneurial attitudes among graduates of “RES technician”, to prevent the outflow of qualified staff from partner regions. 3. Improve knowledge and awareness of the public, local authorities, SMEs, educational institutions concerning Europe 2020 strategy and RES with innovative forms of media, ie. e-learning. 4. Increase the competence of SMEs in the implementation of innovative technologies and management methods in RES 5. Establishing a partnership between the project partners / partner regions for their development through the development of appropriate tools, ie. a common strategy and action plans to support RES policy in the regions.
CERBERUS innovation
Central Europe suffers from underfinanced research and innovation. Researchers can find finances from other sources like international cooperation and industry, but in the case of Central Europe these channels are not often successfully exploited. As the main issues we consider: 1. Lack of participation in international projects – FP7, Horizon 2020, COST, Erasmus+ 2. Insufficient relationship between industry and academia Project CERBERUS will address directly these issues by creating online state-of-the-art web based platform, which will bring together research and industry. Consortium consisting of academia, private researchers, policy makers and industry will work together to bring their previous experience and form portal for every stakeholder. Consortium will also collect know-how of the partners and share their best practises in the international projects or between academia and industry in the form of live events and e-learning. Live events and e-learning will be used as teaching tool for the participants and also for promotion of the network.
EBITDA: EASTERN BORDER INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP ACTIVITY (IN BUSINESS) innovation
Current situation in EU-UA border regions shows, that there are structural barriers to develop knowledge based economy on the basis of internal resources. These resources were mostly drained by competitive leading growth centers in EU / USA. Shortly EU-UA border regions will faces the challenges of upcoming wave of economic immigrations from Ukraine. There is also the chance to use settle valuable entrepreneurs and innovators close to border, until they migrate further to leading growth centers. Actual UE economic policy for less developed regions is strongly focused at usage of internal potential. Innovative approach of the project is an effort to start the economic process of acquiring external (human) resources for faster growth in historically resource-drained regions.
INNO-DSS AN INTELLIGENT DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR ICT INNOVATION DEVELOPMENT IN LIVING LABS innovation
The main objective of the project is to create a more efficient system of supporting inventors during the research and development phase and subsequent commercialisation of innovative ideas. Such a system can be designed and implemented according to the Living Lab model, which is considered to be a novel, highly effective element of the innovation system in Europe. One of the strategic goals of the EU, stated a.o. in the Lisbon, Barcelona and Gothenburg Agendas is to become a global leader in transforming the society and economy into a knowledge-based postindustrial one. Therefore Europe needs more efficient and viable innovation support systems, able to detect, support during the research and development phase and commercialize innovations. The former or existing systems, such as IRC, now EEN, national systems such as National Innovation Network have helped to achieve a noteworthy progress in this field, which however, has not been regarded as sufficient when assessing the degree of attainment of the Lisbon goals. Therefore during the Finnish EU presidency the European Commission launched a new concept of Living Labs as a supplementary way to improve the efficiency of the innovation systems in Europe. Since then, Living labs have become an established form of innovation promotion and development in some EU-15 countries, while forming the LL system in CE countries is still ongoing. One of the reasons is a lack of innovation support models within Living Labs.
ENMANAGE (SUSTAINABLE ENERGY MANAGEMENT FOR HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS IN CENTRAL EUROPE) energy
AIM: To develop and implement sustainable Energy Management at urban public Higher Education Institutions (HEI): by creating action plans for HEIs and cities based on best practice examples, and by increasing the capacities of HEIs and cities through transnational policy-learning, training, certification and networking. Part of reaching low-carbon society is reducing CO2 emissions in Built Environment (Energy Performance of Buildings Directiv e – Directive 2010/31/EU). In the region , significant share of public HEI buildings are historical buildings or built before any energy-efficiency regulation. Such buildings consume up to 5-times more than those built with the current regulations. Energy audits for regional HEIs show that most of their buildings (built before 1990) don’t meet energy requirements and have big potential for energy savings. Yet, most HEIs lack sustainable Energy Management strategy, skilled staff, tools, access to funding, international experts. HEIs resort to sporadic and fragmented solutions that are seldom coordinated with local community. Important progress and cooperation (regions, cities with HEI and HEIs) are typical of AT and DE and parts of IT, while there is dispersed knowledge and fragmented collaboration in SI, CRO, CZ, HUN.
BUILDING AUDIT AS TOOL FOR INCREASING ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY USAGE IN PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURES energy
The main objective of the project is to develop a common methodology to improve energy efficiency and use of renewable energy sources in 20 buildings of public infrastructure in the partner regions . There are plans to create a database on the state of public buildings in the partner regions . The primary source of information will be – made within the project – audits of public buildings (energy efficiency audit , hygienic audit, building automation audit) prepared according to the same methodology , common to all project partners. Depending on the needs of a common database on the state of public buildings can be continuously updated and used for further modeling . Uniform data define the most important source of energy loss , and allow to indicate the objects of greatest need and thermo- exchange energy sources RES. On the basis of these data will be elaborated design guidelines for public investor allowing thermomodernisation and use of RES in public buildings
ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND SOCIAL INNOVATION IN SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR energy
The project idea focuses on defying and implementing sustainable energy measures in the field of social housing, where the environmental issue is not the only one to be classified as of general interest. The project aims to demonstrate that energy efficiency is not only a result of technology, but goes through the proactive involvement of public and private parties for the implementation of environmental policies. In particular, within the social rental sector, the share of energy information between housing companies and tenants and the education to new technologies is desirable for building a more responsible behaviour, in order to achieve as energy purposes as social goals. Thus public authorities do not achieve energy efficiency in their public housing stock all by themselves. They are dependent on the expertise and knowledge of other parties in the construction, maintenance and management chain. The involvement of certain stakeholders in the implementation of sustainability process and actions has a key role for the success of sustainable energy policies and measures. Furthermore, the impact of energy-efficiency measures on lowering energy use should also connect with the spatial and density attributes of communities and cities in general. Residential density, mixed-use developments, efficient and effective public transport facilities and integrated district co-generation systems are believed to be important factors in improving energy efficiency.
INCREASED ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND RENEWABLE ENERGY USE IN PUBLIC BUILDINGS energy
The aim of the project is to improve the energy efficiency as well as the increased use of renewable energies in municipalities of the participating regions. Based on an inventory, investments and awareness raising actions should be realized to reduce the energy consumption and CO2-emissions. Transnational synergies should be developed to reach the energy and climate policy goals of Central Europe.
SMART WATER PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR SMART COMMUNTIES energy
Issues: ””EEA – Technical report No 5/2014 Performance of water utilities beyond compliance. Sharing knowledge bases to support environmental and resource-efficiency policies and technical improvements-:Executive summary:….EU-level assessments of the resource efficiency or environmental performance of water utilities are not currently as holistic as they could be…. As outlined in the EEA report No 1/2012 ‘Towards the efficient use of water resources in Europe’ economic production cannot be sustained if it requires excessive water use and burdens natural resources. It is thus essential that water uses and efficiencies are also considered in water management practices, including: the actual pressures in the aquatic environment from water abstractions, the resulting emissions of pollutants, and the energy consumption/recovery from managing the urban water cycle…. “”Water EIP: The interrelations and interdependencies between water and energy are well known; The interconnected challenges and key issues of both sectors should there for be addressed together…..European water and energy policies are not sufficiently integrated, resulting in neglecting interconnected effects. Furthermore, economic incentives to adopt efficient water and energy technologies are inadequate. Water and wastewater processes lack low energy technologies, whereas the application of renewable energy is hindered by low efficiency. In addition, these processes are designed to run with constant energy supply, while most renewable energy sources provide variable energy supply….”” All public and private water infrastructures of the cooperation area should invest a lot at least in the middle – long term time frameworks having an integrated water – cycle management and fair water cost approaches, to maintain and to make more efficient and resilient the whole water network and plants, taking into account the impacts of the demographic, territorial and of the climate change. Moreover a lot of energy is necessary to produce, to distribute, to use, to treat and to recycle the water and the related energy costs are even more expensive and impacting the global quality of life of a communities. On the other hand, the public water infrastructures can really play an important role to support the implementation of a decentralized energy system – smart grid for a smart community, in particular for the renewable energy production and storage as well as for the grid management. Therefore having a smart specialisation strategy approach, a sustainable and efficient water – energy integrated management is even more important not only for the development of the public water infrastructure but also for the governance of the local smart community. In fact it is demanding innovation on technologies, on management, on finance and on strategic vision definition and implementation, in synergy with an active citizenship. The main problems for the water public infrastructures are the lack of knowledge and experience for an integrated energy-water management according to: -the new available technologies to use and to produce renewable energy; – the existing best practices; – the benchmarking of the challenges and the related costs and risks to implement fair entrepreneurial and governance solutions : how to involve and to train all relevant public water infrastructure and the local institutional staffs; how to define, to finance and to implement a smart strategic vision also in synergies with the commitments of the local smart community. The main opportunities result from the availability of: — a large number of existing public and private water infrastructure as well as of smart communities in the cooperation area, with their investment plans; — examples of innovative renewable energy technologies implemented by public water infrastructure (for ex. regarding an energy-efficient wastewater treatment plant); — new professional skills; — the international ISO 50001 norm for the energy management system certification; — experiences on PPP and on new financing tools; as well as: — the European and national policy frameworks and plans regarding: …the EU 2020 and EU 2050 Energy Roadmaps and Energy Efficiency Plan 2011 commitments; …the new European regional policy … the Research and Innovation Strategies for Smart Specialisation; …the Water JPI Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda and the EIP Water, …the EC Water Framework Directive, …the European Smart Cities and Community Platform,.… the EC Resource Efficient Roadmap – EREP Manifesto & Policy recommendations. The partnership wants to implement a smart water infrastructure for smart communities, realising pilot projects responding to the following topics: “energy for water, energy from water and water for energy” :- improving the efficiency on energy management and the energy balance of a public water infrastructure, increasing the knowledge creation and the knowledge sharing and mutual learning; – cooperating with the local smart community to reduce the CO2-emissions and Blue-footprints of the public water infrastructure and of the community, supporting also the improvement of the governance process; – creating an European transnational innovation community for public infrastructures according to the Living lab approach, linked to the European Water JPI and Smart Cities platform, to carry on the smart public water infrastructure vision, by new pilot projects on resource-energy efficiency.
INTELLIGENT MONITORING FOR POLLUTION REDUCTION AND FOR SECURITY OF CITIZENS IN URBAN ENVIRONMENT (IMPRESS) energy
The main objectives of the proposed project are to develop solutions for detection and reduction of pollution and to enhance the security of citizens in urban areas. In IMPRESS project, WSN nodes will be deployed in some critical locations of the city, e.g. the main sources of pollution (industry facilities, large chimneys, crossroads of motorways), the places where citizens usually visit (squares, parks, sport facilities) or the places of special importance (a town hall entrance, schools, hospitals). The nodes will be equipped with sensors measuring temperature, humidity, luminosity, noise level, atmospheric pressure, wind speed and direction, dust – PM10, CO, CO2, NO2, CH4 and other air pollutants. Moreover, they will be also provided with video cameras, creating a Wireless Multimedia Sensor Network (WMSN). The data gathered by the sensors will be merged with the video streams from the cameras, creating high-level information that will be further analysed and processed in order to deliver a specific content to the final user. This content can be a dynamic map of the pollution in the city, a detailed analysis correlating the pollution level with the car traffic, a system detecting the sources of air pollution or a security system of cameras triggered by people screams or other noise.
E-AVANTGARDE : EUROPEAN ENERGY AVANTGARDE REGIONS : MASTERING INTEGRATIVE REGIONAL ENERGY TRANSITION energy
E-Avantgarde will bring together regional stakeholders from municipal, company, scientific, cultural and societal background from different European countries to develop strategies for progressing the regional energy transition. This approach should develop a regional electricity system based on renewable energy sources, which inevitably provides changes in the heating/cooling supply as well as in mobility and strengthens regional value creation. Specific locations should be developed as demonstration sites for innovation and exchange of experience in the area of improvement of energy efficiency and use of renewable energy. Education, tourism, participation and communication activities should strengthen the socio-cultural framework for the transition process, to improve the quality of life of the regional population.
IMPROVING OF LOCAL ENERGY MANAGEMENT FOR BETTER HEALTH OF INHABITANTS, BETTER AIR QUALITY AND LOWER OF CARBON DIOXIDE EMISSION BY USING INDIGENOUS RESOURCES AS SOURCES OF ENERGY EFFICIENTLY AND WISELY -LOWER ENERGY energy
Use of energy by city results in air pollution and increasing of carbon dioxide emission, and has adverse impact on human health at the local economy. To change and achieve positive results it requires better understanding by local authority and citizens on local and regional level of such phenomena, as well as to develop cooperation between all stakeholder.
PROMOTE THE SUSTAINABLE USE OF RENEWABLE RESOURCES AND ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN RURAL REGIONS (RURES) energy
The aim of the project is by raising awareness and the introduction of new technological processes to improve energy efficiency and to promote the use of renewable energy sources. On the one hand, the share by sustainable energy from the region is to be increased and on the other hand set up and further develops of regional value chains. Long term the partner regions seek to substantial energy autonomy, were energy security and pricing can be used as a tool to develop the competitiveness of the regional economy. The project will therefore aim to promote sustainable energy solutions in rural areas and to strengthen energy independence of municipalities and counties based on transnational cooperation. This goal will be pursued through the development of regional energy action plans based on existing energy strategies and focused analyses, as well as through investments in various pilot projects. The energy action plans will be adopted by the authorities and their implementation will be initiated with the project. First key actions for creation or strengthening of regional sustainable energy economy can be realized already as a result within the project. The Project pursue an integrated approach that includes, in addition to converting the energy supply to renewable energy sources, increased energy efficiency ( reduction of energy consumption per inhabitant or production unit) as an important condition for achieving the goal of substantial energy autonomy .
LICEA+ energy
The goal of LiCEA+ is to develop and apply SMART tools that allow the discovery of numerous unexploited energy saving opportunities in regional industrial clusters along the supply chain of SMEs. Accompanied with the policy framework and knowledge of involved Institutions, a cross-sector breakthrough in energy efficiency can be reached. Small companies – never targeted when speaking about energy reductions – will be the relevant subject of the project. The cornerstone of LiCEA+ is the state of the art in energy auditing applied in a life cycle perspective. Typically, an energy audit is an inspection, survey and analysis of energy flows for energy conservation in a building, process or system to reduce the amount of energy input into the system without negatively affecting the output. The added value of LiCEA+ applied to SMEs, is the development of a simplified methodology for Energy Audit with the addition of the life-cycle perspective allowing the new energy saving opportunities. The development of a guidance document and a operative tool for the industrial energy auditing for SMEs and their districts, together with the local and transnational training for operators and the experimental and demonstrative application it’s a concrete solution to fill the lack about industrial auditing standards. The introduction of the LCA approach ensures that the energy efficiency will be extended to the whole production processes without leaving untapped energy saving opportunities.
DYNAMIC LIGHT IN PUBLIC SPACE energy
Developing a dynamic concept for public lighting to increase the qualatiy of the the public space during darkness, while saving energy.
