A Cooperation Infrastructure For Communication Between Public Bodies; The Friuli Venezia Giulia Case

Long ago, Italian Public Administrations started a process to increase the efficiency of their administrative procedures, adopting ICT technologies and tools in place of paperwork, but the approach was not structured nor synchronized. The result now is that Public Authorities’ legacy systems are based upon heterogeneous and vendor specific solutions. To increase their efficiency is one of the most challenging issues that Public Administrations are facing in the latest years in order to ensure a faster communication among public bodies, avoid data redundancy and improve the service provided to citizens. The key element is to increase the cooperation among public bodies allowing a seamless communication which will not modify the already existing systems. The Friuli Venezia Giulia Region interoperability framework, presented in this paper, provides a layer which ensure the communication between Administrations increasing the efficiency of administrative procedures, through the adoption of secure electronic communication, and lead to the delivery of a better public service in terms of content and response tim

2nd CapHaz-Net Regional Hazard Workshop: Social capacity building for Alpine hazards

The Alpine Space is a trans-national territory inhabited by 13 million people and comprising the territory of 8 countries, 83 regions and about 6,200 communities. It is characterised by a great variety in terms of natural hazard exposure. Floods, avalanches, debris flows, landslides, forest fires threaten the entire Alpine Space and are triggered by both natural and anthropogenic factors. The work described in this report focuses on this space and aims at bringing together and confronting different perspectives on the theme of social capacity building. It summarises the results of one of the work packages (WP8) of the CapHaz-Net project, which aims at identifying social capacities that contribute to making European societies more resilient to the impacts of natural hazards. More precisely the work presented here links previous project findings (related both to central topics and specific social capacities) to the practice of alpine hazards management in Europe, underlining potentials for enhancement of resilience both in this region and in Europe as a whole. This report is based on the preparatory work and the results of the Alpine Regional Hazard Workshop that took place in Gorizia (North Eastern Italy) on 4th and 5th April 2011. The main objectives were to provide an overview of existing institutional frames and the respective policy context at the regional scale, to better understand how social capacity building and preparedness strategies for Alpine hazards work in practice and to foster interdisciplinary and cross country dialogue between scientists and practitioners. This was done by taking into account strengths and weaknesses of existing tools and approaches and by analysing the potential for transferring best practices to different regional and hazard contexts. To bridge the gap between research and practice both theoretical knowledge and practical experiences were taken into account. The workshop started from a description of the main characteristics of alpine hazards. Then the focus shifted on operational risk management in four different countries of the alpine arch (Austria, Switzerland, Slovenia and Italy) and finally on practices for risk mitigation in two Italian case studies (Vipiteno/Sterzing in the Trentino Alto Adige region and Malborghetto-Valbruna in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region). The SWOT methodology was used as a heuristic tool for organizing the available insights and the participants' discussion. Natural sciences, historical perspectives as well as legal analysis have contributed to broadening and detailing the social capacity concept and more precisely to characterising and further specifying each particular capacity. Practitioners in the field of alpine hazards in different countries and residents of the two case study area also contributed by presenting and discussing their views and perspectives about prevention, mitigation, emergency management and recovery from natural disasters

HARMO-DATA Project \u2013 cross border spatial data harmonization using INSPIRE model

HARMO-DATA is an ongoing project, funded by EU in the framework of the INTERREG V-A Italy-Slovenia 2014-2020 Programme. It involves different stakeholders, target groups and end-users in three regions: Friuli-Venezia-Giulia (Italy), Veneto (Italy) and Slovenia. The main purpose of this project is to develop common solutions for more efficient cross-border spatial data management \u2013 by harmonizing the existing spatial data, implementing a cross-border spatial data platform, and developing a common protocol for the harmonization of territorial data. It will provide an instrument to define the specific obligations and rights of the involved parts \u2013 in terms of data harmonization, exchange, use and maintenance. Five pilot case studies were identified by the project partners \u2013 in cooperation with public and private end-users, and additional stakeholders. The core use cases of the project relate to spatial data search, view and download, and the harmonization model for spatial datasets applies the INSPIRE data specifications. A joined common spatial data platform was established as an extension of the existing search-view-download platforms (metadata systems), upgraded and improved to better enable open data access by users from both Italy and Slovenia. The common spatial HARMO-DATA data platform, as well as, a joint protocol for cross-border spatial data harmonization, have been formalized in an official bilateral agreement

