PROGRAM: Interreg VI-B Alpine Space
PRIORITY: Innovation and Digitalization in Support of a Green Alpine Region
SPECIFIC OBJECTIVE: To harness the benefits of digitalization for citizens, businesses, research organizations, and public authorities
DURATION: 36 months through October 31, 2025
TOTAL FUNDING: €291,000.00
FUNDING ALLOCATED TO THE GRAN PARADISO AREA: €150,000.00
LEAD PARTNER: University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
PARTNERS: Poliedra (Italy), GAL Genovese Development Agency (Italy), Standortagentur Tirol GmbH (Austria), Regionalverband Südlicher Oberrhein (Germany), ITC – Innovation Technology Cluster Murska Sobota (Slovenia), ADRETS (France), Autonomous Region of Valle d’Aosta (Italy), Swiss Center for Mountain Regions SAB (Switzerland), Energy and Environment Agency of Lower Austria (Austria), