Conference call
and
Invitation
Conference call
After 2008, again the University of Pecs is organizing a seminar on ENTI. The program is designed to present the “New LiFE” project and the “Groupe de Recherche International en intelligence territoriale” International Research Group in territorial Intelligence, for the new
partners.
The main topic of this conference is the „Regional Sustainability”. Sustainable development is a process aiming to improve the quality of life in the broadest sense, which cannot be restricted to financial wealth or material welfare but comprises the quality of the environment, the exercising of democratic rights, access to natural resources and to services and institutions made available by the society, along with full physical and mental health, spare time, safety, and security. Social welfare is a manifestation of the quality of the environment and that of the life of people making up society. Thus, the validation of the aims of sustainable development requires a complex planning and executional process.
The members of the European Union, according to the directives of the community, prepared the National Sustainable Development Strategy. Many countries out of Europe and the EU, like Switzerland, India, China, Brazil did the same. There had already been a comparative analysis (e.g. GIBBS, D. et al. 2002, SWANSON, D. et al. 2004) or preparation guideline (e.g. DALALCLAYTON, B. – BASS, S. 2002) made for these strategies. Yet, there has no study made for regional sustainability strategies and initiatives on a regional level. Our research group would like to undertake to do so. The team of University Pécs would like catalyse the process of territorialisation within new-LIFE project. From 2002 the Hungarian researchers are contributing more in international territorial development actions so it is very important to look for new challenges in the European regions.
The prospective report “The World in 2025”, published in 2009 by the Research Directorate of the European Commission, discusses the urgent need for a socio-ecological transition to deal with the deterioration of the economic situation in Europe. It sets the global challenges of development in terms of trends, tensions and transitions. It identifies three trends: the rise of Asia, the poverty and mobility of men and women and the increasing scarcity of natural resources, the vulnerability of the planet. It highlighted tensions between: the current mode of production and consumption and resource availability; the general and simultaneous growing economic interdependence and differentiation of the world; and the increased spatial proximity in context of rapid urbanization and cultural distance. It suggests taking advantage of demographic and environmental challenges to invent a new path of development. EU2020 proposes mutually reinforcing priorities to exit the crisis a smart (economy based on knowledge and innovation), sustainable (more resource efficient, greener and more competitive economy) and inclusive (high-employment economy delivering social and territorial cohesion) growth, with headlines target and seven flagships initiatives.
To succeed in the socio-ecological transition, in continuation of research conducted since in territorial intelligence 1989 by ENTI in territorial intelligence, Europe must improve the global environment, its capacity and that its territorial communities to share information to co-construct knowledge and innovative collaborative projects in the framework of participatory governance to promote the combination of economic, social, environmental and cultural development. The evolution of culture and education should promote adherence and cooperation of citizens and territories to develop and implement together in response to global issues involving the territorial level, the actions appropriate development capabilities and local constraints in order to improve the well-being of all while reducing the social costs, environmental and local cultural globalization. The territorial observation, is a condition that can share the local information in a multidisciplinary, multisectoral and multi-scale, to offer to institutions, stakeholders and citizens with an equal
and transparent access to information and knowledge, Fournier and their instruments that allow them to develop, manage and evaluate sustainable development actions.
The research directions and territorial intelligence must provide answers to the questions of Europe and while enriching reflection conditions for socio-ecological transition and combination of development objectives. Continuing research conducted in territorial
intelligence by ENTI since 1989, Europe should promote cooperation and improve the instruments of observation at all levels of territories, to achieve the socio-ecological transition. Sharing information between scientific disciplines, sectors and territorial scales is provided to co-construct knowledge and collaborative projects combining economic, social, environmental and cultural objectives of sustainable development. Participatory governance allowing citizens and stakeholders to participate in decision making is also a requirement to draw up and implement together actions appropriate to local capacity and constraints, and to improve the welfare of all by reducing social, environmental and cultural local costs globalization. The evolution of culture and education is still a favourable condition for accession and cooperation of citizens and territories.