GREPPNET energy
Building on the experience of different international projects that supported municipalities in improving their energy management (e.g. MANERGY), the project intends to support local authorities in embedding the tool of green procurements into the implementation of the local energy strategies or action plans (like Sustainable Energy Action Plans). Several settlements in EU have made the first steps to achieve at least 20% reduction in their CO2 emissions by defining their local energy action plans. In these plans the municipal experts define several actions, which result in certain percents of CO2 reduction, and one important action is the application of green public procurement (GPP) techniques. Implementing GPP is also fostered by several EU and even national funding programmes, particularly in those fields which finance energy investments. However, the methodology of green procurement is still not well-known at most municipalities, and even those settlements who apply this process are often having problems in defining the aspects of selecting the best offer. The GreppNet project intends to assist municipalities in overcoming this problem by providing an online benchmarking platform, which ranks the items of the offers from more aspects (energy efficiency, environmental impact, cost-benefit, etc.). The platform would also serve as an education tool by describing the methodology of GPP and demonstrating its importance by good practices.
WET2WIN energy
Maintaining and capitalizing wetland integrated bioenergy concepts for SEAP’s small water-cycle-micro-climate flood prevention in Danube Region
HISTORICAL ENERGY EFFICIENT RETROFIT energy
There are regions in Europe famous for the high number of traditional quality spa/medical/healthcare, etc. facilities with a long history of mostly successful operation serving thousands of persons every year. These often include older buildings with an infrastructure that is difficult to upgrade for technical and historical issues. As time passes very expensive major repairs and retrofit are postponed to prevent the centres from any downtimes. For this reason these facilities are almost always very energy-consuming as certain solutions to increase their efficiency seem very difficult or even impossible to implement. However, in view of EU energy policy, measures needs to be taken to try and assess these historical complexes in terms of their energy efficiency potential.
ENER-GO energy
Project will contribute to the enhanced capacity of public actors involved in energy planning allowing them to achieve increased energy efficiency in their regions. Many municipalities had recognised the importance of the 20/20/20 goals and had decided to undertake adequate activities. However in many cases qualification of staff and financial resources of municipalities are insufficient to properly fulfil necessary actions. We would like to address those municipalities that have already elaborated SEAPs and now are in the face of implementing measurements in order to achieve appointed goals. Many activities in this field had already been implemented. There are going to be identified and then transfer to another regions as good practices. Also some new solutions will be introduced and tested. Recommendations for local governments involved in the regions will be prepared.
BIOCARBON energy
BIO CARBON focusses on strengthening the eco-friendly energy option of pyrolysis/gasification in the overall energy offer of territories, unlocking its potentials through strengthening the demand side of the by-product derived from this technology: the biochar. This aspect is fundamental in order to make the biochar/pyrolysis energy systems economically sustainable and to exploit the capacities of such systems in terms of waste management, renewable energy production as well as of the production of by-products with high environmental compatibility. Aims: a) Develop territorial capacities of taking advantages of the ecoinnovation of biochar systems b) Exchange and improve existing knowledge and experiences c) Improve the Biochar system with Biochar production protocols and carbon footprint reliable mesuration of biochar’s use d) Support the market uptake of the biochar energy systems e) Advocates the biochar option towards the decision making
IMPLEMENTATION OF WOODEN BIOMASS VALUE CHAIN WITHIN MUNICIPAL ENERGY SYSTEMS energy
The aim of the project is to increase the use of biomass for energy with establishment of network covering entire biomass value chain e.g. supply, demand and technology section.
EUROPEAN CO2 AGENTS IN A TRANSNATIONAL EXCHANGE energy
The sensibilisation of pupils in 7-th and 8-th grade for the toppic how to save energy. Further on we would like to change the energy use – behaviour of young pouple by implementing in schools Energyagents. A second targetgroup we wouzld like to reach with our project are the public builduings and its employees.
RENEWABLE ENERGY COOPERATIVES ACROSS CENTRAL EUROPE energy
The number of renewable energy co-operatives across Central Europe is very unevenly developed, although the area has a huge potential for development. Currently, the most common are renewable energy co-operatives in Germany, but for example in Poland, Czech Republic or Slovakia such initiatives are in the early phase of development. The formation of energy co-operatives contributes significantly to the implementation of low-carbon strategies, European energy policy. Relatively wide are also possibilities for institutional and financial support to all initiatives in the field of renewable energy sources (RES). The main objective of the project is to improve the energy co-operative model and practice, which will facilitate and accelerate their development in the Partners’ countries. Valuable and inspiring will therefore be transnational cooperation of stakeholders interested in energy co-operatives, which may result in the creation of handbook of good practice and then summary assessment of institutional and financial instruments, that in negative or positive way affect the development of energy co-operatives in various areas of CE. The establishment of such co-operation will allow effective implementation of the idea of co-operative energy based on RES in the countries willing to develop the idea of carbon efficiency in the regions through the exchange of knowledge in terms of i.a. technology, organization, risk, cost-effectiveness, relations with cooperative’s shareholders.
REEF 2W energy
The proposed project, promoted by institutional, technical and economic partners belonging to the water and waste (2W) sector aims to show, on the basis of new management systems, of new available technologies, best practices, pilot projects etc.., an appreciable allowance for possible interventions achievable at a CEU level for efficiency improvements and energy generation in the field of urban waste and waste water treatment. The main purpose of the project is to test the feasibility and the advantages of implementing integrated wastewater and municipal solid waste plants. The identification of suitable geographical areas and the evaluation of achievable improvements and efficiency, both in the water and waste cycle, will allow to check the favorability of integrating the 2W systems.The intention is to include additional power supplies from the agro-food sector (integration of RE Sources and supply chains) to achieve greater energy diversification in output (ee, heat, biogas, bio-methane, H2) to improve energy distribution through specific local networks, and to use any additional energy capacity in the field of mobility (urban and sub-urban sustainable mobility).The aim is to demonstrate how integrated “2W REEF” systems are key enablers for the development of eco-villages and eco-city, and to analyze the possibility to obtain substantial savings, so that the avoided expenses can be re-invested in the improvement of important urban services such as water and waste.
INTEGRATION OF ZERO EMISSION TRANSPORT INTO THE MUNICIPAL LOGISTIC OF CITIES energy
With the focus on smart, sustainable and inclusive growth of Europe the project idea focuses on development of sustainable concepts for low-carbon mobility and reducing air pollution by integration of zero emission vehicles into communal logistics. Electric mobility can serve as the basis for CO2 reduction and energy-efficient transport. In several regions of CENTRAL EUROPE different single projects have been implemented testing new technologies, ideas or concepts. To overcome single activities in favor of holistic approaches the project will start at the beginning: according to existing mobility plans in the regions and their different technical and infrastructural concepts a sustainable management structure will be established in each partner region. These regional consortia will set up a regional strategy how to integrate electric vehicles into regional transport with regards to an integrative transport planning. The concept will be accompanied by close collaboration with higher education institutions, energy providers, regional companies, public transport etc. In order to increase the acceptance and information status of the broader public the commune itself will serve as model for integration of electric vehicles into the communal infrastructure: for tourism, public services etc. Additionally a smart tool will support the interlinking and information between different transport options.
SUN IS LIFE … energy
Our aim is to implement other innovative solutions to enhance energy efficiency and utilization of renewable energy sources in our community and region. We would like to present our existing practical experience and know-how (in the field of using solar energy – solar systems and photovolcaic cells) to the partners involved in the project (through our multi-functional center for monitoring and presentation of the use of renewable resourses) and simultaneously to continue in validation of innovative energy-saving technologies – in heating and transport.
SUSPUTRAL – SUSTAINABLE PUBLIC TRANSPORT ALTERNATIVES energy
Objectives: The main objective is to elaborate a complex conception and methodology primarily for cities (with or above 500k inhabitants) in Central Europe accomplishing high degree or total sustainable electric public transport, and to demonstrate the feasibility. During the project, research sub-projects will be implemented to support general/universal solutions and culminate in conceptions and studies, and based on them, tailor-made strategies, action plans and specific project plans will be created. The implementation of a specified pilot project clearly demonstrates the feasibility and the original ideas can be validated with the experiences of the pilot project.
ENER4EDU – SMART, SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN PUBLIC EDUCATION BUILDINGS energy
ENER4EDU aims to develop and implement cost-effective integrated strategies for the energy efficient retrofitting of existing public building stock, more specifically education buildings. In the region, most of public education buildings are historical buildings (i.e. cultural heritage) – or built before any energy-efficiency regulation – and are located in urban neighbourhoods. Energy audits show that most of them consume up to 5-times more than those built with the current regulation so a high potential for energy savings and carbon reduction can be envisaged through their energy upgrading. Besides, most of education buildings owners lack of a sustainable Energy Management strategy, skilled staff, tools, access to funding. This leads to sporadic and fragmented solutions that add unsustainable costs for the community. Moreover, involving both schools and universities, the retrofitting of education buildings may contribute significantly to the generation and dissemination of knowledge related to low-carbon strategies for the cities.
STOMP – SUSTAINABLE URBAN TRANSPORT AND MOBILITY PLANNING THROUGH NON MOTORIZED SOLUTIONS AND ZERO EMISSION VEHICLES IN LOW-CARBON URBAN AREAS energy
Urban areas are affected by significant mobility congestion problems (and, as a consequence, by high CO2 emissions and pollution problems), mainly due to the prevalent use of individual means of transport, which still use endothermic engines. In order to lower CO2 emissions, it is important to address the passenger mobility planning in urban and metropolitan areas, using an original approach, improving the accessibility to services/traffic generator poles from all surrounding areas. A possible strategy is planning high quality/efficiency collective transport systems, together with promoting non-pollutant individual means of transport and improving the non-motorized mobility. Particular attention is going to be put on the following non-comprehensive list of topics: – development of high quality and safe non-motorized mobility networks (pedestrian/cyclists); – introduction of new collective transport systems or the requalification of existing ones (both traditional and innovative, such as inductive recharge vehicles); – planning of electric individual transport systems (both with dynamic and static recharge systems). In particular, as regards the electric mobility (both collective and individual), it is important to deepen the planning aspects related to the introduction of electric recharge infrastructures in urban areas, such as the insertion of “electric ways” for the dynamic recharge of vehicles or the adaptation of parking areas for their static recharge.
A SOLAR WAVE CROSSING THE CENTRAL EUROPE ON A WEB OF LIGHT energy
We are a team of motivated people following a dream: use just solar energy for a sustainable mobility. This is the reason why we are participating to this call: to show to all the Central Europe that this is possible. We are a group of professional experts consisting in technicians, engineers and manufacturers, specialized in use of special materials and innovative technologies. Led by the University of Bologna, we already shared the passion and success of 3 competition solar vehicles. In 2005 the first vehicle, an assisted pedalinum bike, was built and participated in the World Solar Cycle Challenge as the only EU team. And it was just the beginning. Using the most advanced technology available on the market, the competence of racing and researches, our first solar car was realized and successfully tested during the most relevant international competitions. However, the real innovation came into form with the following vehicle in 2013. Light frame, self-developed engine, new design, materials and solar cells permitted to run more than 5.000km in the desert. Our next step is represented by a new generation of vehicles, consisting in a 4-seats solar cars, comfortable and energy efficient, homologated to cross the Europe powered by light. On the other hand, a regular car, available on the EU market, will be converted for power-train in a solar vehicle. Therefore, this action intends to cross the whole Central Europe using these solar vehicles as witnesses of what Sun can permit
ENERGY BIOMASS BALANCE – TOWARDS MORE SECURE AND CLEAN ENERGY IN CENTRAL EUROPE energy
The Project would aim at finding the needs for Energy in the regions of Central Europe, assessing the regions’ potential for renewable energy production, indication of renewable energy balance in regions – potential tranfers of the energy across the borders and reccommendation for solutions based on renawable energy. The Project would be based on application of satellite data.
FEEL IT FROM EARTH energy
Project objective is promotion of energy efficiency and renewable energy based on shallow geothermal energy applications utilizing GCHP (Ground Coupled Heat Pumps). Project will present new energy efficiency models on buildings based on low enthalpy geothermal energy and the promotion of the use of GCHP technologies (also through demonstration cases on public buildings) to strengthen its applicability for energy savings and carbon mitigation. Shallow geothermal energy utilizing GCHP (Ground Coupled Heat Pumps) can be exploited everywhere (since it is not depending on the presence of hot-water deep basins). These systems can meet the needs of heating and cooling using a single installation, maintaining low energy consumption. European Commission highlights that this sector is not doing enough to exploit the potential of shallow thermal and new methodologies, technologies and demonstrative investments are requested. Interest for the implementation of renewable energy sources is growing from year to year; EU 2020 objectives should stimulate stronger promotion of renewable energy sources. There is a great potential of using these methodologies in public buildings such as schools, kindergartens, nursing homes, special needs institutions, sports halls… The rapidly increasing price of traditional energy sources (oil, natural gas, electricity) causes uncertainty and dependence in the long run.
EDMAS – ENERGY DATA MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS IN CENTRAL EUROPE COMMUNITIES energy
The overall objective of the project is to design, develop and pilot new solutions to enable sustained reductions in energy consumption across Ecentral Europe area in public buildings and to explore the possibilities how to transfer these practices to private sector.
MORE FRIENDLY AND LESS POLLUTING TRANSPORTATION IN THE CITIES energy
The main purpose of the project is to develop and implement solutions minimizing negative pression for the environment and the quality of life of constantly growing number of vehicles in our cities. Having in mind growing needs of the citizen’s mobility inside the cities, there is a need to conduct actions aiming to change the structure of the transport, reducing the congestion and promoting clean communicational solutions.
MOSTFOREE – MODEL OF SOLUTIONS FOR IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION BUILDINGS energy
The main aim of the project is to develop and promote model concepts of solutions aimed at energy efficiency improvement in public office buildings, the use of new technologies and renewable energy sources what will contribute to raise public sector competences at energy efficiency increase in Central European countries. The aim of the project is to exchange knowledge and experiences, and technology transfer between partners. Dialogue between the project partner countries will contribute to the development of common, most effective and innovative solutions that will improve energy efficiency. Additional value of the project will be the model concepts of energy efficiency improvement for a specific office buildings that belong to the project partners. Developed concepts will be promoted so as to broad group of customers can learn from them and use them to carry out their own investments aimed to energy efficiency improvement.
SELF-SUSTAINING COMMUNITIES BY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT energy
The project „SELF-SUSTAINING COMMUNITIES BY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT“ is a collaborative project of the European Union states Germany (northern Bavarian region Naturpark Frankenwald), Italy (region of South Tyrol), Poland (region of Podlasie), Slovenia and Austria (region of Güssing). The main objective of this partnership project is to create, demonstrate and support local value chains for the development of renewable energies as a general applicable model for rural communities leading to a measurable reduction of climate harming CO2-emissions in Central Europe. The projects main objective is to significantly reduce CO2-Emmissions in rural communities in Central Europe through integration of civic engagement into place-based local energy strategies and closed value chains for renewable energy production. The project will thus also co-contribute to an increased autarchy of rural areas and will therefore help to reduce social and economic disparities in the area. Although the cooperation programme reports a big leap in use of renewable energy, the exploitation of the positive effects (CO2-reduction, increased autarchy from fossil fuels) on local level is weak. Furthermore, rural communities show significant technical vulnerability as investments in grid infrastructures is limited. Here, the projects main objective does also contribute to increased self-sustainability.
