1. Newsletter 4
Spring 2011
Commercial zone Zenonberg, Dorf Tirol © MW2011
Inter-municipal cooperation for strategic steering
of SME-oriented location development in the Alps
T he project partners of COMUNIS
met in Lochau near Bregenz (Aus-
tria) in order to present the progress of
Contents
Project-Meeting in Bregenz, Austria 1
the project in the pilot regions. Franz
“Welcome policy” in Western Lyonnais region 2
Rüf and Peter Steurer from Telesis –
Leiblachtal municipalities: cooperation for joint business location
Regional Development Agency Vorarl-
berg, hosted the meeting at the Schloss Joint commercial location development (CLD) in Alpsee-Grünten 3
Hofen in Lochau. Conference - Cluster: Drivers for Regional Competitiveness
Upcoming events 4
Day 1: the partners presented the cur-
5th Transnational project meeting
rent state of implementation in their
COMUNIS at the Alpine Convention
pilot areas: challenges and opportuni-
ties, the goals of the region, the op- Day 2: Three topics were discussed opment has been realized in the re-
erational strategies to reach them and in working groups: 1. Forming of Tan- gion of Vorarlberg. Here, a PSG is set
the implementation model on com- dems, 2. Knowledge Management up as management structure for inter-
mercial location development (CLD). in the project, 3. Structure of Guide- municipal CLD.
The presentations strengthened the lines for CLD. The groups defined and
knowledge of the various regions in the clarified the upcoming tasks. Mayor Day 3: Thanks to good winter tires, the
project and served as a basis for vivid Helmut Blank of the municipality of COMUNIS-group could go on excur-
discussions in the “COMUNIS-World Sulzberg presented to the workshop sion to the Great Walser Valley, where
Café” on the following day. participants how the model of inter- Mr. Bruno Summer, Mayor of St. Ger-
municipal commercial location devel- old, presented the community center
to the participants. Mr. Summer stated
that especially for small municipalities
it is extremely important to work to-
gether in order to fulfill all the public
services that are needed and required.
For the Great Walser Valley, COMUNIS
is an important project to create struc-
tures to assure attractive conditions for
small- and medium sized enterprises
now and in the future. The examples
of the Biosphere Park, the community
center of the municipality of Blons in-
cluding the avalanche memorial site
and the joint alpine dairy of Sonntag,
showed that “working together” will
lead to good practice results.
Peter Steurer
Regionalentwicklung Vorarlberg
The COMUNIS-team in snowy St. Gerold. © PS2010
Alpine Space Programme - European Territorial Cooperation 2007-2013 1

2. www.comunis.eu
“Welcome policy” in Western Lyonnais region
In the French pilot area Tarare, the Chamber of Commerce • an interactive internet platform for promotion and
and Industry of Lyon (CCIL) launches a so-called “Welcome networking;
policy” for enterprises and employees. • the support of economic projects: notably through
The “welcome” policy is part of an economic development business incubators and business hotel telecommuting
strategy aiming at keeping the population within the centres, etc.;
territory. It intends to detect, attract and support the • voluntary municipalities called “hospitality villages”
establishment of new active population (e.g. labor force, with a welcoming committee in each member
entrepreneurs). It follows the innovative and successful municipality;
experience “Solo Soho” (Small Office Small Home) • a communication strategy and communication
established by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of initiatives as well as the coordination of the network
Gers. The concept is based on: (see excerpt of marketing brochure).
The target groups are the entrepreneurs, independent
workers (including liberal professions, e.g. lawyer, doctors,
etc.), and the skilled, qualified workforce that businesses
need in the area. To reach this point, it is necessary to offer
a special welcome and accessibility to various services
(shops, broadband, etc.). These people are both in search
of a pleasant living environment as well as an efficient
infrastructure to grow their business activities and move
their family.
The CCIL, Délégation in Tarare, copilots the construction and
implementation of the initiative in line with the COMUNIS
project. Various partners are involved by technical
and financial support, including the Communautés de
Communes (Association of Municipalities) of Amplepuis/
Thizy, Tarare, Haut Beaujolais and the Haute Vallée
d’Azergue. For further information: http://www.soho-
solo-gers.com
Florine Goncet
Chamber of commerce and industry of Lyon
© Aderly & Chamber of Commerce and Industry Lyon (2011).
