The Tullnerfeld train station has been in operation since 2012 and has developed into an important regional mobility hub for eastern Austria. This includes not only the station area itself but also the Park-and-Ride facilities, local supply services, as well as social and medical infrastructure, and office buildings. However, the surrounding area is still predominantly agricultural, which is largely due to the high-quality soil for agricultural use. The municipalities of Judenau-Baumgarten, Langenrohr, and Michelhausen are aware of these conditions and are jointly developing a master plan for intermunicipal location development to respond comprehensively to project inquiries and to actively and sustainably manage business settlements.

The coordinated master plan sets the direction for long-term development. It connects the strategic planning with the tactical implementation level by formulating a vision that provides the framework for specific proposals for action. The goal is to create the foundation for further steps in location development as a high-quality business and service location, under the premises of land-saving and sustainable perspectives.

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• Projektmanagement, Prozesskoordinierung und laufende Abstimmung mit dem Kernteam und den Stakeholdern
• Inhaltliche und organisatorische Vor- und Nachbereitung von Workshops sowie Moderation der Workshops und der Kernteamtreffen
• Finalisierung und Zusammenführung der Ergebnisse des Leitbildprozesses in Form eines Masterplans und eines Berichts

The “LIFE Panonic Salt” project is a comprehensive initiative for the conservation and development of habitats in Austria and Slovakia. It includes the coordination of habitat management, the construction of dams to improve groundwater conditions, research on agricultural impacts, and extensive monitoring activities. Additionally, it places great emphasis on communication and collaboration with other projects, as well as the development of sustainability plans to ensure the long-term effectiveness of the measures.

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The database provides insights into action options and tools for active interventions in the region. mecca analyzes national and international examples (with a focus on Austria, Germany, Switzerland) that help successfully address population decline, aging, and the attractiveness of areas functionally intertwined with urban regions. These examples are compiled and located in a dedicated project database. The results can be found here: Map of Opportunities

mecca also oversees the ongoing maintenance of the database. In total, there are already more than 400 practical examples available online.

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The “CoMe History” project aims to make the shared medieval history and culture in the border region between Austria and Hungary accessible. It includes various activities such as events, traveling exhibitions, archive research, investments in historical sites, and involvement of schools and communities.

By creating a network of historians, conducting archaeological excavations, and establishing interactive exhibitions, historical information and cultural heritage are made accessible. The project aims for extensive public outreach to inform the population about its goals and outcomes.

Investments in historical sites like medieval vineyards, marketplaces, toll stations, and observation towers help preserve cultural heritage and create tourist attractions. Schools and communities are engaged through workshops and exchange events to strengthen awareness of shared history.

The project aims to strengthen connections between communities, preserve historical heritage, and promote the region as a tourist destination by making medieval history tangible and preserving cultural heritage for future generations.

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The aim of the project is to establish a sustainable cooperation between Austrian and Slovakian model regions for sustainable development. Through various joint activities, the project seeks to strengthen nature conservation and connect areas with high biodiversity and significant green infrastructure in the face of climate change. CoDe MoRe aims to exchange experiences in education for sustainable development, combine effective elements, and develop joint strategies and plans for the future of the regions. It focuses on creating permanent facilities for environmental education, visitor management, and environmental information. The project contributes to the specific goal of the program “strengthening nature and environmental protection, biodiversity, and green infrastructure, also in urban areas, as well as reducing all forms of pollution.”

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The INTERREG project “Bridges for Birth” is the first attempt to establish long-term sustainable cross-border health care in the Austrian-Slovak border region. In addition to the expansion of hospital cooperation across the border, through which neonatal emergencies from the district of Hainburg can be transported to the nearby Children’s University Hospital in Bratislava in the future, future cooperation potentials are also assessed and basic framework conditions for the implementation of cross-border patient care are created. In this way, the services of the health care systems can be harmonised with the needs of the local population, resulting in a sustainable improvement in the quality of life.

mecca supports the Lower Austrian Health and Social Fund in the implementation of this INTERREG SK-AT project.

The INTERREG AT-HU project aims at the long-term conservation of the biodiversity of transboundary wetland habitats in the Austrian-Hungarian border region and the development of their ecological networks. Natura 2000 species and wetland habitats as well as invasive species in the water catchment areas of Western Pannonia are surveyed and strategies for conservation and connectivity are jointly developed across borders.

mecca supports the Biological Station Neusiedler See in the implementation of this INTERREG AT-HU project.

Project partner: Projektberatung Schlögl

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The aim of the INTERREG project ConnReg AT-HU is to improve the integration of existing local and regional networks in cross-border cooperation. In order to identify potential thematic areas for the next INTERREG programme period (post-2020), a survey including already existing projects and future project actors of the Austrian-Hungarian border region is carried out.

mecca supports the project partners with the analysis of the strategic documents on the priority themes of the INTERREG AT-HU programme prepared within the framework of ConnReg AT-HU and the already existing documents on the programme period 2021-2027, an online survey of the needs of cross-border cooperation, as well as with the implementation of qualitative group interviews with Hungarian and Austrian experts on framework conditions and thematic areas for cross-border cooperation. These results will be discussed in thematic workshops with a focus on the funding period 2021+ together with Hungarian and Austrian project promoters, potential new project partners and other important actors from the field and examined for their relevance for cross-border cooperation.

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On the property Florastraße 6 in Bad Vöslau, the old Louisenvilla is to be renovated on the one hand, and the multi-family residential building Louisenpark is to be built on the other. In the immediate vicinity is the spa park, a senior citizens’ residence and the municipal open-air swimming pool.

The current forest-like character of the property is to be preserved as far as possible – especially the pine stand.

In order to preserve or create further ecologically valuable areas, plantings of several trees, flowering shrub hedges, planting beds with perennial mixtures, vertical greenery on a house wall or on wire ropes along the rubbish room as well as the greening of the entire flat roof of the apartment building are planned.

Project partner: DI Doris Haidvogl – Engineering Office for Landscape Planning

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The baum2020 sustainability study is a guideline for the institutionalisation of the baum2020 project, which serves the project partners as a basis for decision-making in order to be able to narrow down the future thematic and task areas as well as the future geographical scope of the Bratislava Umland Management (BAUM). Based on this, a rough model comparison provides a basis for decision-making in order to be able to narrow down the type and manner of BAUM institutionalisation more closely. Within the scope of the assignment, the support of important actors will be obtained in order to make the institutionalisation possible in the first place.

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The use of wind energy in Carinthia has been regulated since 2012 by the Wind Power Siting Areas Ordinance, which was updated in 2016. The so-called visibility regulation defines the location areas in which the use of wind energy is permissible. Three years after its entry into force, it is being evaluated in a broad discussion process with regard to the legal feasibility of projects, protective provisions and different regulatory systems.

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The Pinka is a watercourse that crosses the border between Hungary and Austria several times and its water resources are used by both countries. However, this use is not based on transboundary studies using detailed data. In order to maintain the good ecological status of the river, a water management plan with a comprehensive database (monitoring) and modelling is being developed in the INTERREG V-A AT-HU project AquaPinka. Based on this concept, both sides can address water resources, water use, ecological concerns, flood protection and interventions according to the same methodology.

mecca supports the province of Burgenland in the implementation of this INTERREG AT-HU project.

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The Wienerwald Biosphere Reserve is not only characterised by a unique natural diversity – the encounter of different climatic and geological zones causes very diverse habitats and a special variety of animal and plant species – but also by a cultural and economic diversity.

In the course of a regional economic analysis, mecca is developing a well-founded fact sheet on the regional economy in the biosphere reserve. We shed light on the following focal points:

• People and fellow human beings
• Landscape and settlement
• Climate, energy and mobility
• Economy and tourism

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The goal of the Danube-Moldova European Region (EDM) – a political working group of the seven partner regions Oberpfalz, Lower Bavaria with Altötting, Upper Austria, the Lower Austrian Most- and Waldviertel, Südböhmen, Pilsen and Vysočina – is to further expand the existing cooperation. Health care is also a common concern of all EDM partners. The great challenges of our time, which also include the future viability of health care, can be mastered much better on the basis of bundled trilateral competences.

mecca supports the working group “cross-border health care” by conducting a survey of previous activities in cross-border health care and developing challenges and problem areas in the EDM area.

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In the course of the 20th century, the regional and national identities of Western Hungary and Eastern Austria often developed in mutual demarcation and defence. The memory of these conflicts and often traumatic events manifests itself in symbolic places of remembrance. The overall project goal is to improve the knowledge of historical facts in the border region and to establish, intensify and secure long-term cooperation between organisations that convey this knowledge.

mecca supports the Austrian project partners in the implementation of this INTERREG AT-HU project.

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The Burgenland Department for Women, Antidiscrimination and Equal Treatment, together with the Employment Pact, is organising a conference for young people 16+ on the topics of “Equal Opportunities and Violence” and “Equal Opportunities and Work/Education” in December 2019 at Friedensburg Schlaining. The conference builds on the results of previous school workshops. A total of about 150 participants, at least half of them young people, are expected at the conference.

mecca supports the event organisation for this event.

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The Danube power plant Altenwörth is the most powerful river power plant in Austria. The height difference of the barrage is 13.9 metres and is thus a barrier for fish and other aquatic life. This obstacle will be overcome in the future with a fish migration aid, which is being built as part of a LIFE+ project. With a length of 12.5 kilometres, it will be the longest fish migration aid in Lower Austria. VERBUND Hydro Power is coordinating the LIFE+ project.

Together with ALLRegio, mecca is in charge of the “Socio-economic Analysis – LIFE Network Danube+ ALTENWÖRTH”, the aim of which is to identify the potential socio-economic impacts of this project and to present them in advance. Key indicators for the most important socio-economic impacts are identified and mapped.

These key indicators provide the basis for monitoring, which is planned in the course of the project “LIFE Network Danube+ ALTENWÖRTH”. The guiding theme for this is: Regional added value through a nature conservation project (LIFE+) on the Danube at Altenwörth.

Project partner: ALLRegio

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Ten years after the publication of the travel guide IdeenReich CENTROPE, it is now time to offer a stage to innovations from the European Region Centrope in a completely revised new edition – this time with a special focus on such projects that live ecological, cultural and economic sustainability, be it in the field of urban agriculture, the energy sector or tourism.

The tried and tested concept of a travel guide, through which the region can be experienced from other perspectives, is retained: Initiatives and businesses from culture, science, research and business are presented that stand out in a creative way and represent the diversity of the region. With its new design and practical handling as an online map, the Centrope travel guide is always with you on the road. This makes it easy to plan your next trip.

Take a look at the travel guide and discover exciting destinations near you. The map and destinations are constantly updated and expanded.

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The EU member states are preparing operational programmes for the new funding period 2021 to 2027, also in cross-border cooperation. mecca is supporting the responsible organisations in the Austrian-Hungarian border region.

Project partners: Vitál Pro, M&E Factory GmbH

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The CERUSI project implements Social Innovation Labs to build skills and capacity for social innovation and social entrepreneurship. Rural regions in Central Europe often lack support structures to keep people in the region. In contrast to urban areas, there is little economic impetus to support people who want to change things for the better in their community.

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• Organisation von zwei lokalen Policy Foren mit burgenländischen Teilnehmern
• Teilnahme bei transnationalen Policy Forum
• Entwicklung eines Aktionsplanes für soziale Innovationen

The aim of the Interreg project Ecoregion SKAT is the coordinated development and strengthening of nature tourism offers by improving cooperation between municipalities, environmental groups, eco-centres and protected area administrations in the Slovak-Austrian border region, raising public awareness on environmental issues and building an infrastructure in the field of environmental education.

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The goal of the Danube-Moldova European Region (EDM) – a political working group of the seven partner regions Upper Palatinate, Lower Bavaria with Altötting, Upper Austria, the Lower Austrian Most and Waldviertel, South Bohemia, Pilsen and Vysočina – is to further expand the existing cooperation. Health care is also a common concern of all EDM partners. For this reason, a separate working group on cross-border health care was set up. Its aim is to improve the transfer of knowledge between the participating partner regions and to establish long-term cooperation in the field of health care.

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The aim of the Common Heritage project is to develop transboundary cooperation between Hungarian and Austrian management organisations of the Fertő-Neusiedler See World Heritage Site defined, specifically, the establishment of a joint management organisation and a landscape observatory based on a new management plan for the long-term protection, monitoring and communication of outstanding universal values of the World Heritage Site.

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In the project Culture Across – Cultural Bridges over the March – the municipality of Marchegg (LB) and the Museum of the City of Bratislava (PP1) are working together to preserve their cultural heritage and to strengthen the awareness of the local and regional population on both sides of the border for these cultural monuments. This will strengthen the tourist attractiveness of the entire border region in the heart of Central Europe (Marchfeld-Záhorie-Bratislava region).

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In order to improve the cross-border wine experience region developed in the Weinidylle AT-HU project and its international placement, a coherent, sustainable and innovative overall offer is needed. This can only be developed by SMEs, which requires a network of entrepreneurs.

The aim is to jointly increase the economic development effect and the survival rate of SMEs in the border region.

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With regional master planning, a new instrument was created in Lower Austria in 2012, with which the previously used instruments of order and development planning (regional spatial planning programme and small regional framework concept) are more closely interlinked. In the meantime, master plans have been carried out in various regions. The task of this project is to evaluate regional master plans already carried out and existing regional spatial development programmes, as well as to carry out two pilot processes of master planning to be carried out independently of each other.

Project partners: ÖIR GmbH, Stadtland GmbH

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With regional master planning, a new instrument was created in Lower Austria in 2012, with which the previously used instruments of order and development planning (regional spatial planning programme and small regional framework concept) are more closely interlinked. In the meantime, master plans have been carried out in various regions. The task of this project is the implementation of two master planning processes to be carried out independently of each other in the regions Bucklige Welt /Lower Austria South.