INDUCULT2.0 – INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE, CULTURAL RESOURCES OF CURRENT INDUSTRIES AND CREATIVE PIONEERS – CAPITALISING INDUSTRIAL CULTURE IN CENTRAL EUROPE environment/culture
Industrial Culture is a young phenomenon in the European cultural sphere. Having been firstly used in Germany as a synonym for industrial heritage, its latest re-interpretation heralds a new Industrial Culture that goes beyond heritage preservation and utilization by adding contemporary or upcoming cultural and creative resources. In this modern understanding, Industrial Culture is considered as a dynamic concept interwoven with the permanent transformations of the industrial economy and society. Applying such a comprehensive understanding, InduCult2.0 combines the tangible and intangible cultural assets of industrial past and present for positioning today´s industrial regions as attractive places for working, living and recreation. The project builds on, revives and develops the positive cultural elements of industrial communities. The concept of Industrial Culture is especially suitable for regions situated peripherally and mono-focused on industrial production. InduCult2.0 brings together such regions and organizes transnational benchmarking, peer work, trainings and exchange on pilot actions. Scientists support and reflect these activities. Methodologically, cross-sectoral cooperation between museums, companies, schools, administrations as well as creative communities is at the core of the project: This range of stakeholders ensures that all time layers of Industrial Culture are adequately represented.
HEMI-3C. HERITAGE-MANAGEMENT-INCLUSION: CYCLE, CITIES, CULTURE environment/culture
The project idea is to develop new tourism and mobility practices within the Central Europe Countries through smart mobility systems and tools adapted to different urban contexts. By connecting bikes with other transportation means, we will create new types of cultural and natural tourism, exploiting all kind of heritages in local districts and counties. We want to work even on the integration among different type of transports such as private car, public transports, and alternative means, giving to bicycle a central role. These relationships are different according to urban typology. Metropolises, cities and small towns may develop different innovative bike interconnection solutions. The project contents are connected to tourism and leisure options, technology and heritages. Digital information systems are, thus, key project elements as they allow innovative information systems with relevant exploitable potentials for increasing tourists’ usability. This type of tourism would work as an economic engine for growth and employment, in agreement with EU2020 green objectives as well as accomplishing most of the Central Europe priorities, by allowing an inclusive both natural and cultural heritages valorisation and by promoting sustainable tourism management practices. All these concepts are related to the theoretical aspects of smart city. It is necessary to find the correct equilibrium between empirical mobility researches and the theoretical aspects.
NICHE – NATURAL ROCK IN THE USE OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN EUROPE environment/culture
Europes´ natural and cultural heritage is (also) made of stone, such as ornamental and decorative rock. The geology and mineral wealth of a region is expressed in the appearance of the regions landscape in rural areas or with the fassades and roof tops in urban areas. Buildings as heritages of urban civilisation and the natural rocks as resource which they are built from constitute valuable assets of central European regions and represent important location factors benefitting regional development. These assets disappear and with it part of Europes identity and also industrial income of the still operating European natural rock suppliers though investigations have proofed, that local natural rocks quarried from own European resources are ecological and economic building materials. There is need to better identify and promote regional rock sources as „visitor cards“ of European regions and to preserve the regions character and originality.
NETWORK OF MOUNTAIN DEMO environment/culture
The idea of the project is to build a network of various „mountain DEMOs” in different mountain region of Central Europe. „AEM Poland”(l`Association des Elus de la Montagne – Pologne) and the Association “Wojtowice – back to the future” – NGOs whose mission is to promote the idea of SMD (sustainable mountain development) have been working for last 12 months establishing a station called “Sudety DEMO” on the area of 3,3 hectars offered to them by local government for….25 years. We are aiming to take care of ravaged landscape, of forgotten traditions and customs, to rescucitate old local products, to restore “old stones”, to prove that in spite of past dramas it is possible to build a new common European future. The place has already been visited by nearly 400 representatives of mountain provinces of Poland. We strongly believe that in mountain regions of EU member states of Central Europe there are quite a few hectars owned by local governments ready – if properly approached and convinced – to grant the land to local NGOs and to create a place whose educational and touristic values are impossible to overestimate
ORNAMENTALICA environment/culture
Public awareness of the value and richness of cultural heritage is recently on the rise, and contemporary artists and designers also increasingly seek inspiration in traditional arts and crafts. However, they are usually not familiar with the wide range of traditional patterns and ornaments and they often seek professional help and visual resources on such matters. The problem that arises is that the desired data are usually geographically or thematically (e.g. by material or technique) limited and dispersed across different archives, institutions, and media (publications, webpages etc.). This hinders their creative process and prevents the use of tradition in contemporary art, design and crafts. The aim of the project is to create publicly accessible online database of traditional patterns and ornaments from Central European countries. It shall be the result of joined national collections of traditional patterns and ornaments, enriched with additional material on their contemporary use and its creators. The database is therefore a tool to digitally preserve cultural heritage of traditional ornaments and patterns, to widely promote it and, last but not least, encourage its implementation in crafts, applied arts and in the creative industries.
CULTURAL ROUTE OF THE ARCHITECTURE MODERN MOVEMENT environment/culture
The aim of the project idea is to build a Cultural Route of the Modern Architecture Movement generating a tourism network including museums, foundations, cultural sites, and urban landmarks, with the help of ICTs. Modern Movement in Architecture started in the 30’s with a relevant architecture system (known as ‘Bauhaus’), which attracted several scholars and educated professionals whose contribution to architecture brought a new spirit of innovation in the period between the two World Wars. In order to keep awareness of this heritage, a cultural Route linking and reinforcing the relations of Modern Movement landmarks, museums and monuments will be built as a transnational network including key regions/areas (Berlin, Wien, Milan, North-East Italy, Prague, Budapest, Warsaw). A system of related itineraries within the Route will be equipped with information kiosks, virtual and multimedia exhibitions, enhanced-mobility vehicles for disabled tourists, remote education tools and user participation to art activities within an inclusive context for visitors with different needs. This will lead to promotion of landmarks and attractiveness among various user groups/tourists. Identity of that heritage will build or reinforce a new knowledge which will be accessible and affordable for all.
URBAN GREEN BELTS environment/culture
As one of the harmful environmental consequences of urbanisation, urban green spaces are increasingly getting under pressure. Green infrastructure provides a wide variety of benefits: recreational opportunities, air pollution mitigation, ecosystem services and reducing adverse impacts of climate change, thus ensures better living conditions for the inhabitants. As many other FUAs, our city partners are all facing challenges of how to sustainably maintain and manage their green areas, with ensuring compliance with environmental policies and integrating environmental considerations into economic decisions. Thus project partners aim at creating a smart, integrated governance model for urban green spaces (UGS) management, centred around 3 main focus points: 1) Green infrastructure (GI): innovative assessment tools and development concepts, 2) Local governance: improvement of the policy environment through smart organisational and financial capacity building methods, 3) Participatory approach, community involvement and awareness raising within the civil society. Innovative methods and tools will be collected and tested through pilot actions related to GI assessment, participatory planning and maintenance of UGS, application of novel ICT tools, competence building of stakeholders. Partners will jointly elaborate a transnational manual (and web-based tool-box) on smart UGS governance, which could be adaptable in any communities throughout CE.
GEOVER environment/culture
Applied sciences (geomicrobiology, geochemistry, hydrogeology, remediation processes) are accented in the intended project consortium with the substantial impact on their transformation into the tools, which may enhance and improve the level of environment (subsurface) quality in Middle Europe. Social, environmental, and economic influence mean key effects in order to get more health environment for live. Substantial highlight of this project seems to be human factor because key persons of the consortium bring a particular guarantee of the project feasibility. The most important factor of the solution has to be perfect management of possible strengths and occasions generated by systematic research and survey of subsurface biodiversity and engineered forms of its enhancement and acceleration.
DECRAIN – DECISION FOR RAINWATER environment/culture
Expanding of urbanized areas together with intensification of agriculture are responsible for decreasing the ability of ground to percolate rainwater and continuously complement the groundwater aquifers. But rainwater does not respect the border between different countries. Rain that has fallen in one state can cause floods in the other one. Problems with decline in groundwater level and on the other side with increasing frequency of floods should be solved on the international base. The main task of the project is to collect and develop such instruments that will help us to answer next questions: How to convert rainwater to groundwater most effectively and environmentally friendly? How to protect landscape against the flood more cheaply without complicated flood protection measures?
PRE-COMMERCIAL PROCUREMENT OF INNOVATIVE TRANS-REGIONAL SOLUTIONS IN THE ENERGY, ENVIRONMENTAL AND CULTURAL SECTORS environment/culture
As a follow-up of the CEE CentraLab project (www.centralivinglab.eu), we have developed a number of freely available resources, including: – Knowledge and guidelines on how to create trans-regional innovation communities. – An innovative platform for federated electronic procurement of small municipalities and with a dedicated section to the management of Pre-Commercial Procurement (PCP) calls for tender. – 10 CEE trans-regional pilots, some of which belonging to the energy, environmental and cultural sectors. This project idea aims to capitalise the above assets with particular reference to the creation of a community of procurers from different CEE countries, intending to launch one or more joint PCP calls in one or more of the above mentioned sectors (NB this is going to determine which priority axis will actually be activated for the correct positioning of future proposals)
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM environment/culture
Main aim: to create a network of destinations, each one characterized by its own peculiarity to allow tourists to visit Central Europe with a reduced environmental impact. In particular it will be created a touristic circuit among neighbouring Countries in Central Europe and which are easily connected (by railway, bicycle paths, highways,…) each one characterized by a specific theme (mountain, sea, city of art, wine and food,…). Private and public players who are able to offer services with low environmental impact will be involved. An extensive awareness campaign will be carried out, in collaboration with local trade associations in order to expand the network of operators related to the tourism industry that are environmentally friendly.
IMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN FUNCTIONAL URBAN AREA GOVERNANCE environment/culture
The renewal of urban development has started in the 2007-2013 period focusing on social urban regeneration interventions. The most recent challenge is the revision and implementation of the Integrated Urban Development Strategies in a functional urban area context and the application of the new Integrated Territorial Investment tool. These functional urban areas (FUAs) are selected in all Member States and they have to have an efficient integrated environmental management in compliance with this new situation. There is a two-fold challenge: the sectoral approach should be replaced by the integrated system while the original city area changed to the territorial unit (FUA) including the core city area and the hinterland. First, the project will develop an overall, detailed analysis of the existing environmental management in core and hinterland areas evaluating where was sectoral system applied and where the integrated approach has already been implemented (considering built areas, areas of transport, public infrastructure, commerce, industry, education, recreation, etc. not to forget havaria plan) and what governance structure was assigned for this. The new integrated urban environmental management system to be developed ensures the achievement of sustainable development objectives including adaptation to climate change in FUAs. The project will focus on the development and renewal/restructuring of the new environmental management system within the government of the FUAs.
RISIC 2020 RIVER SIDES INFRASTRUCTURE COMPLEXITY environment/culture
Central European strategy planning, Central European regional planning, Central European space planning, national states and local public government (cities) planning and politics, private interests, human and space capacity focusing on Danube river area – direct zones of influence (5 – 20 km from the Danube axis) and non direct zones influence (up to 20 km from the Danube axis). The develop of this space as one of the important European spin with multifunctional harmony between living, working, recreation, cultural, transport, economical, political and infrastructural (water, energy, telecommunication and etc.) systems. The new scenario for quality of central European real Theater with the same players and Decors.
RAISING THE QUALITY OF BUILD ENVIRONMENT THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUBURBAN PUBLIC TRANSPORT (BE&PT;) environment/culture
The main objective of the project idea is to raise the quality of build environment and make functional urban areas more liveable place to live in. The main Issues which project wants to address are: Urbanisation – cities and its function areas, Traffic jams, Environment pollution, Public transport and Quality of build environment – quality of life. Problems tackling: Urbanisation – increasing number of inhabitant beyond the (administration) border of cities in suburban areas. Changing the function of suburban areas from rural to cities environment. New services including public transport services are needed. Increasing number of inhabitant is moving (by individual cars) every day from suburban areas to the city (centre) what cause heavy traffic and create traffic jams and time waste (and non-direct economic “loses”). Increasing motorisation cause increase pollution and decrease quality of nature environment. Promotion and possibilities of public transport usage is poor. Modern, integrated, regularly provided public transport systems (buses, trams, trains) can decrease number of people using individual cars for their everyday transfer to work, decrease environmental burden and pollution and overall raise the quality of build environment and make functional urban areas more liveable place to live in.
BILAMA: BIOMASS-DERIVED ENERGY FROM LANDSCAPE MANAGEMENT IN URBAN AREAS environment/culture
The project develops and implements strategies for the sustainable development and management of natural and cultural landscapes environmentally highly valuable by utilization of biomass from landscape management for energy production. Protection of biodiversity is combined with the use of renewable energies and reduction of CO2-emissions. Diverse cultural landscapes environmentally highly valuable such as extensively farmed sloping and terraced vineyards or orchards, orchard meadows or species-rich pasture land are endangered all over Europe. Due to lacking profitability they often suffer from negligence, lay idle and in consequence get overgrown. Landscape management and maintenance is expensive and costly. In consequence the landscape sustains a loss of habitat diversity and biodiversity. On the other hand, against a background of rising energy demand and the challenges of climate change an increased interest in expanding the use of renewable energies is recorded. Biomass-derived energy production plants mainly draw their materials from industrial agriculture, agroforestry and organic remnants. According to studies the biomass potential is much higher but often difficult to (profitably) explore. This is where the project BiLaMa comes in. It aims at developing a strategy to explore and utilize biomass from landscape management of natural and cultural landscapes environmentally highly valuable that has been untapped so far.
DRAFT: DEVELOPING STRATEGIES FOR VALORISING CULURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE OF FORTIFIED ARCHITECTURE environment/culture
Create and implement a concept or strategy of Fort number II in Poznan conversion, including two main issue: 1. Plan the renovation, preservation and adjacent land development to protect the historical heritage. 2. Plan the strategy for adaptation to modern utilisation and capitalising historical and cultural heritage for urban, cultural, social and tourism development.
ROAD OF REFORMATION environment/culture
The objectives of the project are: – the internationalization of the “Luther Decade” as a european and reformatory project of state, churches and civil society, – the “Road of Reformation” as a new cultural route of the Council of Europe, – preservation and utilization of the intangible cultural heritage of the Reformation, – the linking of sites and places of the Reformation and Luther, – strengthening of municipal and church partnerships in Europe, – the appreciation of rural and regional development in the participating areas, – the sharing of experience with other pilgrimage and cultural routes (St. James´s Way, Luther Trail, Huguenot and Waldenses path …), – a conceptual connection for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 in Wittenberg, – the sustainable use and development of the paths also after the year 2017.
