BEST OF EUSALP Annual Forum and General Assembly 2024

News

Copyright Peter IRMAN

The 9th Annual Forum was held in Brdo Pri Kranju, Slovenia, on the 14th and 15th of November 2024. This event provided a significant opportunity to convene high-level representatives, national delegations, Action Group members, Youth Council members, and various stakeholders. The Forum featured a High-Level Plenary Panel, workshops, and panels addressing Alpine-related issues, as well as Action Group meetings. Additionally, it included the award ceremonies for the Pitch Your Project, Green Infrastructure Goes Business, and EUSALP Energy Award competitions.

View EUSALP 2024 SLOVENIAN PRESIDENCY video: The sustainable future of the Alpine Region.

    THURSDAY 14 NOVEMBER

    09:30-12:30, 16:15-18:00 – Green Infrastructure Goes Business Award: Coaching Workshop

    The Green Infrastructure Goes Business Award is designed to support innovative ideas, products, and services that contribute to the development of a green economy while promoting sustainable development within the framework of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region. In its third edition in 2024, the award recognized eight winners:

    • Optigrün Smart Flow Control (Opti green)
    • Pocket Parks – blau-grüne Oasen (Blue-green oases)
    • EauRoot (Water root)
    • HydroMontania - Irrigation solutions for sustainable agriculture in mountain areas
    • BORKY - battle bark beetles better
    • Mirage Urbain (Urban mirage)
    • Natur ImPuls.e - Reconnect. Experience. Change.
    • Building material solutions from annual fibre sources

    As part of the 9th EUSALP Annual Forum, the winners were invited to participate in a Coaching Workshop organised by PLANVAL, which provided a platform to assess their businesses, identify challenges, and collaboratively develop strategies for future growth.

    Coaching Workshop Overview

    The camp began with a coaching session emphasizing the importance of identifying problems as the basis for business development. Participants were encouraged to develop solutions tailored to these problems, ensuring they meet market needs. The final stage, "scaling," focuses on refining and expanding the solution to ensure its growth and competitiveness in the market.

    The workshop's second segment was a BarCamp, an interactive, participant-driven discussion where attendees proposed discussion topics and formed working groups to explore them.

    Among the topics discussed were:

    • Determining the best form of organization
    • Scientific testing of products
    • Funding for public goods
    • Raising customer awareness

    The discussion on customer awareness focused on promoting urban green spaces and effectively engaging customers. While younger generations were initially considered as a potential target, participants recognized them as users rather than customers and suggested targeting young entrepreneurs. Emphasis was placed on presenting solutions that not only address problems but also offer added value to customers and policymakers.

    When asked how they benefited from the BarCamp, participants highlighted two main takeaways:

    • Strategies for demonstrating added value to stakeholders (customers and policymakers).
    • Enhanced targeting techniques based on specific customer characteristics.

    The final segment of the coaching workshop focused on preparing participants for their business presentations, scheduled for the following day. Moderators provided guidance on crafting compelling presentations, offered feedback during rehearsals, and suggested improvements.

    This workshop provided a comprehensive platform for the winners to refine their business strategies and prepare for future growth.

    More information

     

    This panel was dedicated to the mechanisms needed to empower the young people of the Alpine region to respond properly to future challenges, especially related to the climate change
    and social change.

    Copyright Peter Irman

    Pauline TREISSAC from Region Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, partner of SUPPORT EUSALP project funded by Interreg Alpine Space, recalled how YOUTH involvement in the alpine macroregional strategy is active all year long! The three main activities being the Summer camp, the Pitch Your Project Competition and of course the Youth Council helping in the implementation of the strategy.

    Sylvia BUZZETTI recalled from her side how fruitful 2024 was regarding the Year of Skills organised by the EUROPEAN COMMISSION, as after pandemic crisis that affected young people so much regarding  labour, studies, it was  necessary to empower them and open a dialogue with them. Erasmus+ is also a path to follow to see the future to engage more and more young people.

    Branislav RAUTER , highlighted how it  was important  to create an environment where young  people will be able to explore and live at their best.

