Targets of project (general objectives)

  • to create new, lasting jobs by using the endogenous regional potential
  • to contribute a lasting and sustainable improvement of the environment
  • to transfer know-how between the regional and interregional partners
  • to build up a professional location marketing co-operation

    Management of project
    The implementation-structure is organised on two levels, regional and inter-regional. The connection between those two levels is the IPM (international project-management team), which is also responsible for the day to day`s management. The IC (International Steering Committee) follows the project closely to ensure the general objectives of ECOREGION. The ITTs are the international thematic-working-groups.

    Members of IC
    Austria - Mrs. M. Schmeiß; head of the Department for Spatial Planning of the government of Upper Austria
    Finland - Mr Pertti Fagerlund, Director of Physical Planning Unit, Council of Tampere Region
    Ireland - Mr. N. Sweeney; county manager of Offaly
    Lativa - Mr- V. Berzins; county manager of Allazi
    Czech Republic - Ms. V. Drahoradova; major of the city Zelezna Ruda

    ITTs
    ITT Nationalpark:   leading partner is Nationalpark Kalkalpen (Austria)
    ITT SMEs:   leading partner is Council of Tampere (Finland)
    ITT Tourism:   leading partner is Council of Offaly (Ireland)
    ITT RIS;   leading partner is Council of Allazi (Latvia)
    Local acteurs of communities are involved in each ITT to guarantee the co-operation with the inhabitants.
    Virtual exhibition of participating nationalparks/protected areas

    As a common results of the "ITT-nationalpark" a virtual exhibition of the participating nationalparks/protected areas has been established. The exhibition contains the theme water in the wide sense. The visitors get information about nationalparks and water sources. The weather in the region, the intensity of rain, up to big subsoil water resources are themes of the exhibition There are answers about influence in the landscape for example Mooreland, Peatland and Karst.. Further interesting points are the historic economical use of water and information of typical water plants and animals. Finally the visitor gets a lot of information about leisure activities and holiday offers in the nationalpark regions. For attentively people a quiz has been prepared. Interested? Have a look at www.ecoregion.org/exhibition and dive into the world of water. For further information please get in contact with the nationalpark Kalkalpen (email address: region@kalkalpen.at )




    WIC - Wood impulse centre

                                    


    The concept of a virtual wood impulse centre called WIC contains the targets of an ordinary impulse centre for SMEs in the region it is only implemented as an internet-communication platform for SMEs in the woodworking industry. The platform consists of 3 levels of communication possibilities. The internet presents the regions, the SMEs and their products. The intranet is the level for the experience exchange of known members. The extranet is special prepared as a communication platform for the implementation of common projects eg. from construction to build up a wood house. For further information please get in contact with the Mr. Alois Aigner at the Regionalforum Steyr-Kirchdorf (email address: info@regionalforum.at )


    Tourism package ECOREGION

    The international working group of tourism in the ECOREGION project has developed a concept of co-operation in tourism. The concept contains concrete steps of interregional co-operation. The main objectives are the use of the common ECOREGION homepage as a media of advertising, a presentation of a concrete package offer of the nationalpark regions, an additional utility to the regions and the experience exchange of the regional tourism experts. Each regions developed a special package for a 3 days-holiday in the nationalpark regions with its special attractions e.g. hiking with snow-shoes, canoeing tours,... For concrete information please get in contact with Mr. Herbert Reitmann at the TMG - Technology and Marketing Association Upper Austria (email address: reitmann@tmg.at )


    Wood branch meeting

    The main target of the ITT-SMEs was to support the small and medium enterprises in the nationalpark regions. The partners decided to work especially with SMEs in the wood working industry because wood is the raw material of the 3rd millennium. ECOREGION organised two meetings for these SMEs. The meetings in connection with excursion to regional SMEs were implemented in Austria and the Finland. About 30 SMEs took part and used the possibility for know how transfer and experience exchange with international participants. Responsible for these successful meetings are Mr. Ambros Pree at the TMG - Technology and Marketing Association Upper Austria (email address: pree@tmg.at ) and in Finland the Regional Council of Tampere Mrs. Johanna Karimaki (email address: johanna.karimaki@pirkanmaa.fi ). Please contact them for further information.


    Nature tourism - Hiking route infrastructure

    The aims of the pilots based on the application were to implement outdoor infrastructure for nature tourism and nature recreation. The other goals were to implement hiking and canoeing routes with some services.
    The implementing infrastructure has been linked to regional and national green belt corridor from Uusimaa, Nuuksio National Park, through Häme, Torronsuo and Liesjärvi National Parks up to Pirkanmaa, Seitseminen and Helvetinjärvi National Parks. There are ready made hiking routes along the way with only few caps. This route line might be relevant option to Euro routes. In the pilots the Finnish partners implemented about 35 kilometres hiking routes, some kilometres canoeing routes, between Häme and Uusimaa regions and the surroundings of Eerikkilä Sports Centre and Häme Visitors' Centre. Two lean-to shelters, one for public use and the other only for SME use, are built along the route. Four public and SME lean-to shelters inside the corridor are built in Northern part of Pirkanmaa. The pilots connect some SME units to one and other and offer opportunities to nature tourism business. For further information please contact:
    Mr Hannu Raittinen
    Head of Regional Planning
    Regional Council of Häme
    Phone: +358 3 647 4038
    Mobile: +358 500 485 244
    Fax: +358 3 647 4026




    Sanation of the former military base

    During the project the Latvian partners started with the sanation of their former military base. For the recreation of this area the Latvian partners employed 7 unemployed people for the work. The sanation contained that 6 building ruins were demolished, 919 tones of construction waste have been gathered, 3,5 km barbed wire have been collected, 43 hectares of forest have been rehabilitated and 14,8 hectares forest have been re-planted. This territory is now use as a recreational area for tourism. For detailed information please get in contact with Dainuvite Berzina at the Allazi County Council (email address: dainuvite@allazi.lv ).


    RIS - Regional Information System

    For the Czech partners it was important to install a regional information system in the region of Sumava. During ECOREGION they started with the implementation of the RIS to connect the region. Since summer 2001 the region Sumava has its regional information systems. For further and detailed information please contact Mr. Milos Picek at the Regional Development Agency Sumava (email address: picek(at)rras.cz ).


    Recreational Forestry on Cutaway Bogs in Offaly

    The Irish partners implemented in the region of Offaly county the study for recreational forestry on the Cutaway Bogs. The study contained 3 classes of use: forestry/agriculture, bog regeneration/wetland and amenity/recreation. The study concretised the further use of the cutaway bogs. The cutaway bogs offers well condition for amenity, regeneration and nature conservation. For detailed information please contact Mr. Vincent Hussey at the Offaly County Council (email address: vhussey@offalycoco.ie ).



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