LASER-BASED CLEANING ROBOTIC SYSTEM FOR HERITAGE PRESERVATION environment/culture
Gommage and laser ablation cleaning are two widespread cleaning techniques employed to clean dirt and pollution deposits from exterior historical surfaces of limestone, sandstone, sculptures, reliefs, etc. Gommage cleaning refers to a cleaning procedure that makes use of fine powders with low pressure compressed air. Laser ablation is a more accurate technique, capable of selective removal. Both cleaning techniques could benefit from the introduction of an automatic robotic system to move in a safe, automatic, effectiveness and reliable way the cleaning tool (either gommage gun or beam delivery optics). This project aims to evaluate the improvement of gommage cleaning/laser ablation through the use of an automatic robotic system. It will be designed and implemented a robotic system capable to perform the cleaning process according to two different actions: 1) Remote Robotic Telemanipulation Cleaning; 2) Fully Automatic Robotic Cleaning; 3) One outcome will be a working robotic prototype. The project is strongly interdisciplinary and innovative in terms of R&D.; The research-based knowledge produced by the project will impact community involved in cultural heritage preservation at different levels. The time is ripe to introduce robotics in cultural heritage preservation and restoration; robotic-assisted cleaning is just a first, very promising step, whose research outcomes will be transferred to related areas. Since the project aims to decrease the costs (and increase the quali
RECLAMATION OF URBAN LAKES environment/culture
Creating a system of reclamation lakes located in urban areas. Develop long-term methodology with the concept of technical – technological aeration system to restore the natural ecosystem of the lake. The project will include meetings and seminars on the method, the exchange of experiences and knowledge transfer between partners. The project should take into account the investment pilot, ie. The creation of the aeration system, which will be tested during the project in our area. The partner countries will be under the necessity of repeated and expanded to include additional technologies. The project will result developed the concept, the manual system in place, enhanced website, where you will be able to publish the results of the project.
INTEGRATING MILITARY CONVERSION, REGIONAL CAPACITY BUILDING AND WILDERNESS DEVELOPMENT (CO-PRO-WILD) environment/culture
Large military training sites are often home to a rich fauna and flora including wilderness areas. Once they are abandoned, the surrounding regions are challenged to find new economic development paths and to cope with out-migration. CO-PRO-WILD aims to identify and implement strategies for the protection and valorisation of such areas with a high biological diversity as a contribution to sustainable regional development (tourism, land use, handcraft, services). The idea is to build capacities among stakeholders and the local population and to involve them actively in these efforts. The project is linked to the idea of conceiving an International Nature Exhibition (I.N.E.). This multi-annual process is modelled on the well-established International Building Exhibitions and culminates in a one-year exhibition. It is intended to showcase the fascination of biodiversity and wilderness in Europe. The first exhibition of this style is planned in the „Lieberoser Heide“ (www.ina-lieberose.de), a former Soviet military training area in Brandenburg/Germany. In the framework of CO-PRO-WILD, the I.N.E. exhibition format shall be further qualified and tested with regard to its transferability. Furthermore the I.N.A. Lieberoser Heide shall apply a decentralised approach, according to which the core site (here: Lieberoser Heide) is part of a network of corresponding regions (here: the other CO-PRO-WILD partner regions: Geopark Ralsko (CR), Borne Sulinowo (P) and Zahorie (SK).
RESTAURA: BRINGING NEW LIFE TO ABANDONED CASTLES, PALACES AND MANOR HOUSES IN CENTRAL EUROPE THROUGH RESTORATION environment/culture
During the Word War II and in the post-war period more than 20 million people were expelled from their homeland and forced to migrate to new territories, leaving behind their houses and changing the essence of historic cities and villages. The results of this geopolitical reconfiguration are now visible in the form of abandoned castles, palaces and manor houses, which till today are suffering from steady decay. A new approach and models for effective transformation are needed at the regional and local level.
HAPPY VETERANS environment/culture
Our plan is to improve the specific atractivities of culture heritage in Central Europe (in the Czech Republic, Slovac Republic, Poland and Germany). We have chosen a few cultural objects which we want to reconstruct and make them more interesting for public. Our main idea and goal is to create new working places during this project. We want to use manpower not only during realization of the project (reconstruction and renovation of cultural objects, developing attractions which would be interesting for whole family) but we also want to keep sustainability of the projekt in the future. It means we want to make the cultural objects we have chosen gainful – than we can afford to pay a new personnel.
PUBLIC SPACES – REVITALIZATION AND EVALUATION environment/culture
The main objectives: Planning for urban public spaces and improving their quality with regard to environmental, social and economic principles of development of the city. Revitalization / implementation of new public spaces will consistently meet environmental needs around them, will respect the existing state of the environment and in the framework of specific studies will be performed for maximum improvement of the status quo and their greater involvement in the life of the city. The aim is to create pleasant public spaces that will meet user requirements for the safe movement and residence, and will evoke a sense of security. Such sites are attractive, “live” and will be widely used by residents of the city. The main innovation solution in this project will be firstly application this principal in context of connectivity and accessibility of public spaces in the whole city than connection to the landscape background or urbanized location in neighbourhood, public involvement and accessibility and finally conceptual solution of public spaces from walker perspective.
JAKOBSWEG / WAY OF ST. JAMES | EXPLORING RURAL CULTURE BY FOOT environment/culture
The aim is to fulfill need and desirements of a up to date pilgrimage on the historical grown paths through Europe an the way of St. James on national and international level.
WEAVING WITHOUT BORDERS environment/culture
Know more about good practices of non-cultural heritage in other countries, on different kind of weaving handicrafts and pottery. Have the opportunity to collect those information and make research, create for exemple a document to promote folk art and handicrafts, to preserve traditional handicrafts. Our future plans are further projects for the protection of endangered professions, presentation of folk art to a wide audience, supporting its development through innovative approach, education and artistic activities. Our goal is to develop a model for protecting crafts, and concept of its revival. We intend to continue a research activity in Poland and abroad.
BUILDING A SEWAGE TREATMENT PLANT AND A SEWERAGE SYSTEM. environment/culture
The Municipal authority of Cecelice manages the development of the village Cecelice, located in central part of the Czech Republic, 20 km north of the capital city Prague. The village has 631 inhabitants and more than 200 houses. The main development plan of the village is building a sewage treatment plant and a sewerage systém in order to remove a relatively high environmental risk and improve the life of inhabitants. Further development plans include repairs of local roads, sidewalks, local monuments, building a playground for children and a cycling pathway to the railway station in the neighbouring village.
HEAVENLY HOLIDAYS environment/culture
The project addresses a challenge which is faced by all countries of the Central Europe cooperation area: Many parish buildings are no longer in use, or only partly inhabited. Although many of them are of considerable historic and architectural value and thus constitute an important part of the region’s cultural heritage they are in danger of decaying because of lack of the resources which would be needed to keep them alive and in proper shape. The Heavenly Holidays presents a concept to use these buildings touristically and by doing so not only preserve cultural heritage but also to provide a stimulus for sustainable regional development and strengthening regional labour markets. The project Heavenly Holidays aims to build on the local Austrian initiative Himmlisch urlauben and develops a transnational strategy to use (partly) vacant parish buildings in rural areas of Central Europe for touristic purposes. It has a transnational approach because – unused parish properties can be found in all Central Europe countries; – the analyses, feasibility studies and experimentation works to be carried out in several, distinctively different regions with different infrastructure This touristic initiative will have a multiple effect on the programme area: – It preserves valuable cultural heritage threatened by gradual decay. – It generates jobs in rural areas affected by population drain. – It stimulates sustainable development of the regions involved.
AMBER environment/culture
Sustainable regional development of countries in historical course of Amber Route. Historically Amber Route was one of the most important merchant route in Europe, now not many Europeans knows about it and its course. Route is functioning as bicycle route known as Eurovelo 9. There is a lack cooperation between actors on this route. It is crucial to improve plan of development of the route based on the potential in culture heritage and environment of regions. The main goal is preparing new interesting touristic product of Central Europe.
USE OF GROUNDWATER OSCILLATION LEVEL ANALYSIS FOR A TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM IN COASTAL AND ISLAND COUNTRIES environment/culture
The project goal is to develop a detection instrument to predict tsunami wave in coastal areas based on the analysis of recorded manifestations of tectonic earthquakes in underground hydrosphere. The project will use monitoring in the Czech Republic and recorded features of destructive tectonic earthquakes in Vietnam rocks. The uniqueness of the proposed project is in possibility to monitor dynamic activities of the Earth via evaluating the expressions of underground hydrosphere. Their environmental geological evaluation then allows tracing of monitoring sites (aquarifts) for optimal indication of the Earth crust tectonic activity with tsunami risk. Stated objective of the project therefore requires a multidisciplinary approach. The project will be implemented by expert team with long term experience. The project promoters have been running the unique worldwide monitoring system of etalon points with 40 years of uninterrupted observations series. Adding measuring points out of the Czech Republic and their correlation with existing etalon is essential for the subsequent anomaly place evaluation and further practical applications. Socialist Republic of Vietnam is located close to a fault of two tectonic plates and placing measurement in the appropriate areas is very useful for further research of potential fault effects. The proposed project is a typical example of international cooperation in applied research and experimental development.
MESABI – MAKING EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF ABANDONNED HISTORICAL BULIDINGS IN PUBLIC OWNERSHIP environment/culture
– A number of historical buildings in public ownership (former prisons, convalescent homes etc.) are abandoned and subject to slow decay. A high amount of such buildings of historical value is situated especially in former communist states of Eastern Europe, where these buildings served their purpose as various social institutions or military barracks, but due to structural changes in the 1990s their function was abandoned. – The main aim of the given project is to make effective, innovative and sustainable use of abandoned historical buildings, for example by creating feasibility studies, strategies and action plans of development and restoration of individual historical buildings. – The project will also include pilot actions, such as reconstructing and refitting historical buildings (or parts of these buildings) into socially innovative projects, for example into the so-called “probation houses”. – While evaluating the potential use of historical buildings, the project will also focus on energy efficiency and making use of innovative approaches in reconstructing these buildings. – The project will also build on experience from partner institutions in the field of retrofitting historical buildings.
ENOCER – CENTRAL EUROPEAN WINE ROUTES environment/culture
The vineyard landscapes and the traditional methods of wine production are important cultural heritage of Central Europe. However, small family vineyards cannot win price competition with mass wine producers and distributors. That is why they have to offer something more than wine. They need to build a wide range of products and services: wine tasting, guided visits in the vineyards, restaurant services, accommodation for tourists, etc. They should find additional sources of income by exploiting the existing potentials of cultural tourism – in this particular case enotourism. Creating attractive regional proposals in the area of enotourism can support local wine culture and help regional producers to survive. However, a strategic transnational approach could help to build a strong and sustainable market of enotourism services, which are a great alternative to mass tourism. A common wine route with international events (festivals, exhibitions), and a close link to regional food producers can help to increase the number of tourists in Central European regions especially in the late summer and autumn. The ENOCER Project aims at promoting wine routes in Central Europe and support creation of new jobs in rural areas. It will enable a better territorial management and a more effective use of cultural heritage and resources.
EURIGREEN – EUROPEAN RIPARIAN GREENWAYS environment/culture
The project idea consists in restoring and improving ecological integrity of riparian greenways in Central Europe. Initial state-of-the-art analyses will be carried out and proposals for an improved connectivity of riparian habitats will follow, based on exchange of experiences between Central European regions. The main goal is to develop common awareness of the importance of protecting and enhancing green corridors that run along rivers. The involvement of local inhabitants will be essential for encouraging and promoting new attitudes toward rivers and riparian habitats.
LIVEABLE URBAN RIVERS environment/culture
Urban rivers can be viewed as natural and recreational areas with a high improvement potential. Nonetheless, watercourses sometimes represent a source of threat to the urban population in case of flooding. The project idea aims at achieving sustainable integration between urban and natural areas in cities and towns that stand on important rivers at high risk of overflow. The ultimate goal is to improve river/town relationships by implementing activities that will make river and riparian zones, including flood control structures, more accessible, ecological and safer.
REFRESH- URBAN REVITALISATION FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE environment/culture
The aim of the project is the preservation and revitalisation of regional cultural heritage through development and utilization of old industrial buildings in rural areas. Therefore we develop demand-oriented multifunctional utilisation concepts. According to the special situation in rural areas, there is not really an option to focus on one single target group. Instead the focus is clearly set on combining different users (e.g. culture, business, leisure facilities). Another important aim is to integrate the old industrial buildings in the town environment (infrastructure, cultural landscape). The third aim is to give the relevant stakeholders the opportunity to finance the revitalisation. Therefore the test and search for financial instruments (PPP-models, crowd funding, micro credits) is foreseen.
CONNECTED UNDERGROUND environment/culture
The purpose of the project is the revitalization of mines and mining areas in five Central European countries. Special attention will be given to the disadvantaged and marginalized industrial areas and towns which were important drivers of economic and social development in the past, but whose roles in post-industrial times have gradually diminished. The research will focus on the question how to transform these types of monostructural economic centres, and offer people new opportunities to use their knowledge and new opportunities for employment. It will determine how such degraded towns and former mines can be turned into attractive locations for both tourists and inhabitants. Abandoned mines, which are frequently mainly an economic burden, will thus become generators of future tourism and cultural development. Special attention will be paid to improve the living conditions, create new jobs, and to social and cultural rehabilitation of the mining areas.
CENTRAL FORESTS environment/culture
People of Central Europe have experienced the necessity to get accustomed to changing political, economic and social environment. A new challenge of the 3rd millennium, which will probably have an effect on the before mentioned areas too, is the rapid change in our climate. Besides water security and agricultural production, this will also have a huge impact on our natural heritage. Research models suggest that in certain cases the natural migration of forests cannot follow the swift climate alteration. This may lead to the loss of precious forest habitats of the Central European area. Through financial instruments like LIFE (Nature and Environmental protection programme of the EU), Environmental Operative programmes of the Member States and cross-border co-operation programmes, the European Community is supporting a fairly large number of nature rehabilitation and conservation programmes. Investing in projects in favour of habitats and species of high community interest in the future, it would be beneficial to analyse their long-term (50-100 years) sustainability from the aspects of climate change. Our project intends to create a debate on the above issues and strives to include the findings in national and regional nature protection strategies.
SENIORS WELCOME – OFF-SEASON CULTURAL TOURISM FOR SENIORS IN CENTRAL EUROPE environment/culture
The valorisation of cultural heritage and resources of Central Europe represent a powerful potential for economic growth (including cultural and creative industries). In order to better capitalise on these assets, the project intends to develop strategies that builds on senior tourism market with a special focus on creating and enhancing the development of off-season products and services focusing on this target group.
PROTECTION STRATEGIES FOR URBAN HERITAGE IN MIDDLE EUROPE environment/culture
Urban heritage in quarters of end of 19th/beginning of 20th century is under pressure because of economic modernization, demographic change and energetic measures. Buildings with a high quality of urban design, but which are not listed as a monument, are in danger to loose their special design quality or to be demolished.
ECONAT environment/culture
the project adresses conflicts between natural protection and demand of touristic use /touristic infrastructure in protected areas
REVITALIZATION OF THE AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN HISTORICAL HERITAGE THROUGH THE PROMOTION OF CULTURAL TOURISM environment/culture
We are interested in submitting a project proposal, together with coutries that once belonged to the Austro-Hungarian empire (1867–1918) . Since there is immense historical background and mutual heritage among these european nations, we wanted to engage in mutual promotion of cultural tourism and routes that would link the ancient story between our countries, whilst implementing management strategy and plan of sustainable usage and revitalization of historical sites and /or landscapes.
