Research

DanubeCrafts leverages the rich cultural heritage of the Danube Region to develop sustainable, innovative tourism concepts and promote regional growth. The project focuses on the region’s underutilized traditional crafts, customs, and rituals—many of which are at risk of being forgotten—alongside the largely untapped potential of thematic tourism. Through a collaborative, multi-stakeholder approach, DanubeCrafts seeks to preserve and revitalize traditional craft products and services, using thematic tourism tools to support and enhance these efforts. The overall objective of the project is to preserve, promote, and sustainably enhance traditional crafts along a “Traditional Crafts Route”, comprising several touristic itineraries (locations within local communities) with cultural and traditional attractions, to stimulate employment and broaden knowledge on generating new income streams for local craftsmen and artisans, with special attention to vulnerable groups and youth. International consortium comprising research institutions, public administration, representatives of craft and arts, tourism operators combine their expertise to address project objectives and shape innovative sustainable futures in the Danube region.

Traditionally, forests have been very popular places for recreation in Austria. International research supports the positive experiences of those seeking recreation. Numerous studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of forest stays, both in terms of prevention and as part of therapeutic programmes. With a few exceptions, the evidence comes mainly from East Asia (especially Japan and Korea). It can be assumed that the physiological and psychological mechanisms of forest experiences are valid across contexts and cultures. However, studies also indicate that results are not always generalisable. In order to provide decision-makers in the health care system with a solid basis for decision-making, an overview of the available evidence from Austria will be presented. The aim of the project is to show the data situation of forest-based green care forest research in Austria and to present the potential of the forest as a health space. Research gaps will be identified in order to stimulate further high quality research on forests and health in Austria.

Traditional agroforestry systems have developed over centuries through the close relationship between farming practices and local environments. These systems offer numerous benefits, such as supporting biodiversity, improving the climate, and providing sustainable food production. However, they face growing threats from rapid technological, cultural, and economic changes. The TRANSFOrm project is a collaborative effort across seven European partner institutions to explore how these traditional practices can be preserved and revitalized as nature-based solutions to tackle pressing global challenges like biodiversity loss, climate change, and sustainable food production. Through innovative research methods and research in multiple case studies across Europe, TRANSFOrm seeks to deepen our understanding of how traditional agroforestry systems function and exert their effects on ecosystems and communities across different socio-economic and environmental contexts. To this end, the project will evaluate both the ecological and socio-economic benefits while identifying scalable and transferable solutions to enhance their implementation in the future. By engaging local communities and stakeholders, the project ensures diverse perspectives are integrated, fostering solutions that are inclusive and practical. Ultimately, TRANSFOrm aims to generate robust evidence and strategies to reconcile profitable farming with biodiversity conservation, paving the way for transformative change in the implementation and maintenance of these landscapes.