Thomas Streifeneder is a mountain region researcher. He originally comes from München, but has spent the last 14 years living and working in Bolzano (or Bozen, which is the name in the region’s second language — German) in the autonomous region of South Tyrol. This is where he is mapping demographic and socioeconomic development in 6,000 municipalities in the Alps.
“It is interesting talking to foreign colleagues about the challenges in the mountain regions where they work,” thinks Streifeneder. The Eastern Norway Research Centre is relevant because the institute plays a central role in the Norwegian Mountain Research Network, a research network which aims to stimulate a knowledge-based development in Norway’s mountain regions. The Eastern Norway Research Institute also cooperates with Streifeneder’s employer, The European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano, EURAC.
Streifeneder has a PhD in economic geograp
hy and a lot of experience with researching socioeconomic issues in the Alps. In Bolzano he is also head of the Institute for Regional Development and Location Management, which is part of EURAC’s mountain research project. A research stay is an interesting way of exploring the possibilities for more cooperation, he thinks.
“Can we find common projects? Or send applications for the EU’s Horizon 2020 research programme?”