VALORISING TRADITIONAL TRADES AND THEIR OLD INFRASTRUCTURE AS CULTURAL HERITAGE TO MAKE URBAN REGIONS MORE ATTRACTIVE AND COMPETITIVE environment/culture
Many urban regions boast the tradition of old trades in the form of tacit knowledge and the built heritage of the related activities. In the past years this multi-dimensional cultural heritage has been rediscovered as possible key contributor to local attractiveness and economic competitiveness. Yet, it is still rare to see in CE the examples of coherent and sustainable revival and prosperity of integrated initiatives rooted in this unique asset. Budafok has a tradition of viticulture which survived in small cellars, a large vinery and a school. The old infrastructural heritage is underutilized, actors have their own initiatives. Achieving a coherent cultural, touristic offer contributing to sustainable heritage protection and lasting local economic prosperity has had moderate success so far. It’s been realised that without the massive co-working of the local stakeholders, consistent capacity and network building, strategic co-planning of the necessary investments as well as efficient fund raising the chance would be easily lost for good. The strategic objective is to utilize the versatile cultural heritage based on (a) local characteristic trade(s) in an integrated, sustainable manner using innovative solutions this way contributing to efficient heritage protection and local economic prosperity. Improving stakeholders’ capacity to develop and run action plans, and also to test innovative solutions possibly promoting the feasibility of complex plans is of high priority.
GREENLAND – ADAPTATION ACTIONS TO REDUCE LAND USE CONFLICTS IN CENTRAL EUROPEAN FUNCTIONAL URBAN AREAS environment/culture
GreenLand project aims to explore the land use conflicts as key challenges of the successful and sustainable environmental management of Central European cities. The Central European big cities and their functional areas are sometimes under pressure of land use conflicts (e.g. urban sprawl, fragmentation of habitats etc.) which may lead degradation of the urban environment. New negative phenomena arise (e.g. urban heat island) while existing ones deepen (e.g. air pollution). Due to these negative external effects of the urban areas the quality of life of the urban residents decreasing. While the changing function and role of the urban and peri-urban spaces also mean the loss of their social, economic, environmental and natural values. The project will analyse the on-going processes of the land use and its potential conflicts of partner cities, in the metropolitan areas. The project will focus the hinterlands of the core cities as primer source of the spatial conflict, but it will also trace the urban effects of these conflicts. GreenLand will encourage the learning and knowledge transfer from the more experienced cities and municipalities and institutions.
SPACES – NEW PPP MANAGEMENT MODELS OF REQUALIFIED URBAN AREA environment/culture
The themes related to the great post-war urbanization were the major concerns of many industrialized European countries while their cities had been expanding in a very disorderly and uncontrolled manner. The epochal changes occurred in the meantime, leave nowadays many industrial and empty urban spaces that are no longer used (former hospitals, schools, etc. decayed or already restored). These spaces often located in strategic areas, due to their state of abandon, don’t provide to the communities neither wealth nor utility. If they were properly managed, they could offer an opportunity to rethink the functions of the territory, improve the living space and trigger economic growth and employment. The main aim of the project is promoting cooperation between CE cities experienced by urban transformation processes in order to identify innovative, replicable and sustainable PPP management models of the requalified facilities devoted to cultural and creative activities and located in the decayed urban areas. Cities should be rethought on new principles able to respond in a balanced way to the environmental, social, cultural and economic concerns. The sustainability of this process has to lead to new synergies between the public and private sectors affirming the value of culture and creativity as a lever for change. It will be possible through creation of places where the phenomena of creativity, able to tighten connections between different social networks, emerges
ECO GARDENS IN RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS environment/culture
Problem of living in urban area is difficulty to obtain organic fruit, without use of chemicals. Eco gardens will help to improve the environment with ecological production of vegetables but it will also bring benefit to the environment, budget and quality of families included in the project. Families living in residential buildings will create their own small eco gardens on balconies or roofs. Gardening on balconies or roofs of residential buildings will combine benefit for the mind and body in many of urban areas, and will have a moderate yet positive effect on the environment. The plants on green roofs or balconies can capture airborne pollutants and atmospheric deposition. They can also filter noxious gases. The temperature moderating effects of green roofs can reduce demand on power plants, and potentially decrease the amount of CO2 and other polluting by-products being released into the air. In each City included in the project there will be available land for ecological production of persons that are interested to participate in the project. This will be pilot project in order to try to utilize natural resources in local community in order to improve environmental management and quality of live in living areas.
“WATER ACE” – INTEGRATION OF WATER FOOTPRINT SUSTAINABILITY ASSESSMENT IN THE POLICIES OF CENTRAL EUROPE REGIONS environment/culture
The project WATERACE, aimed at supporting the correct and sustainable management of water resources in Central Europe Regions, tackles the challenges of preventing environmental impacts, supporting climate change adaptation policies and fostering the territorial economic development in the programme area. Tools and knowledge, capitalized mostly from a previous CEU project, will be used to provide Central Europe Regions with a Water Footprint Sustainability Assessment, in order to identify water related hotspots and sustainable effective strategies and action plans to solve relevant challenges, like Water droughts and scarcity, flooding, quality degradation, therefore allowing for a smart water management and planning in the regions involved in the project. The EU has recognized the relevance of water resources, which are considered a joint asset and a fundamental pre-requisite for economic and social progress of European regions; with its Water Framework Directive (2000/60/EC) the above mentioned territorial challenges were already identified as relevant by EU. Such water issues are particularly relevant in all the Central Europe regions. Considering the above territorial challenges and European water policy and directives, that adopt an innovative cross border approach in managing water, the project partners identified this Central Europe call to be the perfect opportunity to perform the WATERACE project.
TRANSNATIONAL POLICY ACTIONS FOR INTEGRATED INDOOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT environment/culture
European people spend 90% as average of their time in indoor environment say statistical reports. Several surveys been conducted by European countries to explore the health impacts of the indoor environments. These surveys and research projects have dealt with the environmental quality factors of workplaces, of educational institutions (kindergarten, schools etc.) and residential buildings. The research results have showed that the role of the indoor environmental factors on the human health is significant while underestimated at policy level. There are not EU measures or regulation on the indoor biological, physical and chemical pollutant agent. The project collects all national institutions of the CE countries to identify and describe the national indoor environment quality policies and initiatives and make national policy actions to control the health impacts and improve the quality of indoor environment. The project targets the national decision makers and provides policy recommendations. It also targets the national and municipal authorities and companies are responsible for technical maintenance of municipal public buildings.
CREATIVE INDUSTRIES: IMPROVE CAPACITIES OF CREATIVE AND CULTURAL SECTOR TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT environment/culture
The project idea starts form the fact that the cultural and creative sector (CCS) has, in many Central Europe countries, a social and economic impact far below its potential. This is manly due to lack of skills and competences of CC operators and lack of policies and strategies at local level. The project proposal aims at improving capacities of public and private operators of CCS in order to increase the economic relevance of the sector.
HEAVY RAIN MANAGEMENT environment/culture
The present project proposal is focused on adaptation strategies to reduce climate change impacts on the urban environment. This project, meanwhile, has o comprehensive attention to a large number of environmental aspects (as urban environment, green areas, water, energy, life styles, private companies environmental management), that fall exactly within the wide approach that Central has. The Central is also a financial programme aiming to empower governance and policies approaches and to start up specific and concrete actions (as this project do). The present project in fact consider all these issues, in a specific city, taking into account the urban environment as a whole, with its meteorological and hydrological patterns and variability. This project has so the integrated vision appreciated by Central with a focus on the relationship between climate change and the local complex urban environment,focusing on the development and implementation of governance solutions and actions.
SUSANNE – SUSTAINABLE URBAN TREES AND GREEN SPACES environment/culture
In the framework of Green and Smart cities, urban green plays important social, cultural, economic and environmental roles. The urban green management requires significant resources for both economic and resources supply. High water deficit, high compaction soil levels, more impermeable surfaces and limited infiltration, oxygenation and drainage capacity as well as surface and underground systems, heat islands, organic and inorganic contaminants in water, air and soil are also present. The importance of sustainable development tools for urban trees and green areas management seems unquestionable and the qualitative and quantitative aspects related to climate changes and water resources availability play a significant role. The final aim of the project is to maximize the environmental and economic sustainability of the urban green management. There is a great need of decisional, operative and strategic tools. The project expects to contribute to the improvement of the relationship between man and environment toward a definition of most “smart” and “green” cities, i.e. more livable, creative, ecologic and sustainable urban models. The tools, taking in account the historical and urban aspects as well as climate changes, will enable to forecast the economic impact of choices related to green design, allowed functions, tree and soil characteristics, surface and underground systems design, reuse of municipal and runoff wastewater, type of irrigation, kind of maintenance.
IMAGO URBIS – THE INVENTORY AS A TOOL OF KNOWLEDGE AND ENHANCEMENT OF COMPLEX ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE environment/culture
Web communication is crucial to every aspect of modern social life. Public bodies already make extensive use of such tool to ensure direct communication with citizens. But when the data to be reported is more complex, communication can become confused and results can be erratic.The “digital image” of the city appear fragmented and therefore devoid of references, as in reality, as a succession of buildings and open spaces. The data published on-line often fragments into materials of different sizes and, above all, numbers; often favoring “simple” language, without structure, an order of priority or an audience. Development of a conceptual model and related digital model of the information system, with the aim that the model, after appropriate adjustments, could be generalized. The two moments are closely interrelated and must complement each other. Among the aims of the project is a verification based on wide ranging case studies, including that of the city of Cremona
PRALINE – EFFICIENT PRACTICES OF LAND USE MANAGEMENT INTEGRATING WATER RESOURCES PROTECTION AND NON-STRUCTURAL FLOOD MITIGATION EXPERIENCES environment/culture
Implementation of former co-operations, strategies and best practice guidelines for the protection of water resources and flood mitigation demands their effective communication. But lessons already learnt haven’t yet been successfully applied in the daily work environment. Furthermore already available measures, strategies and plans have to be quantifiable and locatable, in order to build a basis for an evaluation of eco services, enabling potential funding of those services. Thus the objective of PRALINE is to facilitate the implementation of the existing strategies and management plans, in order to capitalize and transform them into reality, furthermore to be able to localize and quantify measures. PRALINE will achieve the superior goals of -improved efficiency and organisational structures of land-use management, and -effective protection of fresh water resources as well as protection against floods In order to focus on an efficient implementation, PRALINE will encompass implementation strategies of good practices in the regions of interest at PP locations with providing -transnational levelling of fundamental expertise -elaboration of policy support -implementation support at the working level (water suppliers, river basin managers, etc) Besides intensive stakeholder involvement, visibility of the actions will be pushed with a common declaration act, signed by notable representatives, in order to bundle efforts for towards an integrated land use management.
UNIFORM ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT TOOL FOR FUNCTIONAL URBAN AREAS – UEMT-FUAS environment/culture
The present project proposal is focused on the review and evaluation of the environmental burden (air quality, noise burden) and its impact on health of inhabitability. The problem of environmental burden is currently immeasurably important, considering the alarming state of air quality not only in Slovakia but also abroad. Most urban and rural residents has experience with daily exposure to elevated concentrations of PM (particulate matter), which can have harmful effects on human health. Chronic exposure to PM contributes to the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, and lung cancer as well. Mortality related to air pollution is about 15-20% higher in cities with high levels of pollution compared with the relatively cleaner cities. It is estimated that in the European Union, the average life expectancy is shorter of 8.6 months due to exposure to PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm). In addition to the effects of PM on human health may also have a negative impact on climate changes and ecosystems. PM also contribute to the pollution of buildings and may even have corrosive effects on the buildings and structures, depending on their composition.
CENTRAL EUROPEAN NETWORK OF TOWNS OF LITETATURE – CE.NET.LIT environment/culture
The overall project objective is to use existing cultural heritage resources-intangible heritage- in order to contribute to sustainable regional development of mainly lesser developed and unknown locations. This will be done through achievement of the following main project result: – Improved capacities of all stakeholders in order to sustainable manage and exploit literature as a development potential.
CROSS-BORDER JOINT EUROPEAN TOURISTIC DESTINATION environment/culture
The creation of a cross-border common touristic destination which can be presented as an individual touristic brand with an unified image after creating sustainable complex touristic service packages, favouring environmentally friendly and alternative accessibility models in order with the directives of the European Union. Thus the touristic offers of neighbouring countries promoting nearly identical tourist destinations could be coordinated, as this offer has a direct impact on the regional expansion of tourism-related income and it also presents touristic service providers in the member countries new attractions. As the majority of the service-providers works in the SME-sector, the economic development expectations of the European Union to more directly support the SMEs are fulfilled. Coordinating the touristic offer could mean that disadvantaged regions and their inhabitants can catch up with more developed regions.
REVITALIZATION BOOST environment/culture
Overall aim of the project idea is to revitalise cultural heritage areas of the old historical city centres by developing and implementing action plans. Action plans will tackle problems such as: desertification phenomena • Lack of investments in the historical city centres • Social segregation • Lack of prepared documentations for modernization of communal infrastructure in accordance with modern demands especially electric, water supply and communication networks adjustment Action plans will for each involved area define potential pilot zones/areas for implementation of comprehensive revitalization measure based on problems identified above. Each partner will prioritize and one of pilot project areas suitable for their needs. Pilot projects should define and implement one of following indicative measures with supporting Pilot investments: • Development of Investment plan for city centres and supporting tools • Development of centres for integration of local population (e.g daily centres, kindergartens, social entrepreneurship centres) etc. • Preparation of architectural documentation for electric, water supply and communication networks adjustment • Development of business incubators in all part of the town • Capacity building activities for local population (business start-up, social entrepreneurship etc.) • Development of set of policy recommendations regarding social policy, spatial planning
EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF RESOURCES IN FAVOUR OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT environment/culture
The main aim of our project is to recover the cultural, historical and national heritage of the Rye Island region, so the effective utilization of resources in favour of regional development. We think that it is not sufficient only to protect the existing resources, but it is also necessary to maintain and enhance them, to use them as potential for further development. That´s why it is our intention to implement the pilot project to build a complex area presenting not only the regional customs, traditions, crafts, products, architecture and colouring, but it will also serve as leisure place ( thus as a product of tourism). The expected benefits of the project: utilization of natural and cultural heritage and resources in a sustainable manner, creation of new jobs primarily for women and older people, the introduction of new skills, tourism services……
GREEN STREAMS environment/culture
Green Streams aims to deliver integrated and innovative approaches to land and water mgmt. which meet the needs of rural communities and ecological needs. These models will be of CE relevance so replication across large parts of Eu is possible. Problem: In Eu’s countryside, many Eu workers continue to depend on the land and natural resources for their incomes. A key challenge has always been to make money from the land, and at the same time, protect the env. including species and `ecological benefits´ such as clean water and healthy soils. Locally, the solution is often difficult because of competition among resource users, or the short-term desperation that comes from rural poverty and powerful external drivers such as climate change. GS will deliver practical solutions for more problems. Emerging issues impacting our landscapes include: – Changes in land use (agri., built in areas) affects millions of ha of land and millions of people – Changes in economic power: desperate need for rural communities, environmental prot., water mgmt and nature cons. to engage business at local and regional levels – Changes in investment patterns: large investments are usually linked to urban areas – Market changes: new products, new cons. patterns, new opportunities for making a living – Changes in policy approach: need to start to integrate different policy threads which all impact the landscapes – Changes in climate: more frequent and severe droughts and floods across CE
IDEA OF SOLIDARITY IN CENTRAL EUROPE. ETHICAL, SOCIAL AND ECOLOGICAL OBJECTIVES environment/culture
This standpoint has incalculable ethical and social values. It assumes that there is a process of realization that needs and is associated at the very beginning with realizing factors: historical, economics, politicals, socials. The human being is conceived as a “member of a totality”; his experience is always an “experiencing with one other” connected to the responsibility for others, the corresponsability for community. It means that the acts of human beings are fulfilled with reference to a community, are acts of a member of a community. We belong to a community with the other, in which there is a sense of solidarity or “representable solidarity” and anyone can represents and has to take responsibility for the others.