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The LEADER Region Triestingtal will start the strategy process for the new LEADER period 2023-27 in September 2021. Building on the existing LEADER Strategy 2014-2020, an overall strategy with concrete outputs in the 4 fields of action (value creation, natural space and cultural heritage, common good and climate) will be developed in a broad bottom-up process with representatives from politics and civil society.

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The LEADER Region Bucklige Welt – Wechselland will start the strategy process for the new LEADER period 2023-27 in September 2021. Building on the existing LEADER Strategy 2014-2020, an overall strategy with concrete outputs in the 4 fields of action (value creation, natural space and cultural heritage, common good and climate) will be developed in a broad-based bottom-up process with representatives from politics and civil society.

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The objective of the contract is to prepare the programming document “Cooperation Programme” for cross-border cooperation Slovakia – Austria 2021-2027. The programme serves cross-border cooperation implemented in the period 2021-2027 in accordance with the EU rules for EU cohesion policy.

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Preparation of comprehensive, uniform and optimised management plans for all six Burgenland nature parks, based on the Austria-wide recognised 4-pillar model of nature parks. The result is an “Action Plan 2025” per nature park, which can be used as an aid for project submissions in the national and international context and should lead to the direct implementation of activities.

Partner: E.C.O. Institute for Ecology, Project Consultancy Schlögl

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On 31 December 2021, around 500 permanent licences for the installation of Schanigärten on public property in Vienna will expire. The entrepreneurs concerned must therefore submit new applications for the 2022 season. The current (stricter) guidelines will be applied. For some entrepreneurs, this means that their new Schanigärten will be significantly smaller or that they will no longer be allowed to set up Schanigärten from 2022. These entrepreneurs are to be informed promptly by the Chamber of Commerce so that they can react to the changed situation in good time.

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The Welcome Info is intended to provide assistance and orientation, especially for Slovak newcomers in the Austrian surrounding municipalities, so that they can find their way around in their new environment more quickly, especially with regard to administrative and cross-border matters.

With the help of the Welcome Info, which will subsequently be translated into Slovak, the most important questions for newcomers are to be communicated in an understandable way right from the start. The target group is people from neighbouring countries (especially Slovakia) who already live in the Austrian border area or who want to settle in the border municipalities of the districts of Gänserndorf, Bruck an der Leitha or Eisenstadt.

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With the pilot project “b-solutions”, the Office of the Lower Austrian Provincial Government, Department of Kindergardens and Schools has set itself the goal of identifying sustainable methods for overcoming these legal or administrative obstacles in cross-border kindergarden and school attendance.

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The interim evaluation of the PaNaNet+ project presents a comparison of the objectives and the actual situation.

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In the border area, there has been cycling tourism expertise and cycling tourism offers for years. The KTM cycle path has existed for a long time. It runs partly parallel to the new EuroVelo 13 and crosses EuroVelo 9 (via Brno – Vienna). The KTM Cycle Path East along the Morava River has so far partly run on paths that are less suitable for tourism. Therefore, efforts have been made for years to make the section between Hohenau and Engelhartsstetten more attractive or to relocate it to new routes. The proposals for the new routes run through nature-sensitive areas. Now a nature conservation permit has been granted subject to certain conditions. Essential for this are appropriate visitor guidance measures (barriers, visitor information, etc.) and subsequently monitoring of the effect of the proposed and implemented measures.

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Many of the business areas in Vienna that are located in bigger districts or peripheral locations are facing major changes. The development of the city is moving closer to them and they are affected by this transformation. The main project and processing objective is to secure the long-term existence of the business and industrial areas as attractive locations with a distinctive identity.  The expert workshops on the topics of resource-saving management, settlement development and transport, the dialogue with the entrepreneurs and the open and exciting exchange with our clients contribute to making the 9 business areas fit for the future.

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PHASE 1: Work on analysis, trends and challenges
PHASE 2: Formulation of the spatial development model
PHASE 3: Information, coordination and involvement of stakeholders
PHASE 4: Preparation of a final publication

Project partner: Modul 5

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The Connecting Regions (ConnReg) AT-CZ project aims to network regional development in the program area, which is currently still very much organized at district and state level. A common challenge is not only the coordination of regional policy fields of action (transport infrastructure, nature conservation, culture, spatial development, etc.) but also the improvement of the overall quality of cross-border projects. The goal is to strengthen institutional cooperation between the Austrian federal provinces and the Czech counties with a focus on active cooperation in the areas of strategic planning and joint optimized information policy. The task is also to provide potential project promoters and applicants with an appropriate overview of the possibilities and advantages of cross-border cooperation. The project region covers the entire program area of Interreg V-A AT-CZ.

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In regional policy and spatial development, the following priorities are pursued by the federal, state and local governments:

– Strengthening the knowledge base and innovative power of companies, research and training institutions
– Facilitating regional, national, cross-border and internationally oriented economic activities
– Increasing resource and energy efficiency, especially the use of renewable energies and new technologies
– Measures to adapt to climate change
– Strengthening rural areas (e.g. regional products, quality of life, mobility, etc.)
– Urban-urban cooperation, etc.

These regional policy priorities will be presented and discussed on the basis of practical examples. In addition to input from the course instructor, the focus is on the joint development of the content.

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Within the framework of the Interreg project RegioCoop SK-AT, the Burgenland Business Agency and NÖ.Regional as project partners organize several cross-border events, which are to be accompanied by an external moderator as a technical expert. The events will take place within the following work packages:

Work package 3: Definition of strategic topics
Work package 4: Thematic networks

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baum 2023+ is to elaborate a perspective for the further development of the border region. In the course of this assignment the following points were to be considered:

The contractor has designed and implemented a compact accompanied process for the development of a strategy for the project baum_cityregion.
The strategy shall be based on the existing region delineation of baum.
The strategy shall have a short and medium term perspective (2023 to 2027), as well as a long term perspective (2028+).

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The region of Römerland Carnuntum is becoming more and more interesting for private individuals, companies and organizations from home and abroad. Never before has there been so much pressure from outside, and never before has the demand for land been so great as it is today.

At the same time, the quality of life of the people should be maintained and even increase now and in the future. To achieve this, the various interests from the economic, social and environmental sectors must be coordinated – and this can only succeed if all the communities in the region plan and act together with foresight.

Models are to be developed for this cooperation between the communities. The project employs various methods:

In a so-called “participatory scenario process”, ideas are developed on how the Roman Carnuntum region can become a model region for transformation and redesign. In a scenario process one examines as precisely as possible and from many different angles how different measures could have an effect.
In “Serious Games” (translated: serious games, learning games) the participants deal with planned projects in a playful way. This allows them to try out what consequences different actions might have. At the same time, learning games are also intended to promote a sense of attachment to the project
In two real labs, concrete projects are carried out and tested for their applicability and usefulness.

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Parndorf is currently working with external experts on the creation of a local development concept (ÖEK). It is about community development on a large scale, also about settlement boundaries, growth and the creation of open spaces. Different points of view are to be taken into account in the local development concept. In addition to experts, the opinion of citizens is very valuable. The results of the Citizens’ Council are passed on to the experts as suggestions for consideration and consideration. The suggestions will be passed on to the working group on the ÖEK and the guiding principles will be presented to the responsible persons in the municipality at the Citizens’ Café in the fall of 2022.

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With regional master planning, a new instrument was created in Lower Austria in 2012, with which the previously used instruments of regulatory and development planning (regional spatial planning programme and small regional framework concept) are more closely interlinked. In the meantime, master planning has been carried out in various regions. The task of this project is to evaluate the Regional Spatial Planning Programme of the Pioneer Region North Vienna from 2012.

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The use of photovoltaics in Carinthia has been regulated by the Photovoltaic Installations Ordinance since 2013. In 2017, it was already evaluated once; now, in light of the current framework conditions, it is to be evaluated again with regard to the legal feasibility of projects, protective provisions and different regulatory systems in a broad discussion process.

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The ETC programme for cross-border cooperation between Austria and Hungary will continue to support bilateral partnerships and projects in the Austro-Hungarian border region in the 2014-2020 programme period. The EU Commission attaches great importance to documenting the success of the programme. In this context, mecca is conducting a survey of ETC actors on the intensity of cooperation in the Austria-Hungary border region for the AT-HU Managing Authority. The survey was already conducted twice in the 2014-2020 programme period (2018 and 2021) and has now been repeated. It allows both an assessment of the intensity of cooperation in the Austria-Hungary border region and an evaluation of the further development of this cooperation.

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The Strategy 2030 for the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve Wienerwald is to provide a framework for the joint work in the coming years. In a joint workshop of the Science Advisory Board and the Regional Forum, the principles and guidelines developed so far will be reflected upon and deepened.

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According to the government programme, Austria is to become climate-neutral by 2040 and the European Union by 2050. Photovoltaics, as the form of energy with the greatest potential for expansion, will play a major role in this. However, it requires a large amount of land, which is why open-space systems are also promoted in addition to systems on sealed surfaces.

In St. Valentin-Landschach, a PV plant is to be built that will allow dual use with energy generation and agricultural use.

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Project management is the new “must have” skill set for young professionals and newcomers in the international career scene. Sooner or later during your career, you will come into touch with this topic.

The course is practical oriented, and students should gain  a solid foundation in what it means to conduct a project and how to do it right.

Starting with an introduction to the field and basic concepts students are asked to come up with our own project ideas. This task involves a lot of teamwork and good communication among project members, especially taking. The project might be  fictional or something you really want do develop

• Students should bring some background-knowledge concerning the suggested project and topic
• The project must be a manageable in the framework of our course
• Within the course we will elaborate the project in detail (with the 13 steps method)

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Elaborating an environmental project in 13 steps2

The project Connecting Regions (ConnReg) AT-CZ aims to bring together regional development in the programme area, which is currently still very much organised at district and country level. A common challenge is not only the coordination of regional policy fields of action (transport infrastructure, nature conservation, culture, spatial development, etc.) but also the improvement of the overall quality of cross-border projects.

As the programming of the next INTERREG funding programme AT-CZ is in the start-up phase, meccas task is to analyse the needs, potentials, themes and absorption capacity of the programme region and to identify key project proposals for the future programming period. To achieve this, mecca screens documents and data on the programme region and conducts several national and bilateral workshops with Czech and Austrian experts and project promoters, potential new project partners and other stakeholders.

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Cross-border waterways as the Raab are characteristic for the Austrian-Hungarian border region. To maintain an appropriate environmental status and to guarantee a sustainable use a bilateral coordination and cooperation is needed. In the INTERREG AT-HU project „RaabSTAT“ the chemical-ecological status of the Raab is analysed and evaluated in the course of joint investigations. On the basis of the results measures for achieving and maintaining a good status can subsequently be worked out.

mecca supports the Province of Burgenland (Department 5 – Building) in the implementation of this INTERREG AT-HU project.

project partner: Projektberatung Schlögl

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• Project coordination (Organisation and documentation of partner meetings and workshops)
• Project administration (INTERREG-compliant reporting, processing of procurement procedures)
• Project monitoring (ongoing monitoring of the project implementation)
• Communication and public relation activities (Organisation and moderation of events)
• Translations (DE-HU, HU-DE)

A wide range of bilateral projects in the Austrian-Hungarian border region are funded by the current INTERREG VA programme. In order to measure the programme’s success, we evaluate the cooperation quality and intensity by an online survey among the actors.

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• Technical setup incl. live-testing, online activation and usage
• Telephone interviews with the most important project owners
• Documention of results (export of results, report, abstract)

NAFES (Lower Austrian working group for the promotion of shopping in town and city centres) supports activities aimed at increasing the attractiveness of urban shaped village centres and gaining new circles of customers. During the funding period 2013-2016 207 projects were funded with a total investment volume of € 12.4 million and public funds in the amount of € 3.3 million.

mecca conducted an impact analysis regarding the funding period 2013-2016 with the aim of deducing suggestions for NAFES 2017+.

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• Preparation of a questionnaire and sampling
• Quantitative analysis, conduct of the surveys
• Coducting a interpretation workshop
• Evaluation and elaboration of recommendations
• Transnational research of best practice examples (securing local amenities in rural regions, securing commerce in city centers)
• Compiling a draft report, reality check, inclusion of feedback and compiling the result report

The INTERREG project “regionet competitive” builds on the activities of the pior project “regionet aktiv”. The aim is to strengthen the competitveness especially of small and medium-sized enterprises in the border regions by cross-border networking, education and cooporation. Ten austrian and hungarian partners work together implementing this project.

mecca supports the Lower Austrian regions Region Bucklige Welt-Wechselland and Römerland Carnuntum in the implementation of this INTERREG VA project.

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Consulting and professional support of the project partners concering:

• Detailled project planning, design and coordination of activities (incl. attendance at workshops and assistance with designing a joint frame system)
• Preparation, moderation and protocolling of project meetings and working groups incl. attendancies at these workshops)
• Processing of procurement procedures
• Administrative project execution
• Elaboration of a bilateral economic development strategy and development of sustainable cooperation frameworks
• INTERREG-compliant reporting and processing (five financial reports, five project progress reports)
• Monitoring and quality assurance (assistance with interim evaluation and end evaluation)

The pollen of the Ambrosia artemisiifolia plant, commonly known as Ragweed, are regarded as especially agressive in triggering alergic reactions. They are responsible for  substantial economical losses. While Hungary is fighting the plant by applying organisatorical and juridical measures, there are no measures implemented against the plant in Austria up until now. There is neither a regulated procedure for recording and combating ragweed nor any cooperation with the Hungarian authorities. This imbalance in the administrative systems’ ability to act represents a major challenge for the border region – especially Burgenland is affected. As Ragweed does not stop at the border, the problem can only be tackled through joint action.

The aim of this project is the establishment of a sustaibable cooparation between Austrian and Hungarian administrative and research institutions dealing with Ragweed control. This transfer of know-how leads to benefits for both sides and improves the quality of public service and thus the quality of life for the citizens.

mecca supports the Province of Burgenland in its administrative tasks.

