1. The main aim of the project
2. Carried out activities to achieve the project aims and objectives
3. Contribution to gender mainstreaming
4. Contribution to environmental policies
5. Usage of the achieved results
6. Influence of achieved project results in legislation or future policy in spatial planning
7. Transfer of project results to other regions within the Alpine Space area or other European areas
8. Potential activity that could be continued through funding opportunities in the future
9. Project ideas for the next programme period of INTERREG

1.The main aim of the project

The main target of the NENA project was to create an Alpine wide network for and with SME‘s, that recognized sustainable development as a strategic tool. The development of this network was to take place within the framework of the project on the basis of chosen branches. In this case we are talking about the value added chain, timber, and companies from the renewable energy sector. These companies follow the strategy of sustainability and apply themselves to ecologically friendly development. This long-term strategy is reflected in the chosen topics. Here we are talking about regional resources, the value added chain wood, renewable energy and the value added chain connected to it. The target of the project has been achieved, the trans-national organization, the NENA Association, have been founded and an action plan for the continuation of the activities has been drafted. Not only could a trans-national network be formed within the scope of the project but this also took place on a local level and due to the topics there was also close collaboration between expert and/or cluster organizations. An example of this was the close co-operation between the Energy Institute, the ARGE Renewable Energy (250 very small businesses), the Environmental Organization, the Timber Construction Association, the Timber Quality Community and the Forestry Industry that came about in Vorarlberg because of the NENA project. This type of joint work is new and experienced impulses through NENA. Quite similar experiences were made in all of the partner regions. In addition to the main target there were local ideas to be reached during the project: Rhonalps wants to strengthen the solar roofs stock exchange, Bozen raising the sensitization to the project objects showing best practice samples, Piemonte showed SME’s the importance of working together in a cross-sectoral matter, Slovenia would like to convince decision makers to invest in biomass plants with studies and trans-national know-how transfer, Tyrol to force the innovation assistant to strengthen the SME’s; Rosenheim had the goal to enhance the technical knowledge of architects in the fields of wood construction and energy efficiency with the establishment of a msster course. In spite of this seeming heterogeneity and without any doubt the project was a success and builds a suitable basis for further co-operations.

2. Carried out activities to achieve the project aims and objectives

Basically, yes. Even though some of the activities did not achieve the sought after contribution, others made key contributions that guaranteed the success of the project. Work package 6 - Trans-national co-operation, was used to organise joint work and to accomplish sensitisation work for joint activities. The exhibition that was carried out as a joint effort, the production of the video in 7 languages and the involvement of the local businesses contributed to the sensitisation of joint work. On a local level, the intended activities in work package 7 led to close collaborations and local networking. However, consolidating the network will need time. The founded NENA association is an important basis for further cooperation work. On the European plan, the exchanges caused by NENA have permitted an open field of possibilities and bring the proof of feasibility and the need to exchange know-how.

3. Contribution to gender mainstreaming

It would be an exaggeration to claim that the NENA project contributed to more jobs for women. But we would like to highlight the fact that a lot of emphasis was put on youths. In this case a special education program was developed and carried out within the framework of the project, which took technical qualifications as well as social competence of youths into consideration. What has been noticed is that since this special training has been offered, an increasing number of women have taken up these male dominated trades. The project portrayed women in technical careers as attractive and the branch has seen an increase of women coming into the field. Apart from this direct effect, alone through the founding of the network advances have been made in this subject due to the goal of sustainable development. The subject of women in technical careers will also be a topic in the future. For this reason we expect that the project will make a positive contribution to the subject of equal opportunities.
In the project there was no sex discrimination at all, i.e. at a local level the project responsible or the project manger was in 40% of the cases, a woman. The proportion was quite similar with the participants in the muster course and with the innovation assistance.

4. Contribution to environmental policies

The project itself is involved with basic environmental topics, namely the increased use of renewable resources, increased production of eco power on a local level, sustainable and energy efficient construction, regional added value, and so on. These subjects coincide with the environmental policies of the EU. Not only has the NENA project created a consciousness for environmental problems, it has also started concrete measures. This begins with the founding of the network which also follows long lasting goals. In addition, the project set direct measures for businesses in the area of renewable energy. In Vorarlberg, for example, the competition for timber construction architecture with the element of energy efficient construction was amplified and set up as a permanent event within the NENA project. All partners dealt with the environmental focus. Therefore a financing model for the promotion of eco power plants within the framework of the project could be set up; a method to evaluate public buildings on ecological criteria is now developed, a roof stock exchange for photovoltaic is installed, a master course for wood construction with focus of energy efficient buildings is created, and a special course for passive house has started to be exploited. On top of that, in connection with the reduction of transport and CO2 emissions, a service point was set up for the increased use of the local raw material - wood - within the framework of the project.