INEBRA environment/culture
To use practically the knowledge on natural and cultural heritage of peripheral mountainous areas for the civilizational shift in small localities.
SPADA – SPATIAL DATA FOR VALORISATION OF CENTRAL EUROPE’S NATURAL RESOURCES environment/culture
This is a transversal project focusing on providing accurate spatial information on natural heritage and resources, leveraging existing and future sources from multiple players via collaborative tools which will be implemented in the project itself at various scales (EU, regional and local). New technologies have provided access to an enormous amount of data, from various sources that change over time – (BigData). Its spatial aspect in terms of “what is where” is fundamental as can be inferred from the investments (e.g. MIT’s CSAIL department, CalTech’s CD3 project, Europe’s INSPIRE directive), but serious shortcomings – e.g. the gap between end-users, public administrations and experts, standardization and harmonization still limits severely full exploitation of such resources. Up to now the best results in this sense have been web-based services allowing visual access and limited querying capabilities to spatial data for the non-experts. This project aims at bridging this gap addressing accessibility, interoperability and linkage of spatial and non-spatial data over the Central Europe area with focus on its natural heritage, providing a clear view of opportunities related to its resources.
DROUGHT AND HEAT STRESS MONITORING AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEM FOR AT, CZ AND SK environment/culture
The main benefit of the project will be the development and subsequent launch of a drought and heat stress monitoring system (and related risks such as forest fires or damage in agriculture, forest and aquaculture), which will be based on surface measurements, dynamic modeling and constantly verified through remote sensing. The system will also include strong early warning component and will be focused on developing and employing innovative dissemination systems (mobile apps, tweets) for the decision-makers, stakeholders but also for the general public. While the system will be used for monitoring it will be able to provide information on drought and heat stress climatology both under present and expected climatic conditions so the time horizons in which the risk of the heat/drought stress in given region will cross the defined threshold will be also analyzed with the view of the sector specific impacts. Project’s results will be utilized by the appropriate branches of government (e.g. the responsible departments of the ministeries by local administration and municipalities)
SAPHY: SWOT ANALYSIS FOR ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES RELATED TO HYDROPOWER PRODUCTION environment/culture
Thanks to the important benefits which it can give to the social and economic development, human health and ecosystems preservation, local renewable energy production can be a valid alternative to traditional non renewable sources, in agreement with the Europe 2020 Strategy. Mini-hydro exploits a renewable and local source and, improving the local economy, it represents a suitable method for decentralized electricity generation, in particular in rural areas. The exploitation of a local and renewable resource, gives also rise to big benefits to the social development, preserving local traditions and its ecosystem. However, normative, bureaucratic practices and administrative procedures are generally different among the countries located in Central Europe; different normative and procedures have the own lacks and weakness, but also their strengths. We propose a deep revision and comparison of the different normative and procedures (SWOT Analysis), individuating and selecting the best practices to guarantee a smarter land use, governance and a better exploitation of natural and built resources, based on the strengths observed in all the investigated cases. The drawing up of detailed and complete guidelines and procedures, based on the experience of several countries and regions, gives the possibility to reduce the administrative and bureaucratic barriers and to give rise to smart energy management plans and actions, also improving the existing energy strategies.
MINERWA MINERAL WATERS – THE COMMON NATURAL RESOURCES OF CENTRAL EUROPE. PROTECTION, INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT, DEVELOPMENT AND SUSTAINABLE USE environment/culture
Mineral waters have been always the highly valuable natural resources and an viable part of heritage of many Central European regions. Throughout centuries exploitation and use of these resources have contributed to development of health and tourist resorts and economic growth of regions within the programme area. The project addresses the consequences of the long lasting threats triggered by intensive agriculture, urbanisation, industry, tourism, climate change, etc. and their effects on the mineral waters. The pressures have become more severe in recent years with enlargement of existing spas and development of the new ones driven by the investors from both public and private sectors. The malpractices, causing overexploitation of resources, their misuse and development of land use conflicts, are the problems frequently encountered by the project Partners leading them into belief that the state of mineral waters must be improved and secured. The aim of the MINERWA project is to develop and implement proper protection and planning for more sustainable use of mineral water resources, their better integrated management as well as environmentally sound land use planning and management of land use conflicts. Due to natural features of mineral water deposits and discrepancies between the national legal regulations the issues must be tackled and resolved on the transnational and transboundary levels. Such approach is the only opportunity for successful completion of the project.
RECONSTRUCTION AND RESTORATION OF CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE IN CENTRAL EUROPE environment/culture
The main goal is to create a comprehensive multidisciplinary methodology for reconstruction and recovery of deteriorating historical monument buildings (castles, manor houses, mansions, monasteries, castle ruins), which could be further implemented into praxis. This methodology should include these areas: construction and reconstruction of buildings, building physics, statics, geotechnics, geophysics and geology, materials engineering and archaeology. The mentioned goal can be realized by using following means: mapping and introduction of alternative solutions and diagnostic products, structure and construction details using innovative building materials, technology and procedures in case of reconstruction or restoration of historic buildings, using modern technologies, methodologies and instruments.
ENCYCLOPAEDIC KNOWLEDGE OF CENTRAL EUROPE BEYOND (POLITICAL) BORDERS – ENBEPOL environment/culture
The aim of the project is restore and promote family library collections of the past in different multicultural areas. Issue and opportunity addressed: European identity has become identifiable and meaningful, as European institutions and the law articulated commonly held values beyond, and often in opposition to, the context of ‘national interest’. The heritage of knowledge in public and family library collections and its related resources represent important location factors and powerful potential strongly contributing to the attractiveness of central Europe’s territory. Even though Europe can be distinguished by of this heritage potential concentred in rich family library collections has continued to remain unknown or strictly nationally important. Istrian case of bibliophiles and similar borders’ cases where political states and governments has changed through time but didn’t affect the accumulation of knowledge. Encyclopaedic knowledge (regardless the language or national origin) represent a powerful potential in generating the common European values and a European identity. The cultural and knowledge heritage of those collections is, however, often not well valorised and related potentials are not sufficiently used due to a lack of funding and investment, insufficient management and preservation skills as well as a lack of coordination.
NEROMULOS – INNOVATIVE REQUALIFICATION OF WATER OLD MILLS IN ORDER TO USE SYSTEM PREVENTION OF LANDSLIDES AND LOCAL VALORISATION OF TERRITORY environment/culture
The general aim of the project is to valorise cultural heritage by a sustainable use of the natural resources and at the same time to prevent hydro-geological risk. The principal intent is to recognise the historical, cultural and environmental potential of old watermill, that represents a common resource for many European regions, like Italy, Poland and Austria. In the past they permitted to solve lots of important problems of human civilization, such as agricultural products processing, lifting water, irrigation and operation of machine. They embody the traditions and the identity of the territory and for these reasons they must be preserved. Nowadays they represent an opportunity for tourism, education, agriculture, environment and energy production. The project will promote redevelopment and rehabilitation of these old structures, that would otherwise be lost and forgotten. The water needed to feed mills would be captured by drainage systems (superficial or deep drainages, drainage ditches, …), necessary to stabilize slopes. This new integrated environmental management aims to land defense and to improve capacities for the sustainable use of cultural heritage, promoting the landscape. The management of this system will encourage networking and partnerships, reinforcing dialogue and collaboration between different organizations (public and private actors) that will share knowledge about technical, environmental and architectural issues.
RECONSTRUCTION AND RESTORATION OF CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL HERITAGE environment/culture
Neir d.o.o is continuously investing into human capacities and new technology in order to improve the Association’s services and reach the prerequisite for work extension. In the filed of restoration we want to be the lead company for the renovation of the cultural heritage in Croatia, but also to expand our work over to the market of the Central Europe. The main objective of the participation in this project is the development of ideas and capabilities to improve industrial and human competences through collaboration with the Central European countries. Our primary goal is the cooperation with partners from other European countries with the purpose of exchanging experience, joint performance at specialised fairs, seminars and workshops, all in all with the purpose of the reinforcement of our mutual capacities that would make the renovation of cultural heritage as quality and as efficient as possible. The project would therefore enable our own technical progress because our company would acquire specialised, innovative stone dressing equipment.
COMPREHENSIVE SHORT AND LONG – TERM TOOLS FOR MONITORING THE IMPACT OF SHALE GAS EXPLORATION/EXPLOITATION ON NATURAL AND CULTURAL HERITAGE environment/culture
The Project aim at developing and testing the methods of long-term monitoring of potential impacts of shale gas on natural and cultural heritage in Europe in order to accuratelly assessed potential negative impacts, raise the awareness of the society and provide tools and reccommendations for the Environmental Agencies and Government
TOOLS FOR MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING OF CHANGES AND IMPACTS IN MOST VALUABLE AREAS IN CENTRAL EUROPE WITH THE APPLICATION OF SATELLITE DATA environment/culture
To build the tools for management and monitoring of changes and impacts in most valuable areas in Central Europe with the application of satellite data
NEW CHALLENGES FOR PUBLIC LIBRARIES environment/culture
Public libraries live a profound change due to the “dematerialisation” of the book and the rapid-changing of information technologies. The challenges are real, complex, and varied and need new answers which requires new perspectives, tools and methodologies. Best practices shows that libraries are transforming themselves into “hubs”, co-working spaces and in platforms for innovative programs, involving a new audience, and matching cultural institutions with creative industries. The main objective is to set up transnational models and to develop and test innovative and sustainable solutions for the libraries facing the information society’s challenges, starting from the local community needs.
ENCOURAGING LINKAGE BETWEEN HERITAGE WITH ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL BENEFITS AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF NATURAL AND CREATED POTENTIALS OF THE FUNCTIONAL URBAN AREAS environment/culture
The project’s main objective is preparation of expert bases and guidelines for the revitalization and development of rural areas by integrating heritage in recreation and tourism. The project aims to regulate the functional urban areas and reduce burdening of the environment and depletion of natural resources with the appropriate interpretation of the heritage and biodiversity. In the area of the Southeast Slovenia region we encounter with improper infrastructure endowment which prevents visiting important natural and cultural heritage points (regional park potentials). Together with our partners we will create the basis for recreational and tourist offer in the natural environment in the form of sustainable, innovative, adventurous and competitive offer based on natural and cultural heritage, using our partner’s knowledge, expertise and good practises.
SUSTAINABLE USE OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN RURAL EUROPE (WORKING TITLE) environment/culture
The specific goal it to improve capacities for the sustainable use of cultural heritage and creation of joint cultural brand in rural areas Central Europe. Because of lack of means and ineffective management in cultural heritage rural areas of Central Europe do not have sustainable usage. In order to ensure sustainable use of cultural heritage which will also contribute to the regional economic development, human capacities in rural areas need to be improved. It is necessary to make a strategy for effective management of cultural heritage in rural Europe that will impact on tourist-economic development of regions
ATRIUM PLUS – A JOURNEY THROUGH THE MEMORIES OF THE 20TH CENTURY environment/culture
ATRIUM PLUS builds on the results and outcomes of a successful project also called ATRIUM) over the period 2011-2013, led by the Municipality of Forlì and co-funded by the South-East Europe programme (www.atrium-see.eu), In particular, the project’s main output was the establishment of a European cultural route, certified by the Council of Europe in April 2014, devoted to the architecture of totalitarian regimes of the twentieth century in Europe’s urban memory (ATRIUM).
HERITAGE UNDER CITIES environment/culture
The project builds upon great cultural diversities and possibilities which exist under European cities. Drawing upon examples of tunnels, catacombs, cellars and other underground facilities, we seek to utilize and promote the underground heritage of European urban and rural areas which often remain neglected. Project idea tends to introduce new cultural activities by revitalizing underground spaces. In the context of the City of Zagreb, an underground tunnel located in the strict city center is viewed as a starting point for strategic redevelopment of underground assets. The tunnel, built during the Second World War, is currently uncared for, which creates the need for an efficient approach of urban revitalization. Goal is to encourage and determine creative solutions for cultural revitalization of neglected underground objects. Specific historical features of underground objects – such as the legacy of the fascist and socialist regime of Zagreb, during which the tunnel was constructed as a shelter – are especially important in overall project objectives, due to cultural diversities and values. The stated contributes to the development of specific tourism, cultural and urban activities which tend to enrich aspects of underground heritage. Considerable boost to local development is expected as well, as a part of the revitalization process. Proposal is to establish a new multimedia center located in the city’s underground, which is to become a new city in the existing city.
VIRTUAL MUSEUM OF QUALITY OF FOOD (V.M.Q.F) environment/culture
Our main objective is to create an on-line Museum of Quality of Food ( of Central Europe). This museum will: – give European visibility to all the little museum of foods and tradition to improve tourism in Central Europe – create an innovative chain between consumers, producers and center of research that guarantee consumers and that guarantee innovation and food security All the museum that will take part to this new international organization (association) must: – sign a contract where they declare that they respect the conditions of the brand – use interactive systems (app on tablet/smart phone, QRcode.,..) to educate people who visit the museum – connect a lot of local corporates that produce “quality food” – suggest to the visitors a “virtual guide” to visit other M.Q.F – create opportunities for local students to visit the museum with this brand in other countries to improve knowledge of the local museum that must be a “living museum” – the concept of a “living museum” is a museum where corporates and citizens find together to improve the product – the virtual museum has the aim of educating local people and to involve tourists in “an exciting experience” at home to induce the will to go abroad to see the territory with their own eyes.
RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES OF CULTURAL HERITAGE environment/culture
Municipality of Duplek is municipality with rich cultural and natural potentials. The municipality is a small municipality (population 7.000) in northeastern Slovenia near Maribor, second biggest city in Slovenia. We posses castle named Vurberk, which is with its beautiful view very important touristic point. It was built in 12th century and demolished after second world war. Since 1920 castle was used by Russians for pulmonary disease treatment. The castle has amphitheater where are held summer teather and other events (music, drama, movie festival,…). Our vision is to renovate castle and give castle area special meaning which will have an impact on improving visibility of cultural heritage by tourists. Our aim is to revitalise cultural heritage and ensure sustainable use of cultural heritage and include local and other participants to contribute through their activities to local and regional development.