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• Project management
• Communications, event management
• Coordination meetings

The REBEN project is implemented by the Province of Burgenland and the Hungarian North-Transdanubian Water Directorate ÉDUVIZIG as a part of INTERREG AT-HU in 2017-2019.

The aim of the project is the preservation of the high water quality and the good ecological and chemical condition of Lake Neusiedl as well as to formulate essential measures. As Lake Neusiedl region is separated by the Austrian-Hungarian border, a joint approach is necessary.

By investigating the exchange of water and matter between the reed belt and the open water as well as their importance for water quality, a major knowledge gap is to be filled. The management plan forms the basis for a long-term, integrative concept for the sustainable protection of water quality and provides recommendations for bilaterally coordinated monitoring for the assessment of the condition of the lake.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Project coordination
• Project administration
• Project monitoring
• Moderation
• Translations

Lower Austria has committed itself to reduce the energy consumption and the greenhouse gas emissions. Measures are defined in the NÖ Klima- und Energieprogramm 2020 (Lower Austria Climate and Energy Programme). They are consistent with European, Austrian and Lower Austrian climate protection measures.

The aim of the study commissioned by EVN is the question how regional and communal development and energy supply could be better coordinated in order to generate benefit regarding security of energy supply, energetic and economic efficiency, climate protection and minimising environmental impacts. mecca conducted a data analysis, and developed usage suggestions for model communities.

project partner: Environment Agency Austria (Umweltbundesamt)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Data analysis: new Classification of environment regarding energy supply
• Depiction of possible uses and development proposals for model municipalities

The Project “Education grows” in the region Buckelige Welt-Wechselland is a initiative by educators, parents and the economy. It is financally supported by the LEADER Region Buckelige Welt-Wechselland.

Aims of the project:

• Impulses and advanced education for everybody interested in it (f.e. network meetings for parents)
• Cooporation and exchange between local businesses and schools
• “Education days” with a practical orientation and interesting lectures (f.e. by Margret Rasfeld, Gerald Hüther, Alexander Pointner)

mecca supports the LEADER Region Buckelige Welt-Wechselland with project development and implementation.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Project development and support with the project submission
• Project management
• Preparation, moderation and postprocessing of events
• Quality assurance and documentation, evaluation

The city of Schwechat has about 17,500 inhabitants. The increase of the population is approximately 1,000 people per year. Green and open spaces are essential for the quality of living in the city.

The project “Green City Schwechat” concentrates solely on green and open spaces and collaborates with citizens, the city government and politics. The most important questions are: “What role will green and open spaces play in the year 2050?” and “How do the citizens imagine Schwechat in der future?”. Possible answers to these questions are to be integrated in the city development process in order to find solutions for green, livable ans resilient cities.

project partners: Green City Lab Schwechat, township of Schwechat, LEADER region Römerland Carnuntum

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Project management
• Participation processes
• Climate check
• Design and implementation of visions, ideas and goals

The Austrian Rural Development Programme (LE Programme) 2014-20 combines all measures of supporting rural areas. As a part of a consortium formed by metis, mecca is assigned to the evaluation of the achievement of objectives regarding the following topics:

–   Model projects in rural tourism
–   Rural tourism
–   Village renewal
–   Civic participation
–   Vitalisation of town centres, revitalisation of buildings and infrastructure for leisure, culture and education

project partner: Metis

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Evaluation of assistance measures
• Conducting of interviews

Health care provision in Austria, especially in border-regions, faces the challenges of providing cost-efficient and high quality health care due to issues like periphery, demografic change and others. Cross-border cooperation is one solution to face these challenge. By sharing infrastructures, efficient use of resources or shorter distances the health care provision of residents can highly be improved.

Lower Austria is a pioneer in cross-border health care provision. It is the only region in Austria which has a long termed strategy concerning healthcare provision in border regions. The Health and Social Fund of Lower Austria (NÖGUS) has been working on cross-border health care for many years and has implemented numerous successful projects. Unfortunately, short- to midtermed projects represent the performance/output and activities only temporarily and not for a longer horizone.

By developing the brand “Lower Austria – Cross-border Health Care”, Lower Austria concentrates its cross-border activities in the region – and can be recognized by public and experts. Concentrating these ativities enables the government of Lower Austria to represent itself in public and on a European level.

mecca supports the Health and Social Fund of Lower Austria (NÖGUS) in developing the brand “Lower Austria – Cross-border Health Care”

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Market analysis
• Target group identification
• Network analysis – project partners
• Marketing concept

The austrian “Building Report” is issued regulary. The main aspects of the 3rd edition of the report are landscape, residential building and communal construction. Hannes Schaffer is one of the experts for the chapter “landscape” alongside Sybylla Zech. They develop case scenarios which should illustrate a probable future development. This expert evaluation is used as a basis for decision making for federal and regional politics. The report will be released end of 2016.

project partner: Plattform Baukulturpolitik (Platform Building Culture Policy)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Expertise regarding the subject of landscape
• Development of case scenarios
• Organisation of workshops

The aim of the roadmap “Agenda For Urban Regions in Austria” is to establish urban regions as fields of political action.

The roadmap shows the next steps, containing the main focuses as well as specigic guidelines and time horizons. The roadmap relies on an interaction to the ÖREK recommondation “Für eine Stadtregionspolitik in Österreich”, which arised from the ÖREK 2011. It focus is on measures which strengthen the political weight of planning and acting in an urban region.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Data Research concerning current topics in the city region
• Involvement of and coordination with participating actors
• Discussion and answering of the following questions:
  • What is/is not the aim?
  • What are possible measures?
  • What could be further steps: including Who? When? What?

The city of Bratislava would like to be approved as a “Smart City” in Central Europe. The main topics of the city are “Smart use of resources”, “Smart community”, “Smart economy”.

In a roadmap the implemenatation of these main topics is to be elaborated. A city with a high quality of living, an innovative economy and creative start-ups is the goal. Therefore, the city of Vienna is a cooperation partner, as these two cities are confronted with similar challanges: A tight budget but also services and situations that need to be tackled efficiently and environmental-friendly. Thinking outside the box and practise an exchange of knowledge and experiences is the order of the day.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Smart city expertise
• Attendance at workshops

We offer our services in the fields of INTERREG: long-term experienced in cooperation and application, we are your partner in cross-border cooperation. Hannah Luegmeyer produced a pilot for us showing our services. We like what we see – [no english version available, please watch and] enjoy!

text – mecca
voice – Dr. Michaela Lehner
production – Mag. Hannah Luegmeyer

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Project delevopment
• Project planning and project application
• Project management
• Project evaluation
• European Grouping for Territorial Cooperation (EGTC)

Since a few years, there are ambitions to improve the cycle path along the river March and to find new routes, which are more suitable for touristic use. Since the new routes pass through ecologically sensitive areas, this entails certain nature conservation requirements. To meet these reqirements, a set of measures to safeguard the visitor guidance need to be undertaken and subsequently monitored regarding their efficiency.

In close cooperation with the concerned municipalities, we elaborate the necessary measures in detail (e.g. visitor information, enclosures…), define their location and outline them in a code of practice.

project partner: Karl Reiner (ÖAR)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Development of measures for visitor guidance
• Elaboration of a guidline for touristic experiences

The Lower Austrian Housing Research provides fundings for projects, aimed on research on innovative living and housing. We participate with a project considering following aspects:

1. Single-family houses have been the priority type of housing during the last few decades
2. Aging of population leads to an increasing demand on services supporting people in their everyday life (provision, caring, health)
3. Buildings and apartments not suitable/comfortable for elderly people take negative impact on their quality of living
4. Communities face the challenge of “dying” centers – especially those which cannot provide attractive housing for a younger generation

The research focuses on showing the connections of these aspects. We will illustrate the main advantages of building age-conform housings in the center of the towns – for both, elderly people and the community.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Spatial and demand analysis:
  • Literature research
  • Data preparation and cartographic illustrations
  • Conduct of surveys with experts
  • Good practice research
• Defining a guidling with strategies for individual approaches regarding age-appropriate dwelling forms in rural regions

There is still catching-up to be done in terms of cross-border cooperation in providing health care in the Lower Austria-Czech Republic border region. The aim of the EU-funded (INTERREG AT-CZ) project “Unlimited Health Care” is to optimise health care provision for residents by building up networks, providing the direct linkup on the spot and cutting across the national border.

An endometriosis centre is being established in the Melk hospital (Lower Austria), based on knowledge transfer from Znojmo (which is an EU-certified endometriosis centre) to Melk. Radiotherapy treatment of Austrian patients in the hospital in Znojmo is to be enabled. The Czech hospital in Znojmo is not far from the border and has capacity for additional patients; patients from Lower Austria should receive radiotherapy treatment there. Cross-border emergency cooperation is to be established with Lower Austria, Southern Bohemia and Southern Moravia trough a web application that enables cross-border ambulance services.

mecca supports this project with cross-border project management.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Project management
• Project monitoring
• Assistance with the expansion of hospital cooperation

The outdated wastewater treatment plants in Frauenkirchen and Podersdorf are to be replaced by a new, innovative approach, which fullfills along with the standard tasks of wastewater treatment new aspects by reusing wastewater as a pool of resources, which is in Austria and also internationally trendsetting (“NEW-facility”).

To implement the project, it is intended to seek funding by the EU LIFE programme: LIFE is the EU’s financial instrument supporting environmental, nature conservation and climate action projects. Together with the Vienna University of Technology, mecca takes care of the LIFE application.

project partner: Vienna University of Technology

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elaboration of the LIFE project concept
• intern and extern project communication
• technical and substantial elaboration of the LIFE grant application
• Submission of the project proposal (“eproposal”)

On behalf of Lower Austria, mecca elaborates a study on which activities are undertaken in the Danube Region and how they should be adapted to present and future challenges. From Lower Austrias point of view, mecca…

• lays down priorities to be implemented within the frame of the EUSDR
• identifies organisations and institutions which impel implementing the strategy
• identifies themes and project ideas to be realised within the framework of the EUSDR and
• elaborates structural adjustments for optimal use of the EUSDR.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Document research
• Conduct of qualitative interviews and workshops
• Discussion of results and reality check in cooperation with the client
• Reporting

Hannes Schaffer gives lectures at Vienna University of Technology for students in the fields of regional development and spatial planning.

Focus is on the develpment of rural areas and energy planning. The lectures are supplemented by field trips.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

E_PROFIL is a set of methods (an IT-supported toolkit) for the elaboration of neighbourhood profiles. The aim of the project is to facilitate an energy and resource efficient development in the planning practice of Austrian cities. Furthermore, the project is an important asset for research and planning activities in Europe and can also be applied to other neighbourhoods.

project partners: Institute of Spatial Planning (Vienna University of Technology; Research Units: Urban and Regional Research, Public Finance and Infrastructure Policy), Department of Building Physics and Building Ecology (Vienna University of Technology), Research Institute of Urban Management and Governance (Vienna University of Economics and Business), City of Linz (Geschäftsbereich Planung, Technik und Umwelt), Linz AG, Ars Electronica Center, Linz

www.nachhaltigwirtschaften.at, www.eprofil.at

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Profile building for selected neighbourhoods
• Identification of measures packages for selected neighbourhoods
• Identification of the most important potentials and barriers to implementation
• Discussion and coordination of the action plan, development of a roadmap
• Summary of the results in a guideline

Amerang is a village in Upper Bavaria. On behalf of the Ernst-Freiberger-Foundation, mecca develops a location development concept for the town. The aim of the concept is to position Amerang even more strongly as a sustainable, authentic and culturally interesting community which is attractive for its inhabitants and guests of the region and beyond.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Spatial and competence analysis for Amerang
• Excursion to creative and committed municipalities and cities
• Identification of main points and ideas
• Target group analysis
• Action plan with the most important starting points
• Detailed roadmap with specific implementation steps and milestones for the next five years

mecca produces two thematic maps on recycling in the Danube Region. One map shows the amount of waste material in more than 40 significant cities and sites withinin the Danube Region from Germany to the Ukraine.
The second map shows where recycling companies are settled in the Austrian Danube Region.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Selection of 30-40 locations
• Research on waste generation for the selected locations: Waste and discarded metal, waste paper, waste glass, plastic waste
• Research of relevant companies in the Recycling sector in the Austrian Danube corridor
• Cartography and layout, maps and tables in German and English

mecca supports the government of Burgenland in developing a manual for modification of land use plans. The aim of the project is to  discuss frequently asked questions related to the process of rezoning in land use plans.  On the other hand,  standardising and enhancing transparency in this process is in demand.
The manual aims at the communities and planners responsible for local spatial planning, so they are actively involved in the elaboration.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Conducting of questionnaire surveys and workshops
• Elaboration of a guidline Ausarbeitung eines Leitfadens for land use plans modifications
• Elaboration of training and communication measures
• Documentation

Since 2012, Upper Austria is focussing on initiating and promoting intercommunal cooperation in the field of regional planning and spatial development. To ensure the best possible cost-benefit ratio, mecca evaluates the finalised projects and develops minimum requirements for future projects and cooperations. We evaluate the technical quality of intercommunal cooperation and their contribution to the aims of the federal state planning in Upper Austria. In addition, we look closely at the cooperations themselves and their processes.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Development of an analytical framework
• Analysis of documents
• Conducting of surveys, interviews and workshops
• Elaboration of a catalogue of requirements
• Documentation and reporting

In cooperation with the Joint Secretariat and the Managing Authority of the EU-programme INTERREG AT-SK, mecca drafts a manual for applicants and beneficiaries for programme periode 2014-2020.