Leiblachtal municipalities: cooperation for joint business location
Market town agrees to join COMUNIS strategy in the Leiblachtal Region to Challenges and opportunities
project. support the economic development of
In Leiblachtal efforts will be devoted
the valley. Such strategy should render
Hörbranz was the last municipality in until fall 2011 to gathering data, ana-
possible to promote careful and selec-
Leiblachtal to vote unanimously in fa- lyzing the challenges and opportuni-
tive site development practices with
vour of joining the COMUNIS project ties for the region and to formulating
the support of experts. That should
with the aim of creating a structure goals, strategies and actions for strate-
strengthen the cooperation in the re-
for the joint development of the busi- gy implementation. “The work sched-
gion and improve the job creation op-
ness location. The goal is to develop ule for the year 2011 was presented
portunities in Leiblachtal.
a targeted, inclusive, inter-municipal last week, during the first working
meeting attended by all mayors and
experts, which in fact laid another brick
for the construction of an inter-munic-
ipal cooperation,” said Peter Steurer
of the regional development agency
Regionalentwicklung Vorarlberg, who
presented COMUNIS during the mee-
ting of municipal representatives.
Daniela Lais
Vorarlberger Nachrichten Heimat
Working group meeting with all mayors in Lochau, 03.02.2011 © PS2011
Alpine Space Programme - European Territorial Cooperation 2007-2013 2

3. www.comunis.eu
Joint commercial location development (CLD) in Alpsee-Grünten
Together with the city of Immenstadt but rather the preservation of a “re- guaranteed the best possible frame-
and the municipalities of Burgberg, gional” labour market where the job work conditions and a land supply as
Rettenberg and Blaichach, the town offer is ensured and improved for the diversified as possible.
of Sonthofen plans to entrust the population of Alpsee-Grünten.
The idea in practice: the involved mu-
development and joint marketing of
nicipalities will “hand over” land suit-
commercial areas to a single organi-
able for commercial development to
zation.
a special-purpose association, so that
Despite different initial conditions, all areas can be developed and marketed
five municipalities show similar prob- jointly. That will only apply to lots of
lems: environmental constraints and a certain minimum size; the remaining
limited availability of land and high smaller sized properties will continue
land prices in the long run. Acknowl- to remain the responsibility of individ-
edging the narrow margins of manoeu- ual municipalities. Ensuing costs, reve-
vre for future spatial development, in Joint informative meeting for town and nue, income from sales and corporate
city councillors of the Alpsee-Grünten
the fall of 2009 the COMUNIS project region.© City of Sonthofen 2011 taxes will be allocated according to a
was launched with the aim of develop- predetermined distribution formula.
ing joint land management policies for The strategy: to define common land The barracks area in Sonthofen, which
the five municipalities. management policies that allow de- are being freed up, could be used for
veloping commercial areas in a tar- common CLD purposes.
The results collected so far were pre-
geted and needs-oriented manner.
sented to city councillors during a joint In the coming weeks, the town and
This is possible only if competition for
information event held in February city councils of the five involved mu-
corporate settlements is avoided and
2011 in Sonthofen. nicipalities will assess the tabled pro-
resources are pooled. A suitable divi-
posals and decide on concrete steps to
The goal: to shape a common eco- sion of tasks and duties should help
take for setting up a common special-
nomic space. Given the geographical reduce costs and risks while curbing
purpose association.
proximity and the existing links be- the use of agricultural land. Compa-
tween the municipalities, the decisive nies - particularly existing local enter- Sandra Feuerstein
factor is not where jobs are created, prises which want to expand - must be Stadt Sonthofen
© ewico gmbh 2011
Conference Cluster: Drivers for Regional Competitiveness
Clusters represent a valuable source interconnected support organizations. pants had networking opportunities
of innovation, knowledge transfer and The first conference to be held in Swit- and the chance of discussing future
increased productivity. That is the rea- zerland with such focus will bring to- collaborations. COMUNIS was rep-
son why clusters have become essen- gether internationally renowned aca- resented by the lead partner of the
tial for regions and businesses willing demics, senior managers of clusters project. The conference took place
to achieve innovation and economic as well as political representatives in- on 25 March 2011 at the University of
prosperity. volved in regional economic develop- Fribourg in Switzerland. For further in-
ment. formation: http://www.pst-fr.ch/clus-
Focusing on this theme, the confer-
ter2011
ence “Clusters as Drivers of Regional Best practices taken from real cluster
Competitiveness: Strategic and Policy experiences were presented with a
Issues” discussed issues of geographi- view to initiate and stimulate new re- Nathalie Stumm
University of Applied Sciences
cal concentration of enterprises and gional clusters. During the day, partici-
Western Switzerland
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4. www.comunis.eu
UPCOMING EVENTS
5th COMUNIS Project workshop: 27-28 July 2011, Province of Asti (IT)
Alpine Space Mid Term Conference - Driving Cooperation for the Alps: 16-17 June 2011, Grenoble (F)
Asti: 5th Transnational project meeting
The local develoment agency Langhe actions by local stakeholders. COMUNIS aims at developing
Monferrato Roero (LAMORO) intends cooperative strategies for inter-
Focus on Evaluation and Adaptation municipal Commercial Location
to combine the project meeting with an
Work package 7 “Evaluation and Adap- Development (CLD). By foster-
open conference. Main local stakehold-
tation” is essential for the viability and ing intra-territorial cooperation,
ers that are (in-)directly involved in the
sustainability of project results and in- COMUNIS wants to overcome
pilot action will be invited.