    The Youth councillor on stage, Rafaela RABIC, reminded how much Young people were sensibilised to the soft skills through labour market, remote work, and is proud to promote the traditions and culture specially the music and the food of the alpine. On her opinion public transports are not facilitated and it is hard sometimes to afford the alps.

    Copyright Peter Irman

    Lionel CROISSANT, from his side, reported soft skills are crucial to understand the work. Last summer the event organised by Action Group 3 called “Discover Mountain Jobs” towards AI and soft skills was the opportunity to prove how different fields of knowledge are  opened to any backgrounds and send this message  : “Keep the Youth Council in the Game !”

    Pauline TREISSAC added an information about the important need to find new sources of fundings  to respect their objectives and follow the various activities young  people are involved in with the stakeholders.

    Sylvia BUZZETTI stressed this point of finances with the climate change needs from all the regions of EUSALP and beyond, cooperation, she underlined, is more than ever necessary to reduce the administrative borders, and liaise more easily when help is needed.

    At the end Lionel CROISSANT, said how the nature is the centre of all the discussions the challenge should be to keep the nature as it is and to add a personal value to it. In the meantime Pauline TREISSAC in charge of EUSALP YOUTH expressed how  diversity in the alps, the  different cultures, the spirit of the mountains, latin, german is appreciable. She  also underlined how  Young people travel into the alpine space as for instance  with EURORAIL while acting  on their carbon footprint. The European Commission recognized more and more people want to live in the Alps, reconnect the nature and live in more sustainable ways.

    Silvia BUZZETTI, Programme Assistant, Directorate General for Regional and Urban
    Policy, DG REGIO, European Commission
    Branislav RAUTER, Principal, Rudolf Maister Secondary School Kamnik, Slovenia
    Lionel CROISSANT, Associate Expert, Institut des Hautes Études de l’Éducation et de
    la Formation, and EUSALP Action group 3 (Labour market, education and training)
    representative, France
    Rafaela RABIČ, EUSALP Youth Council representative
    Pauline TREISSAC, European Affairs Officer, Europe and International Department,
    Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Region, France
    ModeratorDino Subašić, Slovenian journalist and presenter

    More information 

    Photo Gallery

    14h00-15-30 – Official opening of the 9th EUSALP Annual Forum: High-Level Plenary Panel “Alpine region – competitive, circular and smart in global world?” & Handover Ceremony of the EUSALP Presidency to Austria and Liechtenstein

    The 9th Annual Forum of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region (EUSALP) was inaugurated by Tanja Fajon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs of Slovenia. She welcomed participants and highlighted Slovenia’s pioneering role in the EUSALP Presidency. Fajon emphasized the urgent challenges of the green transition, peace, and prosperity, outlining three key priorities for Slovenia’s 2024 Presidency: fostering a circular economy, promoting a water-smart society, and improving the quality of life for young people in the Alpine region. She praised Alpine cooperation as a model for linking European policies with regional stakeholders and called for continued support of flagship initiatives.

                             

    Copyright Peter Irman

    EU Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, Elisa Ferreira, addressed the forum via video message, praising the Alpine Region’s innovation and competitiveness. She highlighted the Strategy’s success in fostering cooperation on climate change, energy efficiency, and skills development. Ferreira thanked the Slovenian Presidency for advancing the Strategy’s goals and stressed the need for sustainable practices, innovative policies, and ecosystem protection. She also emphasized the importance of youth engagement through the Youth Council and the Strategy’s role in aligning local initiatives with EU priorities.

    The High-Level Plenary Panel featured representatives from the seven EUSALP member countries, who discussed best practices and tools for enhancing cooperation. They acknowledged the unique resilience of mountain regions despite their vulnerability to climate change. Key initiatives included investments in the circular economy, sustainable water management, intermodal transportation, public-private partnerships, local resource-based economies, and industrial decarbonization. Achieving climate neutrality was a central goal, with a strong emphasis on involving young people in governance and development processes.

    Panelists highlighted the importance of exchanging best practices and fostering a culture of sharing to counteract rising nationalisms. They called for multilevel cooperation and positive messaging to address public apprehensions about change.

