European Academy of Bozen

The European Academy of Bozen/Bolzano (German Europäische Akademie Bozen, Italian Accademia Europea di Bolzano, ladin Academia Europeica de Bulsan), EURAC for short, is a private research center headquartered in Bozen, South Tyrol. The center has eleven institutes organized into four research areas: autonomies, mountains, technology and health. EURAC has around 200 partners spread across 50 countries. EURAC collaborates with international organizations such as the Alpine and Carpathian Conventions, UNEP and UNIDO in the context of sustainable development and energy technology, and also hosts the headquarters of the Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention at its headquarters in Bolzano/Bozen. Core funding is provided by the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/Bozen, with additional financing coming from membership fees and European project funds.

Autonomies Researchers in this area contribute to studies on autonomous systems of government and cultural-linguistic diversity, which include the integration of new minorities, multilingualism policy, the management of multilevel government and public management.

Mountains Researchers work for the environmental, social and economic development of mountain areas. Scientists use satellite data and ground measurements to develop climate change models for individual valleys, which are in turn shared with European research partners to define common scenarios. They investigate climate and ecosystems, the interaction between urban and rural areas, agricultural and socio-economic development, and the impact of tourism and transportation on environment and society. Academics describe the past changes that have occurred in the Alpine region and forecast future changes. They also carry out research on climate change, natural hazards, traffic flows and depopulation to give politicians and administrators tools to plan for a more sustainable development of mountain areas.

Technology Researchers study solar energy technologies in order to protect natural resources and improve quality of life. This includes the heating and cooling of buildings, integration of solar energy systems in a building’s architecture, and the energy-efficient retrofit of historic buildings. Although buildings are the base unit of study, researchers also design low-energy solutions for neighborhoods and cities. Experts test, monitor and develop technologies for companies, public administration and individual citizens.