Actions fostering the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing companies in European regions

Industry 4.0, a concept comprising a range of promising innovations enabled by the recent advancements in digital technologies, has become a priority of industrial policy in many European countries and regions. In this paper, we present actions undertaken by regional organisations (including the so-called Digital Innovation Hubs), fostering the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing companies. Using examples from Germany, Italy and Poland, we show actions that enable the creation of general conditions for such implementations and help companies develop an individual strategy for adopting Industry 4.0 innovations

Acciones de fomento de la adopción de tecnologías Industria 4.0 en empresas manufactureras de regiones europeas

Industry 4.0, a concept comprising a range of promising innovations enabled by the recent advancements in digital technologies, has become a priority of industrial policy in many European countries and regions. In this paper, we present actions undertaken by regional organisations (including the so-called Digital Innovation Hubs), fostering the adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in manufacturing companies. Using examples from Germany, Italy and Poland, we show actions that enable the creation of general conditions for such implementations and help companies develop an individual strategy for adopting Industry 4.0 innovations.La Industria 4.0, un concepto que comprende una serie de prometedoras innovaciones posibilitadas por los recientes avances en las tecnologías digitales, se ha convertido en una prioridad de la política industrial de muchos países y regiones europeos. En este documento presentamos las acciones emprendidas por organizaciones regionales (incluidos los denominados Centros de Innovación Digital) para fomentar la adopción de las tecnologías de la Industria 4.0 en las empresas manufactureras. Utilizando ejemplos de Alemania, Italia y Polonia, mostramos acciones que permiten crear condiciones generales para tales implementaciones a nivel regional, pero también ayudan a las empresas individuales a crear una estrategia individual para la adopción de las innovaciones de la Industria 4.0