    The forum concluded with a ceremonial handover of the EUSALP Presidency from Slovenia to Liechtenstein and Austria, symbolized by the passing of the Kolo Wheel.

    Photo gallery

     

     

    16:00-17:30 – Climate resilient water management in the Alpine Region

    The Alpine Region is undergoing significant adverse impacts from climate change, marked by an increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather-related events such as floods, erosion, landslides, and droughts. These phenomena have not only disrupted livelihoods across the region but have also underscored the urgent need to reconsider the management of one of the planet’s most vital resources: water.

    This necessity was particularly evident in Slovenia during 2023, when devastating torrential sediment processes and flash floods triggered a widespread public discourse on adopting new approaches to water management in an era of increasingly rapid climate change.

               

    For this reason, water management has been designated as one of the three key priorities of the Slovenian Presidency in 2024 and will continue to be a central area of focus in the years to come.

    Speakers:

    Lidija GLOBEVNIK, Director-General, Water Directorate, Ministry for Natural Resources

    and Spatial Planning, Slovenia

    Blaž MOZETIČ, Director of Planning Office, Slovenian Water Agency, Slovenia

    Florian RUDOLF-MIKLAU, Head of Unit, Federal Ministry for Agriculture, Forestry, Regions 

    and Water Management, Austria

    Blaž LIPOVŠEK, Youth Parliament of Sava Commission

    Marco LIPIZER, Referent for the River Contract, Department of Environmental Protection,

    Energy and Sustainable Development of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Autonomus Region, Italy

    ModeratorAleš Bizjak, Ministry of natural resources and spatial planning.

    Photo Gallery

     

     

    The General Assembly convened at the Brdo Castle, under the chairmanship of the Slovenian Presidency. of EUSALP. Delegations and observers expressed their gratitude for the diligent efforts of the Slovenian Presidency, whose priorities cantered on the circular economy, water-smart society, and enhancing the quality of life for young people in the Alps.

    The achievements attained in these thematic areas were widely commended, as was the implementation of the revision process of the Action Plan, which culminated in the development of a comprehensive White Paper realigning the Strategy's objectives with pressing challenges and future political priorities for the Alpine Region.

    The General Assembly unanimously adopted the Brdo Pri Kranju Declaration, establishing policy orientations for the implementation of EUSALP, with the shared aim of fostering a living and inhabited mountain region. The Assembly also reaffirmed its commitment to advancing the Action Plan revision process.

    Additionally, the General Assembly unanimously endorsed the composition of the EUSALP Youth Council for the 2024–2025 term.

    All delegations extended their best wishes to the incoming 2025 Co-Presidency of Austria and Liechtenstein, whose priorities were announced:

    • mobility transformation,
    • energy transformation,
    • construction industry transformation
    • territorial dimension of the EU Strategy for the Alpine Region

    White paper

    (pdf - 291 KB)

         

    Brdo Declaration

    (pdf - 453 KB)

      

    Youth Council nomination

    (pdf - 622 KB)

      

     

    Photo gallery

     

     

    16:00-18:00 – EUSALP Energy Conference “Energy Transition in the Economy” & EUSALP Energy Award Ceremony

    Copyright Peter Irman

    The conference commenced with a presentation of Action Group 9’s activities within the EUSALP framework: work plan, notable achievements—including the energy survey, energy observatory, and AITA platform—and its current focus on green hydrogen. The cross-sectoral initiative on hydrogen, undertaken in collaboration with Action Groups 2, 4, and 9, was highlighted, alongside key projects such as AMETHyIST, CEASAR, and CEASAR 2.