The manual should allow the applicants to understand all requirements until the contracting stage, i.e. it should outline the stages of application, assessment and selection. The manual’s contents stretches from the contracting stage to the implementation and closure of the project and includes key provisions on eligibility of cost and related evidence, procurement, reporting, payment requests, publicity and information.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Coordination meetings
• Expertise in cross-border cooperation
• Reporting

mecca elaborates an implementation concept for a “cross-border powerhouse Neufeld/Leitha” on behalf of the municipality. The idea was to renovate and reuse the former officials house in the city center as a cross-border impulse centre for historic archiving as well as political and scientific research activities.

Our focus was to find funding possibilities for such a project, as well as to comprehend the preconditions for a successful funding application.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elaboration of a feasability study

Since 2012, the Carinthian Legislation of Wind Power Sites regulates the use of windpower. Three years after its effective date, mecca evaluated the possibilities of legal project implementations, protection rules and different systems of regulation.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Document analysis
• Evaluation interviews with stakeholders
• Obtaining further expertise
• Evaluation workshops
• Evaluation report

The ETC Funding Period 2007-2013 is over – time to think about options, achievements and perspectives of cross border cooperation.
mecca prepared the final brochure “Grenz-Raum-Erfahrungen”, highlighting the INTERREG program’s contribution to the recent years’ development in the border area Austria-Hungary.
The brochure was part of a comprehensive communication concept, which publishes the results and chances of the INTERREG program AT-HU.

Countries: AT, HU

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Project development
• Research and content editing
• Workshop: preparation, moderation, postprocessing
• Draft and und editorial modification
• Translations
• Finalising: Editing, coordination of graphic/print, final control

A missing transport link over the river March hinders the integrated development of the region Weinviertel – Zahorie despite similar economic and spatial preconditions. However, after a negative referendum, the planned bridge connecting Angern an der March and Záhorská Ves will not be built. In this project, we developed an alternative concept to enhance cross-border mobility.

Countries: AT, SK

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Initial meeting for coordination with the client
• Research, coordination with relevant cross-border authorities
• Workshop on cross-border mobility in the region
• Approach to measures to improve transnational mobility
• Conclusive meeting with the client

In December 2014, after one and a half year life time of the Marc Aurel Initiative for Health and Life Quality, mecca carried out a survey on the level of awareness concerning the initiative as well as on future topics in the LEADER region Römerland Carnuntum.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Draft and discussion of the questionnaire
• Technical setup incl. live testing and online activation
• Result documentation (export of results, report, abstract)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Draft and discussion of the questionnaire
• Technical setup incl. live testing and online activation
• Telephone interviews with the most important project owners
• Result documentation (export of results, report, abstract)

Within the frame of the INTERREG programme AT-CZ, the project „C4PE” aims to enhance the cooperation between businesses and schools. Moreover, a cross-border vocational training is planned, taking place simultaneously in the Czech Republic and in Austria resulting in a mutual acceptance of the qualification. Students will get insight into the cross-border economy and also better career orientation. The project addresses students, teachers and SME’s.
mecca supports the Academy of Lower Austria as a lead partner of this initiative in project development and application.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Organisation and implementation of project workshops with the project consortium
• Preparation of documents for coordination with the programme authority resp. the regional managements
• Coordination meetings with the lead partner
• Elaboration of the project proposal
• Interpreting and translation service

mecca supports the LEADER region Marchfeld in developing a strategy for 2014+. The participation process is locally organised by the LEADER office; professional inputs and the finalisation of the strategy are carried out by an external consultant team.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Area description
• Definition of development requirements and SWOT analysis
• Definition of targets within the framework of LEADER 2014-2020
• Preparation of a strategy and action plan
• Guiding of the implementation and quality assurance
• Incorporation of experiences and conclusions from the current period
• Presentation and documentation of the preparation process of the development strategy
• Preparation of the overall report

mecca supports the LEADER region Römerland Carnuntum in developing a strategy for 2014+. The participation process is locally organised by the LEADER office; professional inputs and the finalisation of the strategy are carried out by an external consultant team.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Area description
• Definition of development requirements and SWOT analysis
• Definition of targets within the framework of LEADER 2014-2020
• Preparation of a strategy and action plan
• Guiding of the implementation and quality assurance
• Incorporation of experiences and conclusions from the current period
• Presentation and documentation of the preparation process of the development strategy
• Preparation of the overall report

mecca supports the LEADER region Bucklige Welt-Wechselland in developing a strategy for 2014+. The participation process is locally organised by the LEADER office; professional inputs and the finalisation of the strategy are carried out by an external consultant team.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Area description
• Definition of development requirements and SWOT analysis
• Definition of targets within the framework of LEADER 2014-2020
• Preparation of a strategy and action plan
• Guiding of the implementation and quality assurance
• Incorporation of experiences and conclusions from the current period
• Presentation and documentation of the preparation process of the development strategy
• Preparation of the overall report

mecca supports the LEADER region Southern Lower Austria in developing a strategy for 2014+. The participation process is locally organised by the LEADER office; professional inputs and the finalisation of the strategy are carried out by an external consultant team.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Area description
• Definition of development requirements and SWOT analysis
• Definition of targets within the framework of LEADER 2014-2020
• Preparation of a strategy and action plan
• Guiding of the implementation and quality assurance
• Incorporation of experiences and conclusions from the current period
• Presentation and documentation of the preparation process of the development strategy
• Preparation of the overall report

mecca supports the positioning of the LEADER region Triestingtal as a “family-friendly region”.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Evaluation of the previous inter-municipal measures towards family-friendliness
• Strategic development regarding family-friendliness in Triestingtal
• Preparation, moderation and postprocessing of two workshops with regional actors on the topic of family-friendly measures
• Monitoring of the family-friendly measures outlined in the project

On behalf of the Austrian conference on spatial planning (ÖROK), mecca and the Institute of Spation Planning, Vienna University of Technology, elaborate positions and milestones for a common Austrian agglomeration policy.

The result of this project is an orientation framework for decision makers and relevant stakeholders on how to support the establishment and further development of urban-regional cooperations.

Download of the german “Agenda”: Agenda Stadtregionen

project partner: Institute of Spation Planning (Vienna University of Technology, TU Wien)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Development of a processing concept, which includes the contents and the schedule of the project
• Editing and reporting
• Implementation of workshops, involvement of the project steering group
• Participation in Stadtregionstag (City region day)

A missing transport link over the river March hinders the integrated development of the region Weinviertel – Zahorie despite similar economic and spatial preconditions. A common strategy for the sustainable development of the region Weinviertel-Záhorie towards a cross-border economic area aims at enhancing the region’s quality as a business and residential location. Strategies are to be developed in order to expand the cross-border transport infrastructure and discuss the design of new border crossings with the concerned municipalities.

Countries: AT, SK

Project partner: ÖAR Regional Consulting, VVMZ

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elaboration of a development strategy
• Coaching and support of a survey of regional stakeholders
• Design and moderation of round table discussions
• Coaching qualifying programm for entrepreneurs
• Coaching determination of requirements for education
• Concept for an information brochure
• Final Report

The Weinviertel region is characterised by different generations living together. However, population structure will change significantly in the next few years. mecca supported the Weinviertel Ost in handling the challenges challenges of demographic change. The goal is to develop perspectives and to create a catalogue of measures for the economy and tourism.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Regional analysis
• Check of the business and tourism sectors
• Company surveys
• Scenario workshop
• Catalogue of measures
• Business plan demography
• Kick-off and closing event
• Perspective paper

mecca consulting and BHW-Projektverein support the region Römerland Carnuntum on its path to accessibility. The project is being implemented in close cooperation with the municipalities and tourist facilities of the region.

project partner: BHW-Projektverein

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

Within the frame of the RECOM SK-AT network analysis mecca identified actors and organsiations being active in the Austrian – Slovakian border region. Now these actors are shown on an interactive actors’ map on the RECOM SK-AT website.

Project website: http://recom-skat.eu/main.php?lang=de&menu=49

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Preparation of an interactive actors map including the RECOM SK-AT stakeholders

The aim of the project workshops was a list of well-prepared and well-coordinated cross-border projects with strategic relevance, which were not in competition with each other.

mecca realised four thematic workshops:

• regional cooperation
• innovation and research
• environment/cultural and natural heritage
• education and qualification

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Design and preparation for the workshops
• Moderation of the four project workshops
• Postprocessing of the events, protocolling and documentation of the results
• Elaboration of a thematically structured final report which concludes all events

„EXREN – EXplore REnewable ENergy“ is a cross-border project within the frame of ETC SK-AT. This project deals with the following challenges:

• (youth) unemployment and unavailable professionists…
• to enhance energy efficiency via awareness raising and establishing a regional network.

mecca assisted EXREN in identifying and adressing the relevant stakeholders as well as in etablishing a summer camp for teenagers.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Five workshops including preparation and postprocessing
• Professional support regarding:
  • Preselection of potential companies and scientific institutions in Slovakia and Austria
  • Assembly and selection of relevant questions for qualitative and quantitative surveys
  • Advance information of the respondants
• Data evaluation coming from the surveys
• Preparation of the symposium on cross-border cooperation and professional support with the evaluation of ideas brought up during the symposium (considering the feasability and the possible timeframe)

Expert opinion in the fields regional policy and material goods, recreations and overall apperance of the townscape and the landscape.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Inspection and elimination of deficiencies
• Elaboration of the expert opinion
• Interdisciplinary coordination of measures between the departments
• Discussion and response to objections regarding the environmental impact statement
• Participation in:
  • expert meetings
  • excursions
  • oral proceedings

Within the upcoming six months a demography check will be conducted for the municipalities and companies in the LEADER region Bucklige Welt – Wechselland. The focus lies on a sector check for economy and tourism, which is a service for the regional companies and municipalities. They will recieve the results, showing how well the company is organised now and what measures and strategies are recommended for the future.

Pilot projects will be developed and conducted together with regional actors. An online survey assesses current problems and desires of regional companies.

project partner: conos Tourismusconsulting GmbH

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Regional analysis on developments in municipalities and companies resulting in a report about the status quo
• Sector check for Economy and Tourism through an online survey for the companies
• Regional information and networking events
• Tailor-made thematic workshops/coachings for companies and assistance with the implementation of pilot projects
• Outcome: “Regional business plan Demography” with recommendations for Politics and Economy and strategies and offers for the region

During the last months network analyses in the Austrian border regions with the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary have been conducted (Euroregion Danube-Vltava, PRO 2013+, RECOM HUAT network analysis, RECOM SKAT network and potential analysis). After the conclusion of these works, the relevant outcomes for the federal state of Lower Austria are to be portrayed in a comparable and structured way.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Standardisation of the network analyses with a focus on Lower Austria
• Standardisation of thematic classification of networks
• Standardised interpretation of networks and presentation of similarities and differences in the program regions
• Interpretation of preliminary results in a joint workshop with the client

Lower Austria and its neighboring Czech regions of Southern Moravia, Vysocina and Southern Bohemia can build on a long lasting cooperation in the field of healthcare. Now, they want to go further and institutionalise this cooperation in an EGTC.

mecca supports the future EGTC members in implementing their plans. Questions concerning the goals, tasks, competences and members, as well as political and legal frameworks need to be solved. A roadmap and an implementing plan shall be developed until the end of 2013.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elaboration of a discussion paper
• Preparation, moderation and postprocessing of workshops
• Assembly and preparation of questions for answering by extern experts
• Participation in an excursion to EGTC Lille-Kortijk-Tournai and its substantial postprocessing

The aim of this project is to entrench Ferlach (Carinthia) as a distinct centre for creativity, training and development through the setup of subject-specific networks and the establishment of a start-up initiative. The main objective is the generation and the preservation of jobs. Therefore, the following priorities are being set:

– Positioning the City of Ferlach as a centre for creativity and education in Carithia/Austria
– Unlocking potentials of the existing polytechnic (HTBLVA Ferlach), specialised companies and the citizens of Ferlach
– Positioning the City of Ferlach as a business location for HTBLVA graduates and company founders
– Setup and expansion of networks of existing companies in Ferlach, company founders and companies willing to settle

project partner: Institut für Zukunftskompetenzen

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Analysis and development of an incentive scheme for settlements of the target group “HTBLVA  graduates”
• Concept development for the site-specific start-up initiative
• Concept development for the site-specific centre for creativity and education
• Setup of a professioal network to realise the Ferlach centre for creativity and education

In the LEADER region Römerland-Carnuntum a demography check for the 27 municipalities and companies in the regions of Bruck an der Leitha and Wien-Umgebung was conducted. The focus for the region lies on the sector check for economy and tourism, a service aimed at regional companies. It shows how well the company is organised and what kind of measures and strategies are recommended in the future.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Regional analysis on developments in municipalities and companies resulting in a report about the status quo
• Sector check for Economy and Tourism through an online survey for the companies
• Regional information and networking events
• Tailor-made thematic workshops/coachings for companies and assistance with the implementation of pilot projects
• Outcome: “Regional business plan Demography” with recommendations for Politics and Economy and strategies and offers for the region
• Inputs for the Regional Development Programme 2014-2020

GREENNET is a transnational project within the frame of the fundung programme INTERREG IV Central Europe. The project’s aim is the development of an ecological network within the central european Green Belt. Six pilot regions serve as models for the implementation of new and innovative procedures and specific management instruments as solutions of land-use conflicts in the study regions.
mecca supported the Regionalmanagement Burgenland with the concept preparation to develop an innovative method regarding the creation of a biodiversity monitoring in pilot region 5 (Burgenland).

