NENA is a network of innovation and sustainability oriented enterprises and umbrella organisations accross the Alps. It was developed within the framework of the Interreg IIIB project and will be further financed by the members, a contribution from CIPRA International and possibly Interreg projects.
NENA concentrates on the value added chain of wood, on renewable energies, on energy efficiency and on ecological building. However, in future, the fields may be enlarged.

The aims of the network are to help alpine enterprises to stay innovative and competitive, whilst increasing their contribution to sustainable development. NENA also allows enterprises and their umbrella organisations to exchange experiences, share know-how, and carry out long term cooperation on specific topics within the Alps. NENA partners also have a chance to design and carry out joint projects (possibly with EU funding).

Whereas cooperation platforms at regional, possibly national level do exist, enterprises and their umbrella organisations only seldom cooperate with their counterparts accross the boundaries. This is the chance that the NENA Network offers its members.

In order for the network activities and structures to be developed and carried out, a core group and coordinator have been identified. The core group includes representatives from the different sectors addressed by NENA, coming from several alpine countries. As one of the initiators of the network idea, CIPRA International has the coordination role, in close link with the members and the core group.

During the 2 year Interreg IIIB Project, first activities and products of the network have been built up: This website informs about content and results of the project.

European Enterprise Awards 2008

Presently in these days the Federal Ministry of Economics and Labour of Austria with a independent jury has nominated the project NENA as one of the two projects which represents Austria at the European competition "European Enterprise Awards 2008"!
The Lead-Partner Regional Development Agency Vorarlberg is invited to take part. More about the awards see:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/entrepreneurship/smes/awards/index_en.htm

In the coming years common projects, contests, project calls, communication and marketing are the fields which the network will explore.