    Conference Discussion

    Moderated by Etienne VIENOT (Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Énergie Environnement) the first panel featured Tine SELJAK (University of Ljubljana), VlastaKMERLJ (Energy and Climate Agency of Podravje), Manuel AITA (EUSALP Youth Council), SasoSELJAK (Alpacem Cement), and Igor STEINER (INEA). Key topics addressed included:

    • Role of Policymakers.
    • Disparity Among Enterprises, notably between companies that capitalise energy targets and those struggling to comply with existing regulations, often resulting in competitive disadvantages.
    • The importance, for small and medium enterprises (SMEs), to be prepared for energy transition. 
    • The urgent need for political intervention to mitigate the shortage of skilled personnel required for the energy transition. Proposals included increased investments in education and scholarships targeting energy-related fields. The need for employing a balanced approach of incentives (“carrots”) and penalties (“sticks”) to drive the transition was also underlined. 

    A second part of the conference was moderated by Benjamin AUER (KlimaHaus Agentur) and included contributions from Marija Cebumar ZAJEC (Ministry of Economy), Matteo MAZZOLINI (Energy Agency Friuli Venezia Giulia), Julia ZOTTER (Zotter Chocolate Austria), Saso SELJAK (Alpacem Cement), and Alessandro GARZOTTO (Arbor Srl). The discussion focused on: 

    • The role of state-level assistance and EU funding opportunities in fostering energy transition initiatives. 
    • The establishment of a dedicated Centre for Circular Economy. 
    • The introduction of voucher schemes for obtaining quality certifications, explored as valuable support. 
    • The challenges for SMEs: while larger enterprises often recognize the financial and operational benefits of energy efficiency, smaller businesses, particularly micro-enterprises, struggle to perceive immediate advantages. As a result, public support was deemed indispensable for smaller businesses to participate meaningfully in the transition.
    • The intersection of Green Transition and Digitalization. In this regard, the importance of integrating digital tools to track and manage energy data effectively was underscored. 

    Speakers:
    Panel 1: Policy frameworks
    Tine SELJAK
    , Assistant Professor, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana,
    Slovenia
    Vlasta KRMELJ, Director, Energy and Climate Agency of Podravje, Slovenia
    Manuel AITA, EUSALP Youth Council member
    Panel 2: Support Schemes and Programmes to Support the Energy Transition of the
    Economy

    Marija ČEBULAR ZAJEC, Undersecretary, Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport,
    Slovenia
    Matteo MAZZOLINI, Director, Energy Agency Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy
    Julia ZOTTER, Zotter Chocolate, Austria
    Presentation of the winners and handing-over of trophies
    Guided tour through the exhibition “Climate and I”

    Moderators: Etienne Vienot, Energy and Environment Agency Auvergne-Rhone-Alpes

    Photo Gallery 

    YouTube video of the event

    “Climate and I” Exhibition: the event concluded with a guided tour of the “Climate and I” exhibition, which is available in multiple languages and in PDF.  

    More information

     

    FRIDAY 15 NOVEMBER 2024

    The panel explored the potential of the Alpine Region to serve as a leading example of circular economy practices, emphasizing the need for technological integration, collaboration, and innovation. The session featured a keynote speech by Jernej Pintar, Director of the Technology Park of Ljubljana, who underscored three critical imperatives for advancing circular economy in the Alpine Region: 

    1. Engagement in the technological process: technological advancements should be embraced by actively understanding, using, and filtering them. 

    2. The need for unity, with emphasis on the difference between unity and mere collaboration, as an essential wat to overcome fragmentation. 
    3. The urgency to establish a Circular Hub, a centralized hub for cutting-edge circular technologies. This hub would also facilitate the sharing of best practices and solutions across stakeholders. 

    Copyright Peter Irman

    The rest of the panel featured Slobodan Sesum, Robert Oddon, Roland Mayer, Denis Jahic, and Jan Diederich Luken as speakers. The discussion delved into the practical and systemic dimensions of circular economy implementation in the Alpine Region. Key themes included: 

    • Daily practices embracing circularity. 
    • Multilevel cooperation at both local and macro-regional levels, particularly in those fields of production where cross-border collaboration is deemed particularly critical. The importance of networks such as EUSALP was highlighted as a platform for fostering such cooperation. 
    • Barriers to circularity: despite EU programs designed to promote the green transition, panellists noted a stagnation in circularity rates. 
    • Role of public incentives: the discussion stressed the need for public policies to incentivize stakeholders to adopt circular practices. 
    • Problem of overregulation, in other words overly complex regulatory frameworks which constitute a significant barrier, often discouraging innovation and complicating the transition to circular economy practices. 
    • Producer responsibility models, for example the “CARE” Program in the United States, which encourages producers to take responsibility for waste by the allocation of incentives to integrating it back into production cycles. 
    • The need to build stronger waste management connections within the Alpine Region to improve waste management practices. 
    • The critical role of young people in driving change