Veneto in the European Union

In ein Zeitalter, in dem die Grenzen der Staaten so evident für alle sind, haben die Regionen nicht nur eine große Rolle auf nationaler Ebene angefangen zu spielen, sondern haben auch eigene Kontakte mit der Europäischen Union verstärkt. Ihre Rolle als aktive Partner der europäischen Institutionen ist heute eine Realität und um so mehr kann man von einer zweiten Ebene, den politischen Akteuren neben den Staaten oder von einer “Dritten Ebene Europa” sprechen. Denn die europäischen Regionen stellen die perfekte administrative Ebene dar, weil sie ziemlich klein sind und somit besser auf die Bedürfnisse der Bürger eingehen können bzw. die Rolle der Staaten in der Versorgung der Grunddienste des Lebens besser erfüllen können. Sie sind aber auch in der Lage auf einer höheren ( auf nationaler bzw. internationaler) Ebene zu agieren. Durch eine enge Verbindung mit der Europäische Union können die Regionen die staatlichen Grenzen umgehen bzw. überwinden, während der supranationale Akteur die Möglichkeit hat eine bürgernahe Gemeinschaft aufzubauen. Das ist der Grund, für den die Europäische Union in den letzten Jahrzehnten den Anstoß einer grenzübergreifenden Kultur, mittels vielen speziellen Programmen, gegeben hat; die Grundidee war, dass die besten Resultate nur durch eine enge grenzüberschreitende Kooperation erreicht werden können. Aber die Entwicklung einer richtigen grenzüberschreitenden Kooperation braucht die Implementierung von permanenten grenzüberschreitenden Strukturen, um die grenzüberschreitende Zusammenarbeit zwischen verschiedenen benachbarten Behörden zu institutionalisieren: diese Strukturen sind sehr oft nur die Folge eines Adaptierungsprozesses, der Schritt nach Schritt pragmatische Lösungen zu verschieden legalen, administrativen und politischen Problemen finden kann. Zwischen den Instrumenten für die Institutionalisierung einer grenzüberschreitenden Kooperation ist das wichtigste die so genannte Euroregion (oder "Euregio", "Euregion", "Europaregion", "Grand Region", "Regio"), das heißt eine Region, bestehend aus verschiedenen Zugehörigkeiten: den Staaten betreffend die Souveränität, Europa betreffend die Standardisierung der Entwicklungs- und Organisationsfaktoren, während der Euroregion betreffend die Kultur, die Ökonomie und die Gesellschaft. Wie für die Definition anderer Konzepte ("Region", "Regionalismus" oder "Grenzüberschreitende Kooperation"), es ist sehr schwierig eine einzige Erklärung für dieses Phänomen zu finden, das durch die Aufgaben bzw. Ziele bestimmt werden kann, für die es geschaffen wurde. Die Arbeit "Veneto in the European Union: the Project of a new Euroregion in the Upper-Adriatic area" beginnt bei der aktuellen Situation, um nicht nur die derzeitigen Bedingungen, sondern auch die zukünftigen Entwicklungen der grenzüberschreitenden Kooperation im Ober-Adriatischen Raum nachzuforschen. Innerhalb dieses Gebietes habe ich mich auf die Region des Veneto fokussiert: meiner Meinung nach stellt das Veneto eines der besten Beispiele des uneinfachen Lebens der Regionen dar, das sich zwischen den staatlichen Grenzen und den zukünftigen Möglichkeiten auf europäischer Ebene abspielt. Unter Berücksichtigung dieser Grenzen wird sich die Zukunft des Veneto in der Europäischen Union abspielen, vor allem in Übereinstimmung mit seinen Nachbarregionen, durch die grenzüberschreitende Kooperation, die eines der wichtigsten Projekte innerhalb der Gemeinschaft ist; denn diese würde der Region des Veneto erlauben, innerhalb eines Raumes zu agieren, nicht nur mit gemeinsamen historischen und sozialen Wurzeln, sondern auch mit einem großen ökonomischen Potenzial. In die Arbeit versucht man zu skizzieren, welches der beste Weg wäre, um nicht nur eine ökonomische, sondern auch politische und soziale Kohäsion innerhalb des Gebietes zu erreichen. Gleichzeitig gehe ich der Frage nach ob die Schaffung einer Euroregion die perfekte Institutionalisierung eines Projektes repräsentieren könnte, welche fünf Regionen (Veneto und Friaul Julisch Venetien in Italien, Kärnten in Österreich, die Provinzen von Istrien und Primorje-Gorski Kotar in Kroatien) und einen zentralen Staat (die Republik von Slowenien) miteinbezieht. Außerdem habe ich versucht zu skizzieren, welche Rolle von der Region Veneto im obengenannten Raum sowie innerhalb der zukünftige Euroregion gespielt werden könnte und was die möglichen Vorteile bzw. Nachteile sein könnten. Die Arbeit ist in sechs Kapiteln untergegliedert, wo die ersten zwei den theoretischen Teil darstellen, während sich die vorletzten zwei auf die konkreten Aspekte des Projektes fokussieren: das dritte Kapitel stellt mit seiner theoretischen und praktischen Annäherung auf die Euroregionale Institution den Anschlusspunkt zwischen den zwei Teilen dar, während in dem letzten die Schlussfolgerungen zusammengefasst wurde.In an era in which the limits of the states are under the eyes of everyone, the regions have started not only to play a bigger role in the national area, but have also increased their links with the upper level. Their role as active partners of the European Institutions is today a reality insomuch as we can speak about a second level of political actors, after the states or about a “Third Level Europe”. In fact, the European regions represent the perfect administrative level because are quite small to be near at the citizens’ needs and to substitute the states in giving the basis services of everyday life as well as quite big to act to an upper level, whether national or international it is. In a closer relationship with the European Union, the regions can move around and come through the limits of the nation states, which clamp down their progress, while the supranational actor has the chance to build a Community closer to the citizens. It is just for this, that the European Union has helped during the last decades the rise of a transfrontier culture with a lot of dedicated programmes; the main idea was that the best results can be obtained only through a tight cooperation, trespassing the national borders. But the development of a true transfrontier cooperation needs the implementation of permanent transfrontier structures to institutionalise a cross-border collaboration among several neighbouring entities: these structures are very often only the consequence of an adaptation process, which step by step is able to find pragmatic solutions to several legal, administrative and political problems. Among the instruments for the institutionalisation of cross-border cooperations the most important is the so called Euroregion (or “Euregio”, “Euregion”, “Europaregion”, “Grand Region”, “Regio”), i.e. a region, which is conceptually the crossing of several belongings: the nation states for what concerns the sovereignty, Europe for what concerns the standardization of the development and organization parameters, itself for what concerns the culture, the economy and the society. Like for the definition of other concepts, such as “Region”, “Regionalism” or “Transfrontier cooperation”, it is difficult to find a unique explanation for this phenomenon, which can be defined also by its tasks or objectives, for whose it has been created. Starting from the current situation, the work “Veneto in the European Union: the Project of a new Euroregion in the Upper-Adriatic area” investigates not only the present conditions, but also the future developments of the transfrontier cooperation in a particular area, which is the Upper-Adriatic. Within it, I have focused my attention in particular to the region of Veneto: in fact, in my opinion Veneto represents one of the best example of the uneasy life of regions, closed between the limits of the nation state and the future chances at the European level. Keeping in mind these limits, the future of Veneto will be played on the field of the European Union, in accordance with its border regions, through that transfrontier cooperation that is one of the first order of business of the Community; in fact, this would allow to Veneto to act in an area (the Upper-Adriatic), which has not only common historical and social roots, but also a big economic potentiality. In the work is tried to outline which could be the best way to reach not only an economic, but above all a political and social cohesion in the area and if the creation of an Euroregion could represent the perfect institutionalization of a project, which involves five regions (Veneto and Friuli-Venezia Giulia in Italy, Carinthia in Austria, the Counties of Istria and Primorje-Gorski Kotar in Croatia) and a central state (the Republic of Slovenia). Moreover, I have tried to underline, which could be the role of the Veneto region both in the considered area and above all in the future Euroregion, pointing out its possible benefits like as disadvantages. The work is divided in six chapters, of which the first two represent the theoretical part, while the last but two put their focus in the more concrete aspects of the project; the third chapter, with its both theoretical and practical approach to the institution of Euroregions, represents the point of connection between the two parts, while in the last one the conclusions has been summarized