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Developing a concept for a Citizen Science model
• Process development to build up a biodiversity monitoring with amateurs
• Method presentation at workshops

The aim of the project is to raise people’s awareness regarding biodiversity and socio-economic values of their surrounding natural landscapes in Western Hungary and in Eastern Austria (Burgenland) describes the main objective of the transboundary project PaNaNet, implemented within the Austrian-Hungarian Cross-Border Territorial Cooperation Programme 2007-2013. The project was coordinated by the Regional Management Burgenland.

mecca supported the PannonianNatureNetwork in the development of joint sustainable tourism offers and a common marketing strategy.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Joint product and offer development of nature reserves

The region around Bratislava is characterised by a strong growth dynamic. Therefore, numerous initiatives to coordinate the development of Bratislava with that of the surrounding communities have been launched (COBRA, COBRA + TREE). Now the representatives of the Austrian municipalities and of the federal states of Lower Austria and Burgenland have agreed to elaborate a spatial development concept for the Austrian surroundings of Bratislava. The longterm goal is to coordinate their spatial development with the city of Bratislava. An urban study is to be elaborated, which incorporates an ongoing cooperation with the Austrian municipalities, among other things.

mecca applied itself together with RaumRegionMensch and dieLandschaftsplaner.at to the preparation of the spatial development concept for the 14 Austrian Municipalities.

Go to project website.

project partner: die Landschaftsplaner.at, RaumRegionMensch

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Analysis and preparation of already existing plans
• Elaboration of leading functions and development emphases
• Development of a catalouge of measures
• Structuring of the planning process
• Design of the ongoing cooperation process
• Presentation at and organisation of communal workshops and regional forums

The “SRO_peripher” database provides impulses for activities and instruments for active intervention in the regions. mecca analysed national and international examples (Focus Austria, Germany, Switzerland).These examples were located on a  “Map of Possibilities”, which is accessible under the following link: SRO_peripher Datenbank 
The database is permanently updated by mecca. At the moment there are more than 250 examples online.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Research and editing of (inter-) national examples
• Ongoing maintenance of the database

The cross-border energy strategy for Burgenland and the bordering Hungarian counties Győr-Moson-Sopron, Vas and Zala analysed both the actual energetic condition as well as developable potentials for future cooperation and appropriate measures. The national and international policy background was researched and analysed too.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Description of structure
• Aims and effects of the Kyoto Protocol on Burgenland and Western Pannonia
• Comparison of the energy consumption and production in these regions
• Future scenarios
• Target definition 2020 and prospects  for the year 2050
• Description of measures

The new Spatial Planning Strategy for Upper Austria is supposed to formulate the most important strategic goals and measures for spatial planning, in order to respond to current developments and their spatial consequences.

The most important characteristics of the updated Spatial Planning Strategy are:

• Brief and realisation-oriented regulation
• Link between the Upper Austrian law on spatial planning on the one hand and the realisation instruments on the other hand
• Special relevance for realisation through defined fields of action
• Linking of spatial planning, development planning and regional development
• Focus on issues that lie within the competence of spatial planning and regional development

project partner: stadtland, komobile

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Spatial problem analysis, development trends, SWOT analysis
• Spatial-functional classification: Location types, central place system
• Definition of spaces of action
• Elaboration of a monitoring concept
• Consulting on drawing up a regulation

In the process of developing the Viennese Urban Development Plan (STEP 2025), mecca supported the working group „Clearing & Governance“ with process assistance and professional expertise.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Moderation of the work group
• Professional input
• Reporting

The network analysis RECOM HU-AT examined existing networks in Vienna, Burgenland and in parts of Lower Austria and Styria as well as in the regions Györ-Moson-Sopron, Vas and Zala. The network analysis is part of the ETC HU-AT programme 2014-2020. The major issues as well as the common thematic emphases will be considered in the programming process.

project partner: ÖAR Regionalberatung

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Network analysis and evaluation
• assessment of future topics
• Assembly of regional analysis results
• Inclusion of these analysis results in the programming process 2014-2020
• Preparation, moderation and postprocessing of cross-border workshops and conferences

The agglomeration perspective is one of five cross-cutting issues in the Urban Development Plan STEP 2015. In cooperation with stadtland, mecca worked on a position paper on urban-regional cooperation.  Relevant stakeholders in Vienna and the region and the Stadt-Umland-Management Vienna – Lower Austria (SUM) are involved in the process design. mecca and stadtland offer both operational and content-related services, mainly professional consulting and expertise.

project partner: stadtland

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Forums, fireside chats, meetings
• Moderation and professional assistance
• Elaboration of a position paper

The European member states prepare for the new funding period 2014-2020 operational cross-border cooperation programmes. mecca supports the responsible institutions in the Austrian-Hungarian border region.

project partner: Vital Pro

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Regional and SWOT analysis
• Assistance with programme target definition
• Elaboration of priority axes, common structures and key projects
• Assistance with indicator development
• Preparation and implementation of workshops
• Public relations activities and event organisation

The purpose of the potential- and network analysis is to examine the existing potentials in the regions of Lower Austria, Burgenland and Vienna as well as in the self governing regions of Bratislava and Trnava and the city of Bratislava. Additionally, further potentials are determined. Through the embedding of the results into networks and organisational structures the potentials can secure sustainably. Therefore the 11 thematic fields of the current EU-regulation have been used.

Countries: AT, SK

Project partner: Aurex, Bratislava

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Identification of key factors for integrated regional development (strenghts and weaknesses)
• Analysis of opportunities and risks for regional development
• Description of potentials resulting from more in-depth cooperations
• Network analysis and evaluation
• Evaluation of future potentials and topics regarding these networks

Within the frame of the ETC programme AT-SK, a cross-border tourism information and education centre was developed on the site of the McarthurGlenn Designer Outlet Parndorf, Burgenland.

The aim of the project is to establish a tourism region in Trnava through practice-oriented know-how transfer. The already established tourism associations of Burgenland are taking over a sponsorship for the Trnava region. The project ensures a cooperation network between these two regions regarding tourism (joint marketing and guest advice in the information centres). Through the cooperation with the highly frequented designer outlet, the tourism facilities of the surrounding regions can benefit from its frequency.

project partner: Burgenland Tourism (Lead Partner), self-governing region Trnava, Neusiedler See Tourismus GmbH

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Assistance with the ETC grant application elaboration
• Ongoing project management and reporting

In cooperation with metis, mecca develope a Policy Paper on integrated regional development of the cross-border Danube-March-Thaya area. This paper is used as the basis for implementing the new instrument Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI) in the programming period 2014-2020.

Countries: AT, SK, CZ

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elabotation of an integrated strategy as a basis for concret implementation in the Danube-March-Thaya region
• Definition of a priority area
• Delineation of the existing development strategy for this priority area
• Description of the indicative topics and the sets of measure for implementation (topics, actors, sources of funding, timeframe)

In the course of this expertise the following questions are covered:

• Basis and framework conditions for the cross-border UNESCO World Heritage Neusiedler See/Fertö
• World Heritage and wind parks – the European context
• History of development of the UNESCO World Heritage area and the resulting requirements and framework conditions for the use of wind power
• Assessing how far the federal state of Burgenland has dealt with the connection of the UNESCO World Heritage and the use of windpower to date

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Ongoing coordination with the client and the steering group
• Reporting

GREENNET is a transnational project, conducted under the programme Interreg IV Central Europe. Its aim is to develop an ecologic network within the frame of the central European Green Belt. Six pilot regions serve as models for the implementation of new and innovative procedures and specific management instruments as solutions of land-use conflicts in the study regions.

In the work package 3 „Inventories and Surveys“, a transnational coordinated analyse system is to be developed. The following questions should be answered within a joint systematics:

• Which pilot regions were selected and why?
• Which „Core Areas“ were selected and why?
• Which main problems should be dealt with exemplary in the „Core Areas“?

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Basic research
• Kick-off workshops
• Interviews and surveys
• Reality check
• Reporting
• Presentation of the method withing the context of a conference

The “Regional Guiding Plan for Nordraum Wien” is supposed to ensure the coordinated spatial development along A5, S1 and A22. The project region belongs to the fastest-growing regions in Austria. In order to make the development of municipalities sustainable and efficient the plan was drafted by the municipalities and the federal state together.

The regional guiding plan was a novelty in Lower Austria. Under the main idea of “equal cooperation” a new approach for regional planning is developed. It is marked by an early, constructive and goal-oriented cooperation of municipalities, the region and the federal state. Regional goals, principles and measures of spatial development should be determined and realized through cooperative labour division and grouping of competences by municipalities and the federal state.

Project documentation (only in German available)

project partner: Institute of Spatial Planning – Research Unit Regional Planning and Regional Development (Vienna University of Technology, TU Wien)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• SWOT analysis and regional planning analysis
• Interpretation of settlement development scenarios
• Identification of fields of action and the need for coordination
• Elaboration of a regional roadmap incl. steps of implementation
• Support and reflection of the planning process
• Reflections about an establishment of this planning instrument
• Event organisation and moderation
• Discussion in small and large groups
• Assistance with intercommunal and transregional coordination

The amendment plan for the Operational Programme (OP) Phasing Out Burgenland will contribute to an optimum impact in the upcoming years.
The approach of the revision is determined by article 48 of the Concil Regulation 1083/2006 on general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund: Reasons for revision, realisation difficulties and the expected impacts of the revision were explained in the amendment. The outcome was passed to the monitoring committee.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Kick-off briefing: Passing the necessary information to the promoter
• External evaluation of the OP amendments
• Assessing impacts on the environment
• Developing the amendment

The amendment planned for the Operational Programme (OP) Phasing Out Burgenland will contribute to an optimum impact in the upcoming years.
The approach of the revision is determined by article 48 of the Concil Regulation 1083/2006 on general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund: Reasons for revision, realisation difficulties and the expected impacts of the revision were explained in the amendment. The outcome was passed to the monitoring committee.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Kick-off briefing: Passing the necessary information to the promoter
• External evaluation of the OP amendments
• Assessing impacts on the environment
• Developing the amendment

Within the project “Partnership Austria-Czech Republic in the Central European Region – PRO 2013+” the existent potentials in the regions Vienna, Lower Austria, South Moravia and Vysočina were elaborated to construct a more focused and sustainable future cross-border cooperation. The results of a cross-border network and potential analysis are then the basis for the new Operational Programme ETC AT-CZ in the upcoming period 2014-2020.

Countries: AT, CZ

Project Website: http://www.pro2013plus.eu

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Conceptual elaboration and coordination of the approach
• Network analysis for Vienna and Lower Austria
• Potential analysis for Vienna and Lower Austria
• Assembly of the analysis results of the regions Vienna, Lower Austria, South Moravia and Vysočina
• Preparation, moderation and postprocessing of cross-border workshops and conferences
• ETC-compliant reporting

The PaNaNet’s 14 participating regions were: 4 national parks (National Park Neusiedlersee-Seewinkel in Austria and Fertő-Hanság, Örség and Balaton-felvidék National Parks in Hungary), all 6 nature parks in Burgenland (Neusiedlersee-Leithagebirge, Rosalia-Kogelberg, Landseer Berge, Geschriebenstein, Weinidylle and Raab) and 4 nature parks in West Hungary (Sopron, Irottkő, Örség and Kerka). 
The overarching goal of the PaNaNet project is to improve the acceptance of protected areas through raising awareness within the population regarding the value of protected areas for both quality of life and economic opportunities. Through the permanent networking of the pannonian protected areas they should be able to establish themselves as offering a distinctive nature experience. The continued development of existing facilities is important, as well as focused preparations to attract new target groups to the new nature tourism opportunities.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

The following questions were the subject of our evaluation:

• Proposal preparation and product development for nature tourism infrastructure
• Networking in the fields of leisure and adventure tourism, marketing of local products
• Exchange of knowledge, experiences and methods between workers in the protected areas
• Public relations activities, marketing
• Coordination and networking of the individual work packages for the PaNaNet project

The cross-border study analyses both the current energy status as well as the resulting or developable future cooperation potentials between Burgenland and the self-governed region Trnava. Additionally the national policy background was researched and analysed.

Countries: AT, SK

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Desk Research on the topics energy usage, energy production, forecast
• SWOT analysis
• Cross-border workshops
• Practice module “energy cooperation”
• Elaboration of a comparative study on energy usage an potentials in Burgenland (AT) and the self-governed region Trnava (SK)

The primary, secondary and special needs schools in southern Lower Austria led a pilot project on the subject, „What parents and grandparents should know about their children’s lives.“
Using a regional questionnaire, the schools sought to learn about parents’, grandparents’ and caregivers’ impressions about what their children do during a regular day and to identify problem areas where they felt they required more information. The schools then began to develop the initial specific implementation measures in the various areas identified by the parents (eg. Bullying, internet dangers, puberty, education and learning difficulties, drug consumption and addiction prevention).

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elaboration of a draft questionnaire
• Individual meetings with officials from the 10 primary, secondary and special needs schools
• Adjustment and finalisation of the questionnaire
• Organisation of the survey in the schools
• Analysis and visualisation of questionnaire data

BAUM coordinates spatial development within the urban fringe between the capital city of Bratislava and the bordering municipalities in Austria. the main topics of this project are the coordination of development plans (which usually end at the border), the discussion of controversial projects and a joint implementation of approved ideas.

Aims of this project are:

• the development of guidelines for spatial development in the border region
• the elaboration of an urban planning study for Bratislava considering the differing interests
• the establishment of a city-and-surroundings management for Bratislava

Countries: AT, SK

project partner: Vienna University of Technology (TU Wien)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Harmonising of documents
• Catalog of requirements for the common guidelines
• Participation resp. moderation of meetings with mayors and the multilateral experts’ platform

There is much to experience in the seven Austrian municipalities and four Slovak districts. However, until now this is only known by a small group of insiders.

Through the EU-funded project “Servus Pontis” Čunovo, Deutsch Jahrndorf, Edelstal, Gattendorf, Jarovce, Nickelsdorf, Kittsee, Pama, Petržalka, Rusovce and Zurndorf together call attention to the touristic sights and events in the region. The most beautiful sights of the region are presented in a tourist guide and a culture compass.

Bicycle routes connect the municipalities physically. Nice spots, rest areas for cyclers, drinking fountains or oversized chess boards make the routes even more attractive;
Signs about the region and the project offer information about the touristic treasures in the region.