    Speakers:
    Introduction speech: Jernej PINTAR, Director, Technology Park Ljubljana, Slovenia
    Slobodan ŠEŠUM, Director-General, Directorate for Economic and Public Diplomacy,
    Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Slovenia
    Roland MAYER, Secretary General, Conference of Cantonal Governments, Switzerland
    Robin ODDON, Project manager, Techtera, France
    Nina MEGLIČ, Cluster manager at Strategic Research and Innovation Partnership Networks
    for the Transition to a Circular Economy, Slovenia
    Denis JAHIĆ, General Manager and Board Member, AquafilSLO, Slovenia
    Jan-Diederich LÜKEN, Professor of Business Economics, Faculty of Chemical Technology
    and Economics, Bavaria, Germany
    Moderator: Igor E. Bergant, Slovenian journalist and national TV news presenter

    Photo Gallery

    THE AWARDS CEREMONIES of EUSALP !

    Pitch your Project Award Ceremony

     


    The winners with Liliane LUCCHESI, Region Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Regional Councillor in charge of international  solidarity, international youth mobility and sustainable development goals,
    Copyright Peter IRMAN

    Held during the EUSALP Annual Forum 2024, the competition brought together innovative young minds aged 16 to 29, all eager to present creative solutions for a sustainable and resilient Alpine Region.  

    These winning projects show the creativity and dedication of young people while tackling key issues in the Alps, such as mobility, water management, circular economy, and youth involvement. Chosen by a panel of stakeholders and audience votes, these young innovators prove that great ideas can shape a better future.

    The audience at the Annual Forum cast their votes to determine the results of the competition. The rankings were as follows:

    • 5th place: Alps 2.0
    • 4th place: EU Youth Career Incubator
    • 3rd place: Alpaqua
    • 2nd place: Carbon Wise
    • Winner: Ville à Joie

     

    More information here

    Photo Gallery

    EUSALP Energy Award Winners

    The 2024 edition of the award was conducted under the motto “Energy Transition in SMEs” and recognized enterprises for implementing measures, activities, and projects that significantly reduce energy consumption, thereby establishing themselves as pioneers in the energy transition.

    Copyright Peter IRMAN

    Four SMEs were selected by an international jury of experts for their exceptional contributions to energy efficiency, renewable energy, circular economy, carbon footprint reduction, mobility, and communication:

    • Zotter Schokolade, Austria, Styria
    • Winery Bolzano / Bozen, Italy, South Tyrol
    • Arbor Chairs, Italy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia
    • Cyprianerhof Dolomit Resort, Italy, South Tyrol

    More information here

    Photo Gallery

    Green Infrastructure Goes Business Award Ceremony

    The Green Infrastructure Goes Business Award recognized eight outstanding small businesses for their focus on sustainable water management and climate action through green infrastructure. They all demonstrated a keen focus on sustainable water management and climate action, with green infrastructure solutions resonating strongly within existing and emerging business models. The teams delivered exceptional performances on stage, reflecting the success of the pitching training provided during the Coaching Camp held the day prior. Among the winners, the audience of the EUSALP Annual Forum selected BORKY as their favourite.

    The winners were:

    • Optigrün Smart Flow Control (Opti green)
    • Pocket Parks – blau-grüne Oasen (Blue-green oases)
    • EauRoot (Water root)
    • HydroMontania - Irrigation solutions for sustainable agriculture in mountain areas
    • BORKY - battle bark beetles better
    • Mirage Urbain (Urban mirage)
    • Natur ImPuls.e - Reconnect. Experience. Change.
    • Building material solutions from annual fibre sources

    More information here

    Photo Gallery