Boosting cross-border regions through better cross-border transport services. The European case

Cross-border regions are the laboratories of European integration. Daily interactions across European borders let citizens experience the benefits of the European Union (EU) internal market. Still, many border barriers continue to prevent individuals and organisations from exploiting the full-potential of European border regions and the benefits of a more integrated European territory. Amongst these barriers are the absence or inappropriate supply of cross-border public transport services. In this context, this paper presents potential policy tools to increase border permeability related to cross-border public transport as well as practical results from a few case-studies implemented across Europe.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

HARMO-DATA Project – cross border spatial data harmonization using INSPIRE model

HARMO-DATA is an ongoing project, funded by EU in the framework of the INTERREG V-A Italy-Slovenia 2014-2020 Programme. It involves different stakeholders, target groups and end-users in three regions: Friuli-Venezia-Giulia (Italy), Veneto (Italy) and Slovenia. The main purpose of this project is to develop common solutions for more efficient cross-border spatial data management – by harmonizing the existing spatial data, implementing a cross-border spatial data platform, and developing a common protocol for the harmonization of territorial data. It will provide an instrument to define the specific obligations and rights of the involved parts – in terms of data harmonization, exchange, use and maintenance. Five pilot case studies were identified by the project partners – in cooperation with public and private end-users, and additional stakeholders. The core use cases of the project relate to spatial data search, view and download, and the harmonization model for spatial datasets applies the INSPIRE data specifications. A joined common spatial data platform was established as an extension of the existing search-view-download platforms (metadata systems), upgraded and improved to better enable open data access by users from both Italy and Slovenia. The common spatial HARMO-DATA data platform, as well as, a joint protocol for cross-border spatial data harmonization, have been formalized in an official bilateral agreement