MARGISTAR is a forum for knowledge synthesis, exchange, and co-creation that brings together scientists, stakeholders, and policymakers to collaboratively reflect on the challenges for sustainability in mountainous regions while moving progressively towards real-world solutions.
Mountainous areas are characterised by disparity, poorer territorial cohesion, unbalanced use and conservation of ecosystem services, rich and exploited natural resources, and marginalisation. The key challenge for MARGISTAR is to foster the transformation strategies and innovation processes for the revitalisation of these areas and, specifically, to synthesise and co-create alternative and effective pathways to sustainability.
What you need to learn about us? Our forum reflects collaboratively on natural, environmental, social, and economic inter-relationships and interactions in mountainous areas, and identifies a range of environmental, social, economic, and political challenges. It enables innovation through a range of physical and virtual meetings to co-design pathways for the transformation of marginalised mountainous areas towards their green, digital and healthy futures. It establishes an online society-science-policy platform of Fairway in Europe to stimulate the dialogue between scientists, policy makers, mountain actors, NGOs, SMEs, public bodies, and private organisations and the establishment of local Knowledge and Information Systems.
MARGISTAR uses Working Groups (WGs) to co-creatively move towards the solutions. Read more about the MARGISTAR Working Groups here.
Key scientific impacts are anticipated by using the innovative concepts of “pinching the policy maker” and “resilience erosion.” Societal and policy impacts are primarily secured by challenging business-as-usual discourses, facilitating the engagement of young and ITC researchers, and supporting agricultural, land use, and rural policies. MARGISTAR uses a multi-/inter-/trans-disciplinary approach to support the EU’s efforts for inclusive, competitive, and green economies and societies and excels in knowledge exchange, co-creation, and capacity building for socially just green recovery, climate mitigation, and adaption for the revitalisation of marginalised mountainous areas across Europe
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Main Objectives
To achieve the main objective described in the project MoU, the following specific objectives shall be accomplished:
Research Coordination
- Synthesise interdisciplinary knowledge on drivers of change in marginalised mountainous areas in Europe.
- Define the “periphery trap” based on knowledge synthesis and problem definitions of stakeholders in marginalised mountainous areas.
- Mainstream the results into local, national, European, and global discussions and decision-making.
Capacity Building
- Establish a FAIRWAY online platform for a transdisciplinary dialogue.
- Facilitate consensus building in a common language and effective networking.
- Synthesise evidence on periphery traps and transformation pathways.
- Create training opportunities for Early Career Investigators (ECIs).
- Develop “green deal diplomacy” for sustainable development in marginalised areas.
