Network for the Sustainability and Competitiveness of Regions
DESCRIPTION The project S.CO.RE.–Net focuses on integrated natural and cultural resources management. Taking sustainable tourism as a cornerstone – also strongly connected with critical “neighbour sectors” -, the project aims to develop and test a coherent – integrated – mechanism for rational planning and implementation of initiatives for improving local products’ competitiveness and marketability. It will emphasize to collaboration and leading role of local Actors, and to transnational networking and joint action. The integrated and sustainable management of cultural and natural resources lies right at the centre of the S.CO.RE. – Net, which seeks to satisfy needs of several ARCHIMED areas. The axes, around which the project action will be deployed (and the relevant goals), are: o Focus on sustainable tourism industry and products, that are taken as main factor for rapid, polycentric and harmonized growth at the territorial/regional level, with a high potential for leveraging the whole developmental process and for “pulling ahead” other, relative sectors’ products (sustainable food products, cultural products, handicrafts etc.); consequently, these “tourism connected sectors and products” are also targeted. o Animation and involvement of significant regional/territorial Actors, in establishing and managing integrated initiatives (clusters or others) aiming to sustainable development; in fact, this joint contribution – and the leading role - of such Actors (constituting a bottom up approach to sustainability) is one of the major elements of the project’s concept. o Development of transterritorial transnational cooperations in the frame of viable Networks, providing extensive know–how and expertise, as well as potential for effective joint business/marketing action at international level. o Amelioration of territorial product’s competitiveness, through: 1. Improvement of quality and assurance of “Terms of Origin”, meaning complete monitoring and control in all steps of production and distribution, even when various enterprises participate in the process. 2. Consecration of a territorial/transterritorial “Identity”, granted to products of the territories involved, through which they will be acknowledged as “qualified products” - conforming to specific standards and to the “terms of origin” -, representing their producing territories. 3. Development – adaptation – incorporation of cognitive methods, practices and means of the project’s fields of interest (territorial marketing, quality management, sustainable development and natural and cultural heritage’s treatment, regional development, clustering/networking, ICT, etc.). The Integrated mechanism that will be developed and practiced will include all aforementioned elements, providing a synthetic, systemic and systematic approach (supported by a bouquet of innovative, effective and complementary tools) in conceptualising, implementing and managing territorial level interventions serving sustainable development.