But not only the bicycle routes and sights should draw the inhabitants into neighbouring municipalities – they are also warmly welcomed at local events. For example at the annual Rusovce Day or the fair in Nickelsdorf – guests always have different opportunities. In order to overcome communication barriers the municipalities offer possibilities for further education, for instance in Edelstal people can learn the Slovak language.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Project support and monitoring
• Communication and cooperation between project partners
• Preparation of a calendar with cultural events
• Preparation of aregional guide

Already for the tenth time the Regional Development Lower Austria and its partner organisations award outstanding initiatives for cross-border cooperation with the EUREGIO Innovation Award. This anniversary calls for a novelty. This year we are breaking new ground by awarding insitutions for their ongoing, cross-border engagement in the past ten years.
mecca supports the preparation for and realisation of this year’s event themed “Growing Together”.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elaboration of the tender and concretisation of the task
• Preparation of the nomination for the jury meeting
• Providing the jury wih documents
• Prganisation and moderation of the jury meeting
• Presentation of the awardees and the projects in a publication
• Organisation and implementation of the innovation award
• Public relations activities
• Event organisation

The Austrian Conference on Spatial Planning’s (ÖROK) population forecasts display clearly that all regions are facing inevitable changes that must be adapted to. In these forecasts, the growth in the number of aging people combined with a decline of the youth plays a major role. Communities must quickly adjust to this and begin to consider how they will adapt their infrastructure. Regions that find ways to engage the aging part of the population in the community stand to benefit from the financial stability that the elderly have achieved through their retirement pensions.
This project concentrates on all of the eastern regions that have been left behind by the the development of dynamic agglomerations and are now characterized by their steady or predicted exodus of people and workers. These developing trends, as well as declining municipal budgets, require specific actions on the part of the communities and their regional political bodies.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• State-of-the-art research on successful measures for municipalities confronted with a declining development
• Development of a classification regarding reaction strategies and their implentation in the Austrian East Region (Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland)
• Definition and illustration of a draft for courses of action for municipalities
• Designing a virtual handbook and a “map of possibilities”
• Professional preparation and moderation of focus workshops
• Organiation of field trips

Hannes Schaffer gave lectures on project management in environmental projects for students of the mastercourse “Environmental Technology & International Affairs”.

Students get an introduction to:

• Project management and controlling
• Project management tools
• International approach to environmental projects
• Communication in international projects

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Lecture “Introduction to environmental project management” including group works and discussions

Some of the main topics of the online survey conducted within the frame of the development of a Regional Framework Concept for Dunkelsteinerwald are: Satisfaction with communal services, important issues for the population, future challenges and knolwedge in the region. The results and recommendations for action were considered in the concept and are incorporated in the goals of future communal cooperations.

project website: link

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Development and discussion of the questionnaire together with the Regional Management and Regional Assistance
• Technical setup of the survey and live testing
• Online activation of the survey and monitoring
• Broad documentation of results and analysis
• Recommendations for action

mecca supported the Government of Carinthia in the creation of the Regional Energy Concept for Upper Carinthia.  The goal is to use spatial planning to lay the groundwork for addressing critical questions facing Carinthia’s energy future. This should provide the basis for energy security through increasing the energy independence of Carinthia while at the same time improving the value added aspect by focusing on regional power generation. As results are gathered, they are to be used to develop a detailed energy concept in cooperation with the municipalities and key stakeholders.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Analysis of the renewable energy potential in Upper Carinthia (Districts of Spittal and Hermagor)
• Development of spatial and site criteria for the rough estimation of sites for renewable energy installations
• Business environment analysis of key stakeholders at the State level in order to achieve stronger agreement on spatial planning and energy
• Project management
• Event organisation (e.g. organising an “Energy Day” open to the public)
• Networking, communication and public relation activities

The LEADER Region Southern Lower Austria has decided to become a climate and energy model region. mecca provides support to the region, in cooperation with the Energy Park Bruck an der Leitha, in submitting a funding application to the Climate and Energy Fund’s program “Climate and Energy Model Regions”.

project partner: Energiepark Bruck

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elaboration of a performance description for the application
• Assistance with the development of the funding application
• Coordination of the application submission including auditing the submission documents for completeness
• Project management
• Moderation
• Networking

A regional energy concept with a strong focus on practical relevance was developed over a 6 month period through involving key stakeholders in the region.
To ensure that the solutions presented are practical and feasible, mecca engaged in intensive discussions with local authorities, plant operators, companies and producers in the region.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Analysis of current energy situation of the LEADER region
• Potential assessment
• Individual target definition
• Elaboration of a roadmap for the realisation of a sustainable energy future
• Public relations activities and communication
• Project development and project management
• Support in planning processes
• Moderation
• Networking

The LEADER Region Römerland Carnuntum has decided to become a climate and energy model region. mecca provided support to the region, in cooperation with the Energy Park Bruck an der Leitha, in submitting a funding application to the Climate and Energy Fund’s program “Climate and Energy Model Regions”.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elaboration of a performance description for the application
• Assistance with the development of the funding application
• Coordination of the application submission including auditing the submission documents for completeness
• Project management
• Support of pilot projects in the region: Regionale Solarliga 2012, 2013 (Regional Solar League 2012, 2013)

In the course of the annual LEADER region evaluation mecca supported the LEADER management. An extensive questionnaire for different target groups led to interesting results for future LEADER work.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Draft and discussion of the questionnaire together with the LEADER management
• Technical setup of the survey and live testing
• Online activation of the survey and monitoring
• Documentation of results and analysis

The development process for the municipalities of the micro region Dunkelsteinerwald includes a joint vision of the measures that need to be taken in order to achieve the following goals:

• Intensify both the communication and cooperation across municipal borders, giving a clear definition and identity to the micro region ‘Dunkelsteinerwald’
• Generate wider interest in the continuation of cooperative work in planning and executing projects
• Implement concrete projects that improve the visibility of the positive effects of cooperative action

project partner: im-plan-tat

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Foundational research, SWOT analysis, online survey
• Establishing of topics and target groups
• Draft of general principles and targets fr the micro region
• Elaboration of a measures and project catalogue
• Creating and moderating events
• Project development and project management
• Event management
• Support in planning processes
• Moderation
• Networking

RECOM is a cooperation project between the organisations in each country (Austria, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary) that have extensive experience in regional development through cross-border cooperative initiatives. The goal of the project is to increase the acceptance of cross-border activities through promoting awareness and intensifying participation in cooperative endeavours on both sides of the borders.
To support this effort, more bi- and multilateral workshops, excursions, and retreats will be coordinated with the following themes:

• Environment and Energy
• Job market and Business
• Traffic and Mobility
• Education and Qualifications

Countries: AT, SK, CZ, HU

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Assistance with the professional preparation of events
• Organisation and briefing of referents
• Workshop moderation and field trip management
• Protocolling and documentation of the results
• Evaluation of the events

The government of Lower Austria wants an early start to define their position within the future configuration of the EU Programme for European Territorial Cooperation (ETC).  The findings will be incorporated into the intra-Austrian discourse and then discussed further and carried out at the state level. In the end, this should include agreement with the partner programmes in the neighbouring countries of the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. mecca is consulting the Lower Austrian task group and producing a discussion paper on the future of the ETC in Lower Austria.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Development of the content structure of the discussion paper
• Creation of a thesis paper and discussion within the task group
• Producing of a first draft of the discussion paper, presenting to task group for review
• Finalisation of the discussion paper, presentation to the State of Lower Austria

 A regional energy concept for the LEADER region Niederösterreich-Süd was prepared by Energiepark Bruck. mecca’s contributions include drafting a range of maps for improving the quality of presentation of all data concerning the following topics: energy production, wind power, geothermal energy, forestal biomass, agrarian biomass, photovoltaics and solar energy. Additionally, mecca coached the client in terms of public relations and moderated workshops.

project website: http://www.leader-noe-sued.at/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=49&Itemid=39

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Coaching and strategy development
• Moderation of workshops
• Management of geodata incl. data preparation
• Cartography and layout

MOVE is a cross-border EU project within the framework of ETC (European Territorial Cooperation) SI-AT. mecca provided support to the participating regions in Austria and Slovenia by preparing a SWOT analysis concerning renewable energy and energy efficiency. This analysis is intended to be utilised as an overview for the 55 MOVE network partners on the potentials, opportunities, risks, and challenges in terms of renewable energy within these 8 regions.

project website: http://www.move.si

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Data research as a basis for a SWOT analysis
• Interviews with regional players and key stakeholders
• Preparation of reports incl. visualisations
• Presentations at international project meetings
• Event organisation
• Moderation

The main objective of this cross-border project is the establishment of a sustainable canoeing tourism industry, which brings an added value to the regional economy, while operating within the framework of ETC AT-HU. The river Leitha, located in the border region between Austria and Hungary, offers many opportunities for an excellent canoeing experience. The ‘Small Leitha’ area is especially well-suited for beginners. In order to establish canoeing as a viable tourist industry for the region, the needed infrastructure (marinas, signage, water-sports centre) has to be built or modernised and the waterway has to be cleared on a regular basis. Trough this type of sustainable water tourism, the regional added value can be increased and existing networks can be extended.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Assistance in preparing the ETC application
• Ongoing project management
• Meeting organisation
• Development of guide and information systems

Lower Austria is partner in the INTERREG IVC Project „CATCH_MR – Cooperative Approaches to Transport Challenges within the Metropolitan Regions“. The project began in January 2010 and continued until 2013. The working language of this project was English. Seven Metropolitan Regions were participating: Berlin (acting as lead partner), Oslo, Gothenburg, Vienna, Budapest, Ljubljana and Rome. CATCH_MR surveyed sustainable transport solutions in cooperative approaches for cities and their suburban areas. mecca focused on the complete content research for the metropolitan region of Vienna – Lower Austria, as well as on online surveys investigating the theme of urban sprawl.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Project management
• Organisation of international workshops
• Online survey on urban sprawl
• Evaluation, reporting and interpretation of the questionnaire

With an “ideas” travel guide we highlighted how to find the creative, business and cultural potential of CENTROPE. Diversity is the strength of the region that covers the intersection of 4 countries: Austria, Slovakia, Hungary and the Czech Republic.

The travel guide “Rich in Ideas: CENTROPE” contains many exciting destinations. As a unique mixture between natural and urban flair in this highly diverse region. We guide you to exciting and unconventional destinations that we’ve divided into five categories for you: museums, initiatives, tourist projects, business and research. By putting these together, our goal is to introduce you to the unique vibrancy of the region. The guide introduces you to innovative and novel businesses that are producing additional value for the region. You should get a unique impression of CENTROPE; about the specialities and many outstanding ideas and exciting initiatives in that region.

In total, the travel guide highlights 88 destinations that are located all around CENTROPE.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

The micro region Ebreichsdorf has decided to become a climate and energy model region. mecca provided support to the region, in cooperation with the Energy Park Bruck an der Leitha, in submitting a funding application to the Climate and Energy Fund’s program “Climate and Energy Model Regions” and assisted in developing the implementation concept, based on which a model region management is to be established on site.

The main challenges of this region are:
–   Increase of energy efficiency
–   Energy self-sufficience
–   More mobility with less individual traffic

project partner: Energiepark Bruck, Regional Development Association for the Industrieviertel Region -Project Management (REVI PM)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Supporting the planning process
• Assistance with preparing the application
• Supervising the submission of documents including reviewing submissions for completeness
• Project management
• Assistance in developing the implementation concept: energy consumption analysis, energy savings potential, potential for renewable energy installations, regional SWOT analysis
• Formulating goals and strategies for the energy politics of the region
• Generating progress reports
• Event organisation
• Moderation

According to the strategy for the Baltic Sea Region, an EU strategy for the Danube Region should be prepared by the end of 2010. Therefore, Austria is about to prepare a common statement including papers from the state goverments.

mecca supports Lower Austria in identifying relevant topics and preparing arguments for Lower Austria to take on a leadership role in coordinating further development of the Danube Region Strategy.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Substantial research of existing documents and strategies
• Preparation of arguments including facts and illustrations
• Presentation of links and similarities in the statements of other (state) governments

The bicycle rental system “nextbike” functions as a link between individual and public transportation. Nextbike offers everyone without access to their own bicycle the opportunity to travel short distances within the city quickly and comfortably. In addressing traffic issues, the combination of nextbike with public transit options is a sensible approach. The bicycles do not have to be brought back to the starting point but can be dropped at any bike station in the city. Rather than cost-intensive high tech solutions, nextbike offers a simple and affordable rent-a-bike system. nextbike has already installed a successful network of return stations in more than 20 cities in Austria, Germany and New Zealand. The feasibility study analysed the requirements for setting up a nextbike network in the city of Sopron.

The aim of the feasibility study is to point out, under which circumstances it is possible to establish this type of public bike sharing system in Sopron.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Foundational research
• Preparation of the business plan
• Recommendations

The state government of Carinthia wants to foster academic and extracurricular activities in environmental education. mecca prepared a feasibility study to analyse organisational and content-related aspects of these activities in order to stengthen cooperation and networking of all key stakeholders.

