From 6 to 11 November, AREPO was in Inárcs, Hungary, participating to several activities organised in the framework of the EU-funded MOVING project (MOuntain Valorisation through INterconnectedness and Green Growth).
Specifically, we firstly took part in the Workshop ‘Unlocking the Power of Mountain Value Chains’ (from November 6 to 8), intended to foster robust connections and facilitate knowledge exchange among around 100 mountain representatives spanning 16 countries and 22 diverse mountain ranges.
Mar Delgado, Project Coordinator, set the tone by highlighting the untapped potential within mountainous territories. “Let’s make our policymakers understand that mountains are not areas with constraints, but territories brimming with opportunities – from their rich diversity and high-quality resources to their pivotal role in providing water and energy. The biggest opportunity is that mountains house a community of motivated actors fighting for the future of mountains,” Prof. Dr. Delgado emphasized.
Attendees actively engaged in discussions focused on addressing common challenges and collaboratively developing shared solutions in five pivotal topics, around which 5 clusters have been built up: Social and demographic change, Value and quality products, Innovation and infrastructure, Nature and ecosystem services, Governance, territoriality, and cooperation.
Besides contributing with inputs to the discussions, AREPO also facilitated two sessions of the workshop dedicated to Cluster on Value and quality products (Cluster V).
Outputs from the thematic discussions will contribute to produce a cross-case comparison report on mountain value chains, under the coordination of Emilia Schmitt, Scientific Coordinator of the project.
Regional foresight exercises also took place. Dominique Barjolle, in charge of coordinating the foresight exercises across the 23 MOVING mountain regions added that “what seems very strange to deal with might seem very clear in some years”. These results will be discussed with an EU-wide Foresight workshop on 11 January 2024 in Brussels, Belgium.
On November 8th, on-site excursions organised by the local hosting partner, Gusztav Nemes, provided firsthand exposure to notable Hungarian socio-ecological initiatives, including the Kóspallag socio-ecological endeavors, Terény socio-ecological initiatives in North-Hungary, and rural development projects led by the Felső-Homokhátság Local Action Group.
The ‘Unlocking the Power of Mountain Value Chains’ Workshop served as a dynamic platform for capacity building, knowledge exchange, networking and fostering collaboration among diverse stakeholders. These people share a commitment to preserving the vitality and prosperity and boosting resilience and sustainability of mountainous regions across Europe.
Over the following days, the MOVING Steering Committee took place. It focused on the progress and the final steps of the project before its end, scheduled for August 2024. Partners discussed the key findings as well as strategies and recommendations on final activities in order to highlight the project key messages.
You can find MOVING Press Release in the column on the right.
