In the frame of InnovAlps project and during this last year and a half, ALPARC has been committed in parks regional development in the Alps. During on-sites visits and workshops in three pilot regions, skills and experiences of local actors coming from parks, politics, tourism and local development were rallied and were able to exchange. InnovAlps has also presented a panel of initiatives of innovating local development, all characterized by novelty, risks-taking, valorization and cooperation between protected areas technical teams and other local actors. The project was closed by a final conference in the Regional Nature Park Pfyn-Finges (Switzerland) last September. In the final report, ALPARC has summarized project results and has formulated political recommendations for an improvement of the innovating capacity in the alpine parks territories.

On the basis of these results, ALPARC currently develop ideas or projects for a continuation in the “Regional development and life quality” focusing on, for instance, sustainable tourism or short circuits. In addition, ALPARC think about proceeding to work with an actor network of local development and enhance exchanges between alpine parks territories.

Acknowledgements

ALPARC is particularly thankful to the three pilot regions of InnovAlps project and their actors for their commitment, the interest they have shown in this project. ALPARC also thanks Austrian, Swiss, and French parks federations for their collaboration in this project. This project has been financed by Swiss federal office of the Environment.

More information
•    www.alparc.org/innovalps
•    Final report is available on request (in German). A synthesis will be available in the other Alpine languages beginning of 2017.