THE PATHS OF CULTURAL HERITAGE IN CENTRAL EUROPE. environment/culture
The objective of the project is sustainable use and promotion of cultural heritage objects in Central Europe. We want to create a network linking the most interesting sights and attractions of the partners regions, which are part of the cultural heritage. One of the supporting tool will be innovative ICT in the form of info-kiosks, which we will put in the central, the most important points of our network. Infokiosks are primarily self-service turist information points, thanks to which tourists can easily find information interesting for them (eg. about visited region, monuments, landmarks, restaurants etc.). All data will be available in different languages.In the place of every attraction there will be a special place for people with disabilities equipped with specialized equipment so that people with disabilities can independently view or download materials of interest to them (eg. In the form of print or MP3 recordings).
SAFE WOOD – SUSTAINABLE APPROACH FOR ECO-RESTORATION OF WOOD environment/culture
Wood in human history is one of the most used material, just from weapons to artistic artefacts, because is cheap and easy to find, is more flexible linked to a good strength. Despite the technology advance and the introduction of new matters, wood is also now an important material for building, artistic objects, music instrument and more usual things. This is more true in zone such as Central Europe eligibility State, rich in forests area and with ancient traditions in wood commercialization and exploitations. But wood, due to ageing actions, became fragile, extensively porous, and affect by hygroscopic variation problems: wood became a suitable surface for biological attack, such for fungi, algae or insects. The aim of SAFE Wood Projects is to change the wood restoration approach with new products, in an ecological and safe point of view; the main activity is to promote wood treated without health problem for operators and slowly release of harmful substance in environment. That problem is more true for restoration operators who have to use commercial products, often toxic products. Restoration fields are more important in Europe, but there are few companies who test and commercialize new products because isn’t attractive for business value.
GREAT CULINARY HERITAGE ROUTE environment/culture
Aim: The project aims to develop transnational cooperation between the countries of Central Europe because of better protection of Central European cultural and culinary heritage in order to improve capacities and insure sustainability. Problem: The problem is lack of mutual cooperation between Central European countries in order to protect and preserve Central European culinary heritage. Opportunities: Creation of strategy between contries in Central Europe (associate sectors) who have similar interests in preservation of culinary heritage that is recognized as a great regional development.
REVITALISATION OF CITY RIVER SPACES environment/culture
The project aims at revitalizing degraded public spaces in town centres. We will link partnership towns and cities with rivers running through its centres. We are looking for partners who have interest in developing urban solutions for better connection between their rivers and town/city inhabitants and tourists and better use of public space near rivers.
ACTIVE HERITAGE environment/culture
The aim of this project is to develop innovative strategies for creative reuse of historic buildings based on active community participation and contemporary creative practices. Local build heritage including historic houses, palaces, castles and manors are assets whose revitalization has emerged as a main feature in the social and economic development strategies of many European regions. However, because these projects are often directed by external actors without regard to realities and needs of local communities, many times they do not achieve expected results. While conservation of existing assets is fundamental, creation of new, additional values and elements, in order to fulfil current expectations of communities, has to be equally legitimate goal. Heritage management strategies, in order to be sustainable over long periods of time, require a bottom-up approach based on three principles: preservation of the heritage asset itself, benefits for the people of local communities and financial sustainability. Local residents are generally highly interested in their heritage and motivated to engage with it, but currently in Central Europe such involvement still fails to be established, mostly due to a lack of knowledge and skills of heritage managers and deficiencies in local capacities. The objective of this project is, through transnational cooperation, develop innovative and efficient strategies for creating meaningful and active historic places, designed taking into cons
COME-IN! COOPERATING FOR OPEN ACCESS TO MUSEUMS – TOWARDS A WIDER INCLUSION environment/culture
Small and medium size museums and their permanent collections and temporary exhibitions do not have the capacity to attract large flows of visitors as big and famous museums do. Therefore, part of the region cultural heritage, i.e. artifacts from the Paleolithic, are not displayed to a wide public and do not have the financial resources that guarantee their best preservation and valorization. The Cooperating for Open access to Museums – towards a widEr INclusion – COME-IN! project main aim is to make the CE cultural heritage accessible to a broader public, including users currently not able to enjoy it. COME-IN! intends to valorise the Central European cultural heritage through a wider accessibility to small and medium size museums’ collections and exhibitions by people with different kinds of disabilities.
HERITAGE AS DEVELOPMENTAL AND SPATIAL POTENTIAL OF RURAL AREAS environment/culture
Due to the increased number of interventions of urbanization in rural areas with the dropping of the traditional activities, degradation of abandoned and uncultivated land increases (inadequate agricultural practices). / The project’s main objectives are to define the basis for the reconstruction and interpretation of interesting buildings of architectural heritage with purpose of establishing the infrastructure for tourism development and development of complementary activities in rural areas. Preparation of the content to preserve local and national cultural heritage by improving opportunities for rural economic development and preservation of the distinctive cultural landscape./ The review of heritage and state of the environment, heritage threats, development potential assessment, ethnological research in rural areas and integration of findings in its offer./ Preparation of groundwork for the revitalization of heritage as a key requisite for preserving of traditions and tourism development potentials in complementary activities in the natural rural areas environment.
HEALTH CITIES environment/culture
How to improve the urban environment to revitalize cities or how to regenerate and decontaminate brownfield sites is often considered as a remote and theoretical perspective. According to the IEM Guidance “Integrated approaches include long-term strategic visions and link different policies at different administrative levels to ensure coherency. Integrated environmental management also means tackling related issues together such as urban management and governance, integrated spatial planning, economic wellbeing and competitiveness, social inclusion, and environmental stewardship”. In this sense, an integrated approach to improve the environmental quality of the urban areas mustn’t be set aside by the new aspect: to set up new functions and allow the optimization of the use of the urban spaces and the costs of management. The main project objective is therefore to mismatch the environmental need and the healthy citizens life style setting up a sustainable model of a multifunctional public space. To this end, the project pursues three specific objectives: -Define an innovative model that could integrate urban environmental compartments together with health and social aspects for the rehabilitation and reactivation of brownfield sites overcoming the traditional concept of green area and sport plant. -Validation such model through pilot applications. -Planning a long term strategy to guarantee the economic, social and environmental sustainability and transferability.
SAVE DOMAšA! environment/culture
The aim of the project idea is to revitalise a run-down tourist resort with the purpose of using it by a non-profit organisation which performs welfare activities focused on children, youth and disadvantaged groups by supporting and developing of cultural heritage.
DESCENT: DEVELOPMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS FOR CENTRAL EUROPEAN NAVIGATION AND TRANSPORT – COMPLEX TOOL AND SERVICE TO RESOLVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL ISSUES ORIGINATING FROM AIRPORT AREAS ACTIVITIES environment/culture
Through the operation of passenger and freight transport, the activities of airports are clearly of public interest. However, as a result of the descent, landing and take-off procedures of the aircrafts as well as their traffic within the TMA (Terminal Manoeuvring Area), the local population is directly exposed to noise and air pollution, which generates environmental and social issues. Considering the CSR objectives and the principles of sustainable operation, the realization of a system is required to provide feedback on the environmental effects caused by aircrafts within the proximity of airports. The output of the system has to be based on modelling results in function of traffic data and other properties of aircrafts. The technically accurate, smart and green utilization of latter information in the course of air navigation planning and operation results in advantages for the local society and the natural environment in the long term. Beside the direct (internal) application for air navigation processes, this service enables the cooperation between the air navigation service providers (ANSPs), the airports, the airlines and the local governments near the airports. Moreover, a public online communication service can be launched through the publication of the information, which also contributes to CSR objectives. The tool created as a result of the present project can be applied by other airports and ANSPs as well in the future.
TEXTOUR environment/culture
Recovering characterizing traditions and making them available to the public through the creation of living industry/factory tours and touristic itineraries could be a way to bridge traditional crafts of yesteryear with today’s emerging technologies and design practices (digital fabrication techniques, digitalization of textile archives, crowd sourcing/funding, experience design, prototyping, etc.). Moreover, industrial tourism – still an under-explored niche product – can be seen as an instrument in local labor market policies, cluster development and place branding.
NEEP environment/culture
Our NEEP project treats of 2 aspects: demographic changes underway within the Central Europe area and current economic stagnation. The project, moving for the European Creative Alliance base, identifies in the cultural and creative industries a key to counter-acting the impoverishment of the new generation. As such, culture is seen as an enabler of economic development and poverty reduction.
EMERGING SPACES – REVIVING THE HERITAGE OF THE METROPOLITAN PERIPHERIES environment/culture
The project aims at supporting regional and metropolitan stakeholders in developing frameworks to revitalize vacant and underused heritage buildings located in peripheral zones of metropolitan regions in Central Europe. Through multilevel partnership including regional and municipal administrations, research centers and local communities, the project will facilitate economic and spatial development via rethinking and reengineering traditional commercial, industrial and representative buildings as a new generation of creative and community spaces. Challenges of suburban and rural metropolitan peripheries Economic and social change presents major challenges for the suburban and rural peripheries of Central European metropolitan regions: with decreasing demand for local services and functions and with a negative migration balance, local and regional administrations encounter serious difficulties in maintaining suburban centralities, attracting younger generations and keeping enterprises in place. Without significant centers of economic, social and cultural attraction, the intensity and diversity of local economic production are decreasing, local resources diminish and the quality of life declines. Vacant and underused properties Many formal centralities in the peripheral areas of Central European metropolitan regions have gradually lost their significance: many iconic buildings in the centres, or castles, farmhouses and industrial halls at the outskirts of agglomerations sta
REGIONAL PILGRIMAGE ROUTES (REPIRO) environment/culture
The main objective of the project is to develop a common concept designed to promote natural and cultural landscapes of Central Europe. A common challenge concerns the efforts to enhance the protection of cultural heritage and to stimulate socio-economic development in the areas in need of support. The project is addressed to developing regions of Central Europe, valuable natural and cultural values (untapped growth potential) which are being in need of supra-regional promotion. The primary objective of the project, implemented in the Mazowieckie Voivodship, is to restore and promote the tradition and the idea of pilgrimage in the north-western part of this region. Latent natural and cultural values are the basis for creating a pilgrim and tourist routes, which in addition to the religious aspect, offer a wide range of opportunities for professional activation. The result of the project will be the creation the idea of adequate infrastructure for pilgrims and tourists. Aim of the project will be achieved through the promotion of cultural heritage resources (religious cult centers), which contributes to the development of entrepreneurship and active labor market.
RE.SO.U.R.C.E. – RESCUE SOIL: AN URBAN REGENERATION FOR CITY EVOLUTION environment/culture
The project is about Urban regeneration of some cities areas in which there are old industries . For Lombardy we propose to study an area in North of Milan in which there were a lot of furniture industries, especially middle and little actually closes because of economic crisis. With the aim to rescue these areas not to waste agricultural soil we want to make new urban planning to convert their use to social or something else use. We also want to work about cultural heritage of this territory: working with wood an historical tradition and a very important economical resource of this land. How municipalities can deal with this problem? How can we redesign our cities? How we can have more liveable places? We want to share our problems and solutions with other countries: who has the same problem and how have resolved it or how are you trying to resolve it? We can share ideas and solutions about this theme to find (if possible) a common guideline.
FUNCTIONAL AREAS IN CENTRAL EUROPE – THE WAY OF PROCEEDING IN THE FUNCTIONAL URBAN AREAS, WHICH HAVE THE LANDSLIDE AND FLOOD AREAS environment/culture
The intensive urbanization processes are occurring in the functional areas of some cities in Central Europe in conjunction with the natural phenomena such as flooding or landslide processes, become part of the problem in the management and development of these areas. These problems go out the administrative boundaries of municipalities and out the organizational and financial capabilities of municipalities, becoming in this way a part of the common problems of environmental management at both the local and regional level. Therefore it is important the cooperation of local government, government agencies and the involvement of local communities and non-governmental organizations – mainly environmental and business. By means of such the cooperation will be possible developing common, optimal solutions, which the implementation will improve the safety and quality of life in the functional areas,it will contribute to economic changes and it will influence a change in the approach to the development and possibilities of the use the flood or landslide areas. The main objective of the project is to develop a common strategy / concept / action plans targeted at improving the capacity of conduct / activities of public bodies in environmental management. The common challenge of the partners in the project is to develop an integrated and comprehensive approach for solving environmental problems, spatial and economic mainly in the landslide areas and flood.
FORESTAGE environment/culture
The present project intends to work on the exploitation and sustainable management of historically important forests in the Central European area, to be considered as cultural heritage both for local and European populations. Starting from the comparison of different past traditions and existing policy and legislation tools for the preservation and valorisation of cultural heritage, the project wants to develop innovative proposals for an improved use of the forests with historical value and for their management as key elements of the European cultural heritage, for example through the inclusion of economy and marketing tools, the implementation of innovative modalities of touristic and cultural fruition, the diffusion of a “forests culture” that, recovering centenary knowledge and traditions, can be an incentive and support to a wider culture, both historical (local traditions) and environmental (sustainable use of resources).
CANTIERI BAVARESI/BAVARIAN DOCKYARDS/BAYERISCHE BAUSTELLE environment/culture
The project involves the construction of an international job, shared by different partner institutions, built on the study and staging of a text in multiple languages. The texts and images on which stands the yard are by Bertold Brecht, Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Marieluise Fleisser, Herbert Achternbusch, Werner Herzog.
CENTRAL EUROPE WASTE environment/culture
The project focuses on elaboration of a proposal of an optimum sustainable waste management system. The system will be based on current and forthcoming EU directives. Project aims are: 1. Waste prevention and reduction of specific waste production 2. Minimization the adverse effects of waste generation and management in terms of impacts on human health and the environment 3. Sustainable development of the society and transition to the European „recycling society“ 4. Maximal utilization of waste as a substitute for primary sources and transition to the circulatory economy 5. Development of a comprehensive waste management system and integrated waste management infrastructure and practices optimization with regard to the principles of sustainability
COM.PL.EX : COMFORTABLE PLACE EXPERIENCE IN URBAN ENVIRONMENT environment/culture
The main objective is to develop and implement a model for friendly urban environment, which may be used as base to develop common strategies and tools for planning, monitoring and assessing the environmental quality and capacity of functional urban areas.
SCANDRIA SOUTH transport
The project will: – deliver tested approaches which improve the multi-modal environment-friendly freight solutions execute training of relevant actors on these solutions – develop coordinated strategies for broader take-up of results by proposing aligned action plans for the relevant project interest areas as well as coordinated positions on EC policy developments. The project focuses on two primary pilasters for improving multi-modal environment friendly solutions: – clean fuel deployment and the greening of the last mile connection between freight transport operators and local SMEs; – intermodal transport performance using newly developed and tested tools, as well as the pre-investment studies for the launching of new services and for specific value chains
SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL MOBILITY IN AREAS SURROUNDING TEN-T CORRIDORS AND THE EUROPEAN CYCLE ROUTE NETWORK transport
Aim: Sustainable regional mobility networks and systems in areas surrounding the TEN-T corridors and the European cycle route Network. (EuroVelo 6,9,11 and 13). A large share of transport is generated by the local, regional mobility and tourism. Cycling, hiking and other environmental friendly modes of transport and tourism have an increasing share in the Central Europe, the share of public transport is traditionally higher than in the West, but we are facing different challenges – risks. The use of European subsidies, national resources could create a more convenient and satisfying environment for the vulnerable (but sustainable) road users, but in the same time wrong design of major developments could make cycling, walking, public transport impossible, less competitive. To learn from to good practices and mistakes, to improve knowledge and processes can make the implementation of national, regional, urban, rural sustainable transport and tourism strategies more effective.