Project partner: LWK Civil Engineer GmbH, Austrian Ecology Institute, Vienna

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Research of key stakeholders in environmental education in Carinthia
• Preparation of the feasibility study: content, organisation, financing
• Moderation of workshops
• Strengthening the network of key stakeholders

Although mobility is one of the key issues that needs to be addressed in order to achieve national and international climate protection targets, it has been disregarded in a regional context. The project ClimateMOBIL analyses the ability of regions to manage mobility in terms of energy efficiency, as well as issues related to climate protection in rural areas. Action research or working in cooperation with existing structures and models in order to develop strategies for sustainable mobility management is the primary research method utilised in this project.  mecca’s research partners are: Energy Park Bruck on the Leitha, Mobility Central Burgenland and the Upper Austria Transit Authority

The project result is a standardised requirements catalogue for a successful mobility management, which clearly contributes to environment protection and energy efficiency.

project partner: Vienna University of Technology (Institute of Transportation, Research Center of Transport Planning and Traffic Engineering), Austrian Ecology Institute Vienna, Austrian Energy Agency

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Support in planning processes
• Overall project management
• Dissemination
• Lead processing of the work packages “Mobility management in (energy) regions” and “Regional lab Mobility”
• Assistance in processing the work packages “Instruments of mobility evaluation” and “Structures of mobility management”

The exhibition “People in Centrope” was prepared by mecca in 2008 on behalf of the Planning Association East and the City of Vienna (MA 18).  Placed within the City Hall of Bratislava, the exhibition provided comprehensive insight into the planning and development activities in the CENTROPE region.
With support from out partners, iService and ComPress we prepared a large and open exhibit that welcomed Rudolf Schicker (Vienna), Deputy Mayor of Bratislava; Dr. Tomáš Korček, Thomas Madreiter (Spatial Planning, Vienna) and Dr. Michal Babiar (Spatial Planning, Bratislava).

Countries: AT, SK

project partner: iService Medien & Werbeagentur

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Preparation of content (publication, poster, invitations)
• Layout and printing of brochures
• Translation (AT-SK)
• Organisation of exhibit construction and removal
• Exhibit design and event organisation

The core task of the cross-border project “Network for Labourmarket Cooperation in the Border Region HU-AT (NetLab)” is the establishment of a cross-border network of regional social partners and labour market related stakeholders and institutions in the border regions of Austria and Hungary (the Lower Austrian Industrieviertel, Burgenland, West Hungary). Know-how transfer, awareness raising and the preparation of common strategies regarding the following topics should be achieved: lack of qualified employees, comparability of qualifications, cross-border employment service, etc.

mecca took part in the organisation of the first network meeting.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Preparation of the network meetings
• Moderation of meetings
• Supporting the evaluation of the event

mecca supported the LEADER management region Römerland Carnuntum in organising the exhibition “People in Centrope” in Bruck on the Leitha, which was originally presented in the Planning Workshop Vienna. In 2008, mecca and partners prepared the exhibition on behalf of the Planning Association East and the City of Vienna (MA 18), which provided comprehensive insight into the planning and development activities in the CENTROPE region.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Preparing invitations and press reports
• Organisation and coordination
• Guided tours

With the ETC project EUREGIO city.net, the Weinviertel Management aims at fostering a border-crossing city network Weinviertel-South Moravia. The main objectives are an increased cooperation between the cities and regional centres as well as a coordination of future development in the fields of sustainable city development, social and generational affairs and culture and education.
The following cities are involved: Deutsch-Wagram, Gänserndorf, Groß-Enzersdorf, Marchegg, Strasshof an der Nordbahn, Hollabrunn, Retz, Zistersdorf, Korneuburg, Stockerau, Laa an der Thaya, Mistelbach, Poysdorf and Wolkersdorf (Weinviertel, AT); Břeclav, Hodonín, Hustopeče, Kyjov, Mikulov, Moravský Krumlov and Znojmo (South Moravia, CZ).

Publication (German/Czech): EUREGIO city.net

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Interviewing the cities concerning their main focus of development
• Research and analysis of statistical data
• Identification of potential cooperation topics
• Preparation of a bilingual publication – content, project management and editing
• Scientific support in preparing the EUREGIO conference and 3 thematic working groups

Based on the network of hiking trails in the micro region of Wolkersdorf , which was prepared by mecca in 2008, a google map was drafted as a flexible PR instrument. The map shows trails and additional information concerning attractions along these trails. Standard map features like zooming or the printing of sections are available.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Transfer of survey results into a Google map
• Adding of interactive links and attractions
• Structuring of map-icons
• Preparation of pdf-documents for single municipalities
• Linking with other websites (eg. micro region Wolkersdorf)

A regional energy concept for the LEADER region Römerland Carnuntum was prepared by Energy Park Bruck an der Leitha. mecca’s contributions include drafting a range of maps for improving the quality of presentation of data concerning the following topics: energy production, wind power, geothermal energy, forestal biomass, agrarian biomass, photovoltaics and solar energy. Additionally, mecca coached the client in public relations activities and moderated workshops.

project website: http://www.energiepark.at/start.html

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Coaching and strategy development
• Management of geodata incl. data preparation
• Cartography und layout
• Moderation of workshops, event management

Based on the LEADER initiative of 2007-2013, the establishment of “Learning Regions” is a key objective within Austria. The preparation and implementation of a regional learning strategy should strengthen lifelong learning and support the regional knowledge management.

project partner: Bildungs- und Heimatwerk Niederösterreich (Adult Education Lower Austria)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Establishment of a network for training and learning
• Elaboration of a regional learning strategy
• Identification of pilot projects
• Elaboration of a regional business plan
• Analysis of the regional institutions for education and training
• Conduct of an online survey
• Preparation and moderation of regional network meetings
• Event organisation

20 years have passed since the fall of the iron curtain. Since then, cross-border cooperation has become an integral part of neighbouring regions in Europe. Innovative initiatives connect once separated regions. The EUREGIO Innovation Award 2009 is given by the regional management of Lower Austria and its partners to innovative, cross-border projects working on the “European Neighbourhood”. mecca provides support for the preparation and implementation of the event.

Countries: AT, SK, CZ, HU

Project Website: www.euregioforum.at/innopreis01.html

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elaboration of the tender and concretisation of the task
• Preparation of the nomination for the jury meeting
• Providing the jury wih documents
• Prganisation and moderation of the jury meeting
• Presentation of the awardees and the projects in a publication
• Organisation and implementation of the innovation award
• Public relations activities
• Event organisation

Based on the LEADER initiative of 2007-2013, the establishment of “Learning Regions” is a key objective within Austria. The preparation and implementation of a regional learning strategy should strengthen lifelong learning and support the regional knowledge management.

Project website: link

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Establishment of a network for training and learning
• Elaboration of a regional learning strategy
• Identification of pilot projects
• Elaboration of a regional business plan
• Analysis of the regional institutions for education and training
• Conduct of an online survey
• Preparation and moderation of regional network meetings

The project aims at developing tools for measuring the energy efficiency of existing and planned settlements, including the type of building development, location-dependent traffic relations and energy supply. Based on these findings, spatial planning instruments are assessed concerning their effects on energy efficiency and recommendations for measures are being made.

Project Website: http://www.energieeffizientesiedlung.at

project partner: Austrian Institute for Regional Studies (ÖIR) and Spatial Planning, pos Architects

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Module 1: Identification of criteria for measuring the energy efficiency of settlements
• Module 2: Setting up of an evaluation tool incl. test runs (four settlements)
• Module 3: Specification of potential steering instruments incl. recommendations
• Module 4: Impact analysis of the dynamic system model
• Module 5: Communication with relevant stakeholders and consideration of feedback

The Lower Austrian Spatial Planning Act (NÖ ROG) regulates procedures and thematic issues for spatial planning on a local and regional scale. It has been amended several times since it came into force in 1976 in order to meet the ongoing changes in spatial needs. Even nowadays Lower Austria has to react to this process of change. This evaluation identifies issues with high need for action from a supra-regional perspective and gives recommendations for a revised Spatial Planning Act.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

Based on the LEADER initiative of 2007-2013, the establishment of “Learning Regions” is a key objective within Austria. The preparation and implementation of a regional learning strategy should strengthen lifelong learning and support the regional knowledge management.

project partner: Bildungs- und Heimatwerk Niederösterreich (Adult Education Lower Austria)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Establishment of a network for training and learning
• Elaboration of a regional learning strategy
• Identification of pilot projects
• Elaboration of a regional business plan
• Analysis of the regional institutions for education and training
• Conduct of an online survey
• Preparation and moderation of regional network meetings

Based on the LEADER initiative of 2007-2013, the establishment of “Learning Regions” is a key objective within Austria. The preparation and implementation of a regional learning strategy should strengthen lifelong learning and support the regional knowledge management.

Project website: www.leader-noe-sued.at/

project partner: Bildungs- und Heimatwerk Niederösterreich (Adult Education Lower Austria)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Establishment of a network for training and learning
• Elaboration of a regional learning strategy
• Identification of pilot projects
• Elaboration of a regional business plan
• Analysis of the regional institutions for education and training
• Conduct of an online survey
• Preparation and moderation of regional network meetings

Based on the LEADER initiative of 2007-2013, the establishment of “Learning Regions” is a key objective within Austria. The preparation and implementation of a regional learning strategy should strengthen lifelong learning and support the regional knowledge management.

project partner: Bildungs- und Heimatwerk Niederösterreich (Adult Education Lower Austria)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Establishment of a network for training and learning
• Elaboration of a regional learning strategy
• Identification of pilot projects
• Elaboration of a regional business plan
• Analysis of the regional institutions for education and training
• Conduct of an online survey
• Preparation and moderation of regional network meetings

The touring exibition “European Region – People in Centrope” presents the economic, ecological and social development of the European cross-border region Centrope, which covers parts of Austria, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. A in-depth document detailing more that 50 different topics related to the Planning Association East was produced for the event. The project received an award of excellence from the UNESCO-Commission for it’s contributions to the UN “Decades Project”.

Project Website: www.wien.gv.at/stadtentwicklung/veranstaltungen/ausstellungen/europaregion/

German: www.wien.gv.at/stadtentwicklung/studien/pdf/b008030.pdf
Slovak: www.wien.gv.at/stadtentwicklung/studien/pdf/b008032.pdf
Czech: www.wien.gv.at/stadtentwicklung/studien/pdf/b008031.pdf

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Project management and project coordination
• Exhibition design
• Detailed definition of the concept and topics
• Broad research concerning contents and illustrations
• Editing of the exhibition panels and the publication
• Guided tours and organisation of events
• Public Relations Activities

In 2008 the EUREGIO Innovation Award was offered for the seventh time by the regional management of Lower Austria and its partners (Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) for innovative, cross-border projects under the slogan “Ready for Projects – Start of new cooperations”. mecca supported the preparation and implementation of the event.

Countries: AT, SK, CZ, HU

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elaboration of the tender and concretisation of the task
• Preparation of the nomination for the jury meeting
• Providing the jury wih documents
• Prganisation and moderation of the jury meeting
• Presentation of the awardees and the projects in a publication
• Organisation and implementation of the innovation award
• Public relations activities
• Event organisation

The ETC programme Slovakia-Austria 2007-2013 defines the availability of information for potential project partners as a major issue. Therefore the German translation of the English Implementation Manual provides detailed information on the programme and the submission of applications for Austrian project partners.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Translation of the handbook (English – German)

In the micro region of Wolkersdorf (nine municipalities) single hiking paths already existed. The ‘Hiking Path Network Wolkerdorf’ completes a network of trails totaling 90km in length and including both circular and inter-connected routes. After careful and detailed research, all the distances, attractions and accompanying signage were also prepared by mecca. Funding aspects, the central theme, as well as possible additional outputs (hiking maps, information boards for municipalities) were discussed in several workshops.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Organisation and moderation of three project workshops
• Preexamination of the existing paths
• Detailed field research in all municipalities, detailed routing
• Funding advice (LEADER, Lower Austrian Landscape Fund, …)
• USP, competitiveness
• Labelling maps for each municipality
• Tendering the production of signs and hiking maps
• Development of a guide and info system
• Moderation

As a part of a pan-regional effort to develop a master plan for urban development, mecca drafted a set of planning atlases for the city of Santana in the Romanian Banat region. The atlases display Santana’s current situation based on large scale measures of European standards at both a local and a regional level. It also displays the current and future opportunities for Santana’s development. The collection was prepared in English and Romanian.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

Drafting the atlas collection with the following geographical and thematic set-up:

• Position in Europe, supraregional, regional
• Santana and its surroundings: main roads and railroads; agriculture and industry
• Detailed view: roads and railroads; spatial planning: centres and subcentres; zoning: protected areas; living: expansion areas; shopping and technical services; tourism; health services; education and leisure, sports; culture and public buildings

As part of the preliminary proceedings of the environmental impact assessment S3 Weinviertler Schnellstraße Hollabrunn Süd – Guntersdorf an expert assessment was provided on the topics of landscape, leisure and recreation as well as people, communities and businesses.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

Module 3 of the new ‘Settlement Development Concept “East”‘ provide innovative strategies for overcoming unwanted spatial phenomena such as urban sprawl and the practice of land banking. mecca developed new tools for spatial planning in cooperation with key stakeholders as existing tools proved to be ineffective in managing the contemporary issues. Therefore, mecca developed a new set of tools capable of being adapted to the differentiation in strategy, resource management and policy demands of the various regions.

