Program - Registration form - Motivation - Details - Map - Field trip to Iron Curtain- Symposium Leaflet

The Iron Curtain Symposium and Poster Session �Decision support for sustainable rural development in areas along the former Iron Curtain� provides comprehensive information about the results and research achievements of the EC-Project �Innovative models of critical key indicators as planning and decision support for sustainable rural development and integrated cross border regional management in former Iron Curtain areas based on North to South European reference studies� (Iron Curtain). It offers the chance to any interested party especially from the partner countries involved as well as to any other relevant institution and experts to learn more about a 3 years project experience in relevant cross border cooperation and rural development planning.

The RTD-project �Iron Curtain� has been performed within the EU-5th Framework Programme �Quality of Life and Management of Living Resources�, Key Action 5 �New tools and models for integrated and sustainable development of rural and other relevant areas�. The project is focused on a multi-sectoral integrated methodology for decision making in sustainable rural development enhancing territorial competitiveness. It is based on the development of an innovative toolset incorporating Geographical Information Systems (GIS), system dynamics and indicator modeling integrating rural areas natural capital and sectors like agriculture, energy, fisheries, forestry, industry, small business, tourism and transport. Six trans-national areas along the former Iron Curtain provide practical test applications. The areas are situated at the Norway/Russian border, the former Germany/East Germany border, between Germany/Austria and Czech Republic, Austria to Hungary and Greece to Bulgaria. The consortium constitutes a complementary team with 8 partners from the actually enlarged EU and one from a candidate country. The three years work has resulted in a prototype of an integrated methodology and tool system, six reference studies with identification and formulation of local development strategies and an indicator system reference model.