5. Usage of the achieved results

This question must be answered in different parts. First and foremost, the project results will be used by the NENA network. This institution was founded within the framework of the project and serves as a permanent network for sustainable economic development. The contacts made in the project are the basis and starting point for this trans-national and newly founded network. The participating organisations are cluster organisations or organisations that are engaged in the transfer of knowledge or who work in the area of research. These organisations also profit from the results of the project. They have been able to expand their number of contacts and exchange the know-how that they have accumulated. For example the results of the Energy Institute in relation to the Passive House standard are available to other institutions as a training module or the developed training course of the Rosenheim Technical University. Timber construction technology is also available to the participating organisations. The developments in and around the eco-power stock exchange will be further used by the ARGE Renewable Energy as a tool for the financing of new production plants. The forestry industry set up an office through the NENA project that will be available after the end of the project as well, which will improve the sale of local timer. The education module for young tradesmen and women was established within the framework of the project and will continue to be used. The innovation assistant should help the enterprises find out their chances; the exploitation of the Italian-protocol for the assessment of the environmental sustainability of buildings combined with “Domotics” will force the SME’s in the building sector.
Summary: The results will be used from the NENA-Network itself, enterprises interested in the planning, construction, co-financing and maintenance of: renewable energy, constructors, eco power producer, ecological evaluation services, wood processing enterprises, biomass district heating system providers a.s.o.

6. Influence of achieved project results in legislation or future policy in spatial planning

In answer to this question we can also claim with a certain amount of pride that the tools that were developed within the project will be used to make decisions. Especially the tool that was developed for the ecological evaluation of public buildings is now being considered as a strategic political tool. This tool makes it possible for decision makers to check the sustainability criteria for the construction of public buildings at the planning stage and to make their decisions based on it. In addition, this tool makes it possible to guide policies towards qualitative and sustainable public buildings. With this, the market for high quality constructions will be increased and a general increase of quality within the whole branch will be achieved. This policy guiding tool will also make it possible to increase the competitiveness of the businesses involved on an international level. Another example is the shareholding model for the setting up of eco power production plants. This tool makes it possible for the private person to be involved in decisions concerning investments in renewable energy. It also therefore increases liberalization on the electricity market while at the same time expanding production in the area of renewable energy. It can be assumed that this tool will have an increasing influence on investments in this area in the future. The revised Itaca-protocol will probably be tested in the regional social housing and possibly also in hospitals and buildings in natural parks. Rhonealps mentioned that there is a high interest and a strong political involvement of the Region and of the county of Savoy in the NENA results but the regulatory is at a national level in France.
The Partner Tyrol is convinced that the municipalities will limit provisions on district heating systems to biomass and introduce possible sites for boilers, energy storage systems and heat pipeline routes into their spatial plans. In Styria Results of NENA have been implemented in the Regional Development Plan at the NUTS 3 level and also in some LEADER –Regions.

7. Transfer of project results to other regions within the Alpine Space area or other European areas

Basically, the project results can be transferred to regions outside of the Alpine Space. However, the project results pertain to subjects that are connected to regional peculiarities. For example, timber construction architecture and the specific qualitative timber construction are strengths of the small enterprises in the Alpine Space. Training the young tradesmen and women is a special module that was developed and run by co-operations of small businesses. Wood working branches in other countries outside of the Alpine Space tend not to be structured this small and therefore the results should for the most part, be used increasingly in the Alpine Space. The results of the EcoPower Stock Exchange can readily be used in other areas. The results from the education courses from the Energy Institute concerning the Passive House and the master course of Rosenheim can also be transferred although they will probably be used for the most part in the Alpine Space due to the quality of construction.

8. Potential activity that could be continued through funding opportunities in the future

NENA-Network: The project consortium has developed the results which have special potential for the Alpine Space just for this purpose. A summary of them can be found in the ENERBUILD project. This project concerns itself with the consciousness raising of energy efficient construction as a chance for numerous small enterprises in the Alpine Space. In a future project which will be publicly funded, the demand for high quality construction can be increased which will not only increase jobs but will also increase competitiveness in connection to quality construction. At the same time, the increase in demand will lead to energy saving which are absolutely necessary in order to reach the Kyoto objectives. The NENA consortium has therefore formulated the results constructing them using the insights from the NENA project activities for the distribution of the results, and made a project plan. Also the realisation that the object building (family dwelling, schools, other public buildings and industrial buildings) are objects that use energy but on the other hand offer surface areas and possibilities to produce energy. The NENA consortium wants to use the realisation that there is potential here to widen the future project and make the developed solutions available (architectonic integration of production plants in buildings, technology in the Passive House, energy efficient buildings, energy efficient construction, financing tools for production plants and for energy from renewable resources).
Of course all the partnerships and actions as well as passive building and photovoltaïc will have and maintain the highest level if they benefit from European financial support in addition to regional support (Rhonealp).
If the potentials of the “Innovation assistant” are further developed, implemented and exploited, this tool could help the further development of the new born Nena network (CIPRA).

9. Project ideas for the next programme period of INTERREG

The existing consortium found out that the Alpine Space programme asked for projects which fit totally to the intention of the NENA-Network. Because of this they drafted a project called EMERBUILD. While formulating the project, concrete ideas were held on to and their implementation put down in the planning steps. These can be broken down into two groups, namely:
1. Activities that lead to energy efficient building and
2. Activities that integrate technologies that produce energy in buildings. These two groups make it possible for a large number of small enterprises in the Alpine Space to participate. The planned project should intensify demand, support the development of enterprises and bring about sustainable results for the environment and work places. For a detailed description please see ENERBUILD. (http://enerbuild.leader-vlbg.at/)