The focus lays on:
–   Land policy
–   Regional master planning
–   Cooperation in sectorial planning using the example of energy

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Impact analysis of existing spatial planning tools
• Comparison with European best-practice examples
• Identification of three focus issues
• Preparation, arrangement and moderation of experts workshops
• Recommendations on new spatial tools and strategies for the “Cooperative Planning Committee East”

The roadshow offers information on available funds for SME within Burgenland with the focus being on the Phasing Out-Programme (objective 1 follow-up). In four events (opinion leaders, tourism, enterprises & innovation) the different funding agencies were presented and discussions were moderated to help clarify the remaining issues. Target groups of the project were: regional small and medium sized enterprises, banks, tax consultants, politicians and the press.

project partner: ÖAR Regional Consulting

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Planning, organisation and realisation of the events
• Moderation
• Drafting of invitations
• Preparation of information packages for lecturers and table hosts
• Overall project management
• Documentation

The national parks Thayatal and Podyji neighbour each other along the border between Austria and the Czech Republic. The parks are working to harmonise their management of natural resources within the joint project framework of the ‘European Territorial Cooperation (ETC) Austria – Czech Republic’. The aims of this project are coordinated research to safeguard the future development of the area, the preservation of biodiversity and the improvement of habitats.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Assistance in preparing the ETC application
• Supervising the submission of documents including reviewing submissions for completeness
• Ongoing project management

REGIO Energy analyses feasible potentials of renewable energy in all administrative districts in Austria for 2012 and 2020. Before the project began, the technical and reduced technical potential for renewable energy was documented and analysed. The effects of bureaucratic requirements and spatial planning on these potentials play a major role in the projects.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Meeting organisation
• Networking

District-wise analysis of the following energy types:

• Biomass
• Solar heat and photovoltaics
• Wind power
• Small hydro
• Kleinwasserkraft
• Geothermics
• Ambient heat (heat pumps)

Politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants of the Weinviertel Ost Region were prepared for the LEADER period of 2007-2013. In addition to fulfilling all of the formal criteria for applying as a LEADER region, this project prepared the local development strategy, created a common regional perspective and developed projects identified as being central to the success of the upcoming programme period.

project partner: DI Richard Resch

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Regional analysis
• SWOT analysis
• Project development and project management
• Support of the planning process
• Identification of regional objectives and detailing of critical success factors
• Identification of main topics and fields of activities
• Organisation and moderation of workshops and meetings with politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants

Politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants of the Lafnitztal Region were prepared for the LEADER period of 2007-2013. In addition to fulfilling the formal criteria for applying as a LEADER region, this project prepared the local development strategy, created a common regional perspective and developed projects identified as being central to the success of the upcoming programme period.

project partner: Projektberatung Schlögl

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Project development and project management
• Support of the planning process
• Identification of main topics and fields of activities
• Organisation and moderation of workshops and meetings with politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants

Politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants of the Auland Carnuntum Region were prepared for the LEADER period of 2007-2013. In addition to fulfilling all of the formal criteria for applying as a LEADER region, this project prepared the local development strategy, created a common regional perspective and developed projects identified as being central to the success of the upcoming programme period.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Regional analysis
• SWOT analysis
• Project development and project management
• Support of the planning process
• Identification of regional objectives and detailing of critical success factors
• Identification of main topics and fields of activities
• Organisation and moderation of workshops and meetings with politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants
• Preparation of the LAG structure and the financing plan
• Preparation of the official document for application as LEADER region
• Organisation and moderation of workshops and meetings with politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants

Politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants of the Marchfeld Region were prepared for the LEADER period 2007-2013. In addition to fulfilling the formal criteria for applying as a LEADER region, this project prepared the local development strategy, created a common regional perspective and developed projects identified as being central to the success of the upcoming programme period.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Regional analysis
• SWOT analysis
• Project development and project management
• Support of the planning process
• Identification of regional objectives and detailing of critical success factors
• Identification of main topics and fields of activities
• Organisation and moderation of workshops and meetings with politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants
• Preparation of the LAG structure and the financing plan
• Preparation of the official document for application as LEADER region
• Organisation and moderation of workshops and meetings with politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants

Potential project holders and key stakeholders from Austria and Hungary were brought together in workshops in order to develop their theoretical knowledge of ETC programmes as well as provide practical tips about the Lead Partner Principle and develop ETC programmes. By using workshops, mecca creates an environment where potential partners from the border regions begin to build the necessary networks. The goal of the project is to bring potential partners together in the ETC programme through establishing a common knowledge base.

Countries: AT, HU

project partner: West Pannon Regional Development Agency

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Project management and project coordination
• Moderation
• Research and preparation of common topics/projects
• Elaboration of eligible Lead Partner project holder structures
• Organisation and moderation of Workshops for possible project owners

The European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) is a new legal instrument at the service of cooperation between European regions and EU member states. It is directly applicable to all 27 EU member states and aims at creating so-called EGTCs, which are legal entities. An EGTC can organise and manage cross-border-, transnational- or interregional cooperation measures.
The handbook provides basic information on the EGTC with focus on the specific case of programme/project management for interested regions and institutions.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Research and content related preparation of the handbook
• Development of a roadmap for establishing an EGTC
• Drafting the illustrations
• Organisation, moderation and preparation of the INTERACT seminar

For the first time, the energy potential from renewable sources such as biomass, wind power and geothermics has been measured in Eastern Austria. Utlitising GIS modelling software, the energy potential from areas as small as municipalities and micro regions has been graphically displayed. This tool will act as an important asset for regions developing their future energy policies. This project was successfully developed by engaging in focused and regular communication with all key stakeholders.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Content research and analysis
• Overall project management, information transfer and documentation
• Organisation and Moderation of the steering group of the PGO
• Organisation and moderation of several expert workshops
• Support of additional (external) modules
• Final report and preparation of the map collection
• Publication

The Programme Complement (PC) is the principal programme guidance for the Operational Programme of ETC. It describes operative details and gives detailed information on programme management and implementation. The PC reflects the three strategic priorities of the operational programme as well as the three horizontal guiding principles for implementation: sustainable development, equal opportunities and cross-border partnership.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elaboration of the programme manual
• Organisation development
• Moderation of large group meetings

The bilingual handbook was drafted mainly for applicants and project partners. Additional information on handling standard tasks efficiently was presented to relevant authorities. Usability, clarity and completeness were emphasised during the work process.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Organisation of bilateral workshops
• Evaluation and consideration of basic documents (IQ train handbook, PC light, …)
• Moderation
• Establishment of web documents to be edited by the team simutaniously (google doc)
• Drafting of the English handbook

The regional economy of the Austrian-Hungarian border region is traditionally small-scaled due to administrative borders and topography. To stay competitive in the European context, the local SME’s need to cooperate intensively and build up their cross-border networks. Thereby, common strategies can be developed to increase innovation and create added value for the entire region.

Countries: AT, HU

Project Website: http://www.regionet-aktiv.eu

Project partner: IBS – Schlögl Engineering Consultants, Institute of Systemic Development GmbH, West Pannon Regional Development Agency

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Setting up of partnerships between regional organisations in the border region
• Regional analysis
• Identification of common cross-border strategies
• Development of a supraregional cooperation model
• Development of sustainable implementation strategies
• Project development and project management
• Moderation

Politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants of the Triestingtal Region were prepared for the LEADER period of 2007-2013. In addition to fulfilling all of the formal criteria for applying as a LEADER region, this project prepared the local development strategy, created a common regional perspective and developed projects identified as being central to the success of the upcoming programme period.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Regional analysis
• SWOT analysis
• Identification of regional objectives and detailing critical success factors
• Identification of main topics and fields of activities
• Preparation of the LAG structure and the financing plan
• Preparation of the official document for application as LEADER region
• Organisation and moderation of workshops and meetings with politicians, regional stakeholders and inhabitants
• Project development and project management
• Support of the planning process

The EUREGIO forum brought Lower Austria together with its neighbours based on their common interest in cross-border programmes to promote sustainability. In light of the establishment of the “Lead Partner Principle” and in combination with the new programme planning period, the partners are facing many new challenges. It is therefore especially important to establish a common structure for cross-border cooperation between regional institutions and to ensure that the network that is established is capable of taking on (and overcoming) these new challenges in every facet of the program.

Countries: AT, SK, HU

Project Website: http://www.euregioforum.at/innopreis01.html

project partner: West Pannon Regional Development Agency, Regional Development Association Central Lower Austria, Regional Management of Burgenland

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Establishement of networks
• Organisation and management of networks
• Design of communication instruments
• Implementation of training methods
• Technical support, seminars, know-how transfer, staff training (SME-service, regional integration, communication, networks and integrated tourism development)

The growing energy demand and increasing prices of conventional energy sources promise a great growth potential of renewable energy in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The expansion of the academic course on Renewable Energy in the CEE creates great opportunities for an internationalisation of the course contents and its participants.

Countries: AT, SK, HU

Project Website: newenergy.tuwien.ac.at/home/

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Project development and project management
• Development of an expansion strategy for the expansion and consolidation of the academic course
• Organisation, moderation, documentation and postprocessing of an international conference (topic: training and development in respect of renewable energy in CEE)
• Elaboration of proposals for MSc Renewable Energy – Second generation

Cross-border cooperation is more important than ever: European competition between regions, EU funds, the disappearance of borders for international markets as well as population concentration in metropolitan areas all contribute to the urgency of establishing strong regional relations. The INTERREG IIIA Project Citynet supports cross-border cooperation of municipalities and cities in the Austrian-Hungarian border Region.

Project partner: Lower Austrian Villages and Cities Renewal Agency, City of Baden, City of Köszeg, City of Sopron, Stadtland – Engineering Office for Spatial Planning, Regional Development, Landscape Planning and Landscape Conservation, Wiener Neustadt

Countries: AT, HU

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Citynet catalogue: Publication of main fields of development
• Citynet workshops: Expert events regarding environment, renewable energy, education, city marketing and tourism
• Periodic information events and meetings with network partners
• Citynet platform: Extention of the city network as cross-border platform and development of sustainable management solutions
• Citynet international: Cross-border experience exchange, potential involvement in transnational projects
• Exhibit design, event organisation and moderation of network meetings
• support in planning processes
• network building and maintenance

The municipality of Suhareka, Kosovo decided to revitalise its policy framework for development and growth. Therefore, a new Municipal Development Plan was drafted in parallel with the Urban Development Plan based on GIS for the first time. Additionally the administrative staff was trained to work with the data in the future.

Download: Suhareka Environment for the future.

project partner: Research Unit for Regional Planning and Regional Development (Institute of Spatial Planning, Vienna University of Technology), im-plan-tat, studio urban+, City of Pristina

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Elaboration of a Municipal Development Plan for the region Suva Reka
• Elaboration of an Urban Development Plan for the region Suva Reka

Based on activities like the academic course on renewable energy in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) and the already existing local networks, the region of Bruck an der Leitha is to be established as a centre for sustainable energy systems with its primary focus on the CEE region. The project consisted of 3 essential components:

• Development and coordination of qualification offers
• Applied research in cooperation with the project partners
• Consulting and energy services

project partner: Energy Centre Bratislava, Municipality Bruck an der Leitha, University of Mosonmagyarovar (HU)

website: http://www.energyprojects.at

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Conception and implementation of an “energy tour” as field trip for the exchange and transfer of know-how
• Documentation of Austrian expertise and reference Projects
• Conception and programming (SQL, PHP, HTML) of an interactive database for renewable energy projects

The new Development Plan of Burgenland includes three elements:

• The Vision represents the basis for sustainable economic, social and ecological development of Burgenland, considering structural changes within the region, e.g. caused by the european integration
• The Strategic Plan translates the vision into concrete, regionally differenciated steps to be taken
• The Regulatory Plan is legally binding and safeguards public interests

project partner: Regionalconsult

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Development of a basic concept and support of compiling a “popular version” of the concept
• Coordination of the planning process
• Workshops, moderation
• Research, evaluation and data analysis
• Draft report and discussion
• Amended version of legal text
• Regulatory plan with regulation text, comments and maps

The handbook for project holders was developed as part of the INTERACT project IQ-Train. It provides basic and practical information on requirements, procedures and relevant institutions of the programmes during the 2007-2013 periode for potential project holders in all languages of the six border regions. The project aims to be an easy-to-read practical overview of the programme requirements that is accessible online.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Preparing of EU programme informations as a handbook
• Development of the handbook structure together with the international steering committee
• Preparing general information on topics like organisation, application, reporting or eligibility
• Preparing information on specific programmes (responsibilities, procedures, forms)
• Preparing a service chapter about minimum requirements for project application, FAQ’s, project checklists etc.

Academic course at the University of Klagenfurt regarding the following questions: How does the idea of establishing a protected area (PA) develop? How can it be promoted effectively?

Project website: http://mpa.e-c-o.at

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Lecturing
• Preparation of teaching materials

The project Együtt was implemented by a network of partners from Lower Austria and Hungary in the framework of INTERREG IIIA. It aimed at establishing cooperation between small- and medium-sized companies from both sides of the border. mecca evaluated whether the project objectives have been achieved and which of the used instruments could be basis for further cooperation in the programme periode of 2007-2013.

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Kick-off-briefing: Identification the of methodic approach
• Research and quantitative evaluation: Comparison of objectives and results of the project
• Stakeholder questionnaire: Interviews with selected companies and economic key players
• Hungarian result assessment: Interviews with participating Hungarian companies on the success of the project and further cooperation possibilities
• Workshop organisation and moderation
• Preparation of the final report

Facing progressive structural changes in agriculture and forestry, peripheral regions are being forced into taking radical steps to protect their economic survival. As a result a Europe-wide movement has begun to move rural regions towards a sustainable economic model. Innovations in sustainable programs within the areas of tourism, energy and resource saving are being watched with anticipation. Students of architecture, spatial planning and civil engineering at the TU Vienna were the main target group of this course.

Project-link: Handout

project partner: Research Unit for Regional Planning and Regional Development (Institute of Spatial Planning, Vienna University of Technology)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Lectures at Vienna University of Technology

The seminar acts as platform for international experts in spatial and environmental planning to clarify and analyse the space and environment politics within their countires. Covered issues so far: Spatial and Environmental Planning in CEE (2009) | Ready, Steady, Go – Strategies how to integrate into European spatial development policies (2007) | „Ideal European regions“ versus „Real European regions“ (2005) | Myths of Metropolis – Urban Density versus Spatial Spreading. The Processes of Concentration in European „Reform Countries“ revisited (2003) | National Spatial Planning in regard to European spatial Development (2002) | National Parks: Treasure or Burden for Regional Development (2000) | Urban Development: „Different problems – Different approaches?“ (1999) | Regional Development Policies (1998)

Project Website: region.tuwien.ac.at/aktuell.html

project partner: Research Unit for Regional Planning and Regional Development (Institute of Spatial Planning, Vienna University of Technology)

Employer:

Catalogue of services:

• Organisation and moderation
• Communication and coordination with international experts
• Lecturing at Vienna University of Technology