On 8 and 9 October 2024, the Institute for Alpine Environment of Eurac Research in Bolzano (IT) hosted the Kick-Off meeting of the Interreg Alpine Space project “RESPOnD” focusing on Climate Resilient Alpine Wine Orchards.
Eurac Research, as Lead Partner of the project, welcomed representatives from the 11 partner institutions across the Alpine countries, including national parks, regional development agencies, chamber of commerce and research institutes.
The RESPOnD project officially launched in September 2024 and will come to an end in August 2027. During the three coming years, partners will focus on identifying and testing practices to enhance the climate resilience of extensive wine orchards, taking into consideration the differences and peculiarities of the various project’s pilot areas. A key aspect for the project’s success relies on the close collaboration between the partnership and external stakeholders from diverse sectors.
During the meeting, partners have discussed the key outcomes and the strategy to achieve the environmental sustainability of alpine vineyards. Every partner had the chance to exchange views on local challenges and opportunities in their own country. In addition, the partnership had the chance to visit the Laimburg Research Centre to have an overview of the viticulture-related research projects carried out in South Tyrol. The time spent together allowed participants to get to know each other and to build trust for enhanced future cross-country cooperation.
Partners will meet again in Slovenia in April 2025 to discuss the next steps forward. Stay tuned and follow us on LinkedIn (RESPOnD Project Interreg Alpine Space | LinkedIn) and Instagram (@respondalpine_)!