struments after the official end of the individualistic attempts of prob-
The University of Economy of Asti will project. lem solution on the level of single
present main local results. The confer- municipalities. COMUNIS will pro-
Work Package 7 has the main purpose to
ence will be a good chance to collect vide broadly adaptable guidelines
critically evaluate the project develop-
mid-term project results and carry out a to apply such strategies and offer
ment and implementation in the pilot ar-
first evaluation of the obtained results. practical instruments for assess-
eas as well as the consecutive adaptation
Day 1: Presentations by the project ing local and regional demand
of the CLD strategies and instruments
partners and a sum up of outputs and for the steering of CLD. The proj-
based on the experiences made and les- ect will result in a transnational
activities, both in terms of content and sons learnt in the pilot regions. knowledge management and es-
finance.
Valentina Scioneri tablish sustainable structures for
Day 2: Presentation of official publicity managing CLD in the COMUNIS
Langhe Monferrato Roero
pilot areas. The COMUNIS project
COMUNIS at the Alpine Convention: is part of the European Territorial
Cooperation and co-funded by the
Advantages of inter-municipal CLD in mountain areas
European Regional Development
First results and experiences gained their natural geographic conditions, Fund (ERDF) in the scope of the
in the South Tyrolean pilot area Pas- commercial zones and SMEs offer alter- Alpine Space Programme. It runs
seier Valley gained by the Eurac were native work places to people employed from July 2009 to June 2012.
presented at the third meeting of the in agriculture (see table below).
working group “Demography & Em- These links are decisive for the pre- PROJECT PARTNERS
ployment” in January 2011. servation of rural areas. If commercial Lead partner:
Particularly attention was paid to the areas were to be linked and marketed University of Applied Sciences
challenges and opportunities encoun- jointly, a decisive step towards sustain- Western Switzerland, Institut
tered at implementing inter-municipal able regional development planning Economie et Tourisme (CH).
cooperation for CLD at the local level. with regard to the respective Alpine ERDF-Lead partner:
From a socio-economic point of view, Convention protocol would be taken. Chambre de Commerce et
inter-municipal commercial areas are d’Industrie de Lyon (F).
of utmost importance. Especially in Miriam L. Weiß Other partners:
dezentralized mountain areas, with Eurac research Stadt Sonthofen (DE), Eurac-
Research, Institute for Regional
• Increase a region’s attractiveness as a place to work and to live. Development and Location Man-
graphy
Demo-
• Cooperation and identification with the area to foster motivation to stay. agement (IT), Canton du Val-
• Participation in commercial location development of municipalities with- ais Service du développement
out own suitable areas (e.g. due to topographic reasons). économique (CH), Ministero
dell’Ambiente e delle Tutela del
• Preservation of work places by means of strategic planning and adminis-
Occupation
Territorio e del Mare (IT), Bosch
tration of commercial areas in the region.
Partner GmbH (DE), Regionalent-
• Preservation of decentralized work places; particularly of SMEs.
wicklung Vorarlberg (AT), Società
• Offer work places for people employed in agriculture.
Consortile Langhe Monferrato
• Promote cooperation of enterprises and educational institutions.
Roero, settore progetti europei
• Reduction of costs and administrative capacities. (IT), BSC Poslovno podporni cen-
Administ-
ration
• Joint marketing of commercial locations. ter, d.o.o., Kranj (SI), Association
• Spill-over-effect of joint CLD to other common problem areas. Suisse pour le Service aux Régions
et Communes (CH).
Alpine Space Programme - European Territorial Cooperation 2007-2013 4