DEVELOPMENT OF MISSING LINKS FOR GREEN LOGISTICS PROCESSES transport
During implementation of logistics processes in supply chains various participants are involved (authorities, shippers, retailers and logistics service providers). Viewing from the green aspect, supply chains are advantageous, if idle runs of transport vehicles and containers are minimal. Logistic chains with lower emission (such as intermodal transport) are also preferred. The main goal of the research is to develop a multi criteria analysis system, also known as electronic freight and warehouse exchange which aggregates all relevant time and spatial data of the freights in the supply chain. Using this data and appropriate objective functions the participants’ logistical activity can be evaluated from environmental aspects. By enabling registration of future transport demands and locations together with time of availability for empty transport vehicles and containers, the system will be capable of sending hints for the customers of freight services which shippers to select with the environmental benefit. The proposed system requires cooperation of the participants in the supply chain as a virtual company, as a cloud logistics provider. It is also important for the research, how to found “green bonuses” in the participants’ logistical activities can be converted into real financial advantages. Therefore a suggestion will also be made for the authorities to use the system at regional levels, which would help the system operates more widespread across Central Europe.
MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT GREENING PORTS transport
The growth of inland and sea ports is facing several challenges linked mainly to the implementation of the TEN-T Core Network, the development of multimodal freight transport connections and the transition towards low-carbon economy (EU 2020 strategy). The project intends to improve interlinks between ports and the new TEN-T Core Network, integrating inland and sea ports into the comprehensive network. Within this context, multimodal freight transport connectivity for inland and sea ports has to be developed in order to implement multimodal environmentally-friendly platforms and services. Moreover, in the framework of the alternative fuels strategy set up at European level, the integration between ports and within the network has to be pursued by greening ports, fostering maritime and river transport to reduce carbon emissions.
ASSESSING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF KEY NODES ON TEN-T CORE NETWORK CORRIDORS (CNCS) – WITH THE FOCUS OF RAIL STATIONS SERVING MORE THAN ONE CNCS transport
This project aims to analyse the accessibility of key nodes that are facing an increasing demand of passenger train services in the context of serving more than one Core Network Corridors (CNCs) (e.g. Warsaw, Berlin, Mannheim, Budapest, Vienna, Milan, etc.). Previous studies commissioned by EU have predominantly focused on single corridor based discussion in terms of missing links and interoperability by investigating connections between certain nodes within a single TEN-T CNC context. There is a need of examining the impact of cross-CNC on our regions since more coordination between CNCs and transport networks at the regional level are required for key nodes. 7 out of 9 CNCs go through the geographical territory of the Central Europe and many rail terminals (i.e. key nodes) are expected to serve more than one CNC, which would impose many challenges for coordinating long-distance, regional and local trains as well as freight services. The project will compare the current accessibility of rail terminals to the primary, secondly and tertiary nodes in the cross-CNC setting, with an emphasis on the capacity of rail tracks and terminal station facilities. It also examines the regional and local accessibility of pedestrians and public transport users to rail terminal stations from transport and spatial planning perspectives. The project will provide cross-learning opportunities between key nodes and elucidate important factors for improving the integration of the TEN-T network.
URBAN NODES – PATH TO COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIEDLY FREIGHT SOLUTIONS transport
A substantial volume increase of multimodal freight transport is one of the biggest challenges for any stakeholder in logistics and transport operation as well as in infrastructure development and transport systems design. The existing type of rail/road interfaces remain as key bottleneck for users of intermodality. This applies especially in areas, regions and countries with high industrial prosperity, intense logistics activities and with high O/D volumes in load units. Experts recommend radical innovation solutions. The strategy of TEN-T networks opens an opportunity for all stakeholders to review their own situation prior to developing concepts for environmentally-friendly freight solutions. A coordinated effort is suggested for developing implementation scenarios for a site-based road map from today until 2030 and 2050. This project is about developing a framework for creating and planning competitive Urban nodes at site as a coordinated and scenario-based activity. This type of Urban nodes (see TEN-T documents) will serve as logistics access point to a high throughput, competitive and environmentally-friendly intermodal transport network, based on existing road and rail networks. The timing seems perfect to start this process now in the early steps of TEN-T corridor developments. Urban nodes enhance existing road and rail network infrastructures; their cost efficient design will lead to investor minded business models and to become kernels for industrial and freight villages.
NEW APPROACHES TO THE DEVELOPMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE transport
We are ready to discuss cooperations related to the management of railway infrastructure (stations and network infrastructure), providing connections to other means of transport.
PROMOTING MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT BY FACILITATING COOPERATION OF INDUSTRIAL CLUSTERS AND LOGISTIC STAKEHOLDERS transport
The aim of the project is to improve coordination among freight stakeholders to increase the share of multimodal transport. This coordination should start from identification of needs of relevant industrial branches in the participating regions and promote the establishment of critical mass for the establishment of new multimodal connections, combining transports from different destinations and sectors (e.g. Automotive, Chemistry, Mechanics, Food, etc).
POPULARIZATION OF CONSTRUCTION, EXPANSION AND MODERNIZATION OF TEN-T RAILWAY NETWORK CORRIDORS IN THE REGIONS OF CENTRAL EUROPE transport
Sharing and exchange of experience in the field of railway transport at the national, regional and local level. Identification of best practices in the partner regions.
SHIP2RAIL – A PROJECT ON ESTABLISHING A SERVICE PLATFORM FOR A JOINT RESERVATION SYSTEM IN MULTIMODAL SEA-RAIL TRANSPORT transport
The increased demand for a quick, safe and easy transportation leads the multimodal transport service providers to collaborate and create operational synergies. A joint reservation system is indispensable for transport service providers in order to share the capacities and opportunities to plan, operate and execute an efficient, effective and environmentally sustinable transport chain. This system can also offer opportunities to transport users to collaborate together in order to reduce empty runs with co-modality. Ship2Rail project is addressing a design and development of a seamless service platform for joint reservation as well as co-modality in sea-rail multimodal transport in order to create integrated and unified communication opportunities for transport actors. This project will research, prototype and evaluate an extendable architecture and framework to support quick, safe and easy reservation system among the transport actors in sea-rail multimodal transport.
DISMOB – SUPPORTING MOBILITY OF DISABLED PEOPLE IN CENTRAL EUROPE METROPOLITAN REGIONS transport
The project is aimed at supporting, improving and harmonizing mobility of disabled persons, i.e. people with affected hearing, sight, mobility, as well as the old people and parents with baby carriages in the cities of Central Europe. The main objective of the project is to allow safe, effective and independent door-2-door mobility of disabled persons in the cities of Central Europe.
RUMOB: RURAL MOBILITY IN EUROPEAN REGIONS AFFECTED BY DEMOGRAPHIC CHANGE transport
RUMOB (Rural Mobility in European Regions affected by Demographic Change; Working Title) brings together European regions aiming to guarantee a high quality of public transport in rural areas where demographic change has led to a shrinking and aging population. Partners will analyse available good practices and state-of-the-art communication and cloud technologies to engage in a series of demonstration projects whose results allow to draft evidence-based recommendations how connections between sparsely populated European territories can be better connected to national and European transport networks. In result of the project, transport policies and master plans of participating regions can be revised, making collective transport fit for the future.
EGSTRA – ESTABLISHMENT OF A GREEN SMART TRANSPORT IN RURAL AREAS transport
Developed urban areas are found in Slovenia and all around Europe, where most of the population lives, where well organized transport links are created, rapid economic development and good social security are established. But on the other hand rural areas are far behind these parameters. One of the main reasons is poorly organized public transport – the result is disabling basic mobility of the population living in these areas. Another one of its consequences is the emigration of younger population. If we want to improve the standard of living in rural areas and reduce the percentage of emigration, we need to improve their basic mobility. This can be done by arranging public transport – connecting rural areas with urban centers, which will not focus only on the main lines that are profitable, but on the lines which will benefit the most to residents in these areas (children, the elderly and handicapped people). The goal of our project is to connect regional and international rural areas with urban strategic locations. This will be achieved with implementing electric buses into public transport because they produce zero emissions of CO2. This will serve as a good practice in passenger transport and at the same time raising awareness of people about the advisability of using green energy. Bus will also be friendly for people with disabilities, which is a novelty in rural areas.
TRANSPORT IN BORDER SK – CZ – PL transport
To improve transport possibilities for every people in border SK – CZ – PL, focusing to environmentally -friendly types of transport.
CONNECT2CE – IMPROVED RAIL CONNECTIONS AND SMART MOBILITY IN CENTRAL EUROPE transport
The European Commission set ambitious targets for sustainable passenger transport, within the “White Paper – Roadmap to a Single European Transport Area” (2011) and the “Roadmap moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050” (2011). In particular, the EC foresees that “most of medium-distance passenger transport should be covered by rail by 2050” (White Paper). However, past EU-funded projects have shown that the CE area is still lacking efficient transnational public transport alternatives to private transportation, thus hindering the achievement of the Europe 2020 strategy to lower GHG for 20%. This is particularly true for the transnational railway connections and those between hinterlands and the main TEN-T public transport hubs of the region: as underlined in the CE transport thematic study, passenger rail transport shows the highest decrease in the CE region, especially in the new Member States, with a parallel increase in the use of passenger cars. Therefore, considering that private transportation accounts for a considerable share of GHG emissions, investments in transport GHG mitigation have an important role. The aim of the project idea is to foster the modal shift of passenger transport to rail and PT modes, through the improvement of connections of regional passenger systems to national and EU networks. The specific objectives of the project are: 1)improving transnational railway accessibility; 2)fostering the development of hinterland connections in CE
DEVELOPING AN ECORISK MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN LOGISTICS IN ORDER TO ENHANCE ECO-EFFICIENCY IN CENTRAL EUROPE transport
Our project aims to assess the risks associated with logistics systems from two perspectives. In one hand, logistic systems entail numerous risks, affecting the ecosystems. On the other hand, several aspects influences the logistic systems itself, which affects the sustainability of these systems. Such aspects include economic risks, as well as the disparity of the legal backgrounds. The current project proposal will identify, assess, and decrease the risks and disparities related to the smart and green logistic systems in Central Europe. The analysed economic aspects will cover the coordination deficiencies between the business partners, the differences among educational systems and competences of the workforce, etc. The main emphasis in the project will be placed on the ecological and economic (eco) risks associated with logistics systems. Logistics systems need to be sustainable, in order to ensure a more environmentally-friendly, business oriented and optimised logistics in Central Europe. The following aspects of the logistics systems will be analysed: effects of climate change, CO2 emission, noise pollution, waste management, etc. In summary, the project aims to identify and assess the ecological, economic and legal risks of the Central-European logistic systems and elaborate a strategy in order to decrease such risks.
SMART LOCAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT transport
The project aims to test a model of SMART local public transport in relation to costs, users involved and within the tourist and cultural activities of the area. It should compare the solutions proposed by predominantly rural areas, with cities of about 50,000 inhabitants and tourism areas still not connected to the railway lines of national and European level, but that are structuring especially on bicycle circuits.
SAILFLY – IMPROVING CRUISE TOURISTS MULTIMODAL TRANSPORT transport
Objective of the project is to create a transnational strategy of multimodal transportation connecting airports and ports to improve and speed up the transit of cruise tourists. The project intends to involve territories which are important tourist destination and do have a considerable number of cruise tourists every year. The approach foreseen by the project consists in the connection of airports and ports through a multimodal transportation strategy: in fact, several projects have been developed on interoperability connecting only port/rail, or airport/rail but only few experiences at EU level have been implemented in connecting ports and airports.
DEVELOPMENT OF VALUE CHAIN OF ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY TRANSPORT MODE FOR CLEANER INLAND WATERWAY TRANSPORT transport
Supporting development of value chain of environmentally-friendly transport mode for cleaner inland waterway transport and related infrastructure through introduction of low-carbon technological solutions across Central Europe
INTEGRATED SYSTEM FOR PUBLIC TRANSPORT MANAGEMENT transport
The aim is to develop a software system for central management of public passenger transport on a regional level. The system will be GIS-based and include the tools for working with all the required input data (GIS layers and overlays, economic data) in order to optimise the output (itineraries and individual timetables, calculations, predictions, etc.) and to prepare documents used in communication between public transport managing authorities and operators.
LOW CARBON TRANSPORT transport
The mobility of goods causes mounting problems to the quality of life in cities, in particular in the ZTL (Limited Traffic Zones). The proposed project wants to improve multimodality and sustainable freight transport through the use of bike for transport (“cargobyke”) in urban areas (for masses transported weighing less than 250 kg) and improve the driving of motor vehicles for the freight transport in order to make it more environmentally friendly and safe. The project is designed for urban areas with a population of more than 20,000 inhabitants. The idea proposed means to: – increase efficiency and sustainability in the last mile of freight transport, – reduce the emission of CO2 and pollutants linked to urban traffic, – reduce noise pollution, – reduce congestion of urban traffic.
EASY BICYCLE transport
It’s widely demonstrated that the bicycle is the more efficient, effective, affordable, sustainable and healthy means of transport for people, over short and medium distances; using a modern pedal assisted bike (e-bike) it?s possible cover a distance up to 10 km. The project objective is to make easier the use of bicycles to connect people with the national and European transport networks and over short distances (easy bicycle) through: 1)the characterization of the current situation of local and regional scale of mode of transport in terms of: mode of transport (modal split),kilometers traveled each year with different modes of transport, infrastructure situation and security, etc. To qualify the data, a unambiguous and coded procedure will be applied, in order to allow comparisons among different Central Europe regions using codes already in use (for example EU transport in figures, Copenhagen city of cyclists bicycle account 2012, ?); 2)where necessary, installation of cyclostations and assisted bicycles; 3)provide the user with a tool that allows him to identify the best route path once known the point of departure and arrival; integration with other means of public and private transport (trains, buses, ?).
VIDERAIL (VIRTUAL DESIGNING OF RAIL BARRIERS EFFICIENT DEPLOYMENT FOR IMPROVING MULTIMODAL ENVIRONMENTALLY-FRIENDLY LOW-NOISE FREIGHT SOLUTIONS) transport
Within the Project, common monitoring system supporting decision-making processes will be developed and implemented for different technical and climatic conditions on examples of different Central European countries on the basis of particular Partners’ technical experience and – at the finally assumed solutions – accordingly to best available techniques, which apart of noise and vibrations measurement devices, would also include the best available optical (laser) measurement techniques, as well as virtual simulation techniques which will be included and tested to develop the necessary methodology of assessment of different kind of rail acoustic barriers panels acoustical response, measurement (for comparison & validation needs) and simulation of acoustic field behind the barrier to obtain true and simulated noise maps. The main aim of the Project is targeted on preparing effective planning method , based on the above mentioned tools of (finally) virtual designing, of railway barriers deployment following the railway and terrain curvature and constructed in most efficient (optimised) way to balance between its functionality and cost-effectiveness.
MBC – MOS BRIDGING CORRIDORS transport
The main objective of the project in long-terms is to contribute to the promotion of the Motorways of the Sea (MoS) concept in EU fostering its effective and sustainable connection with core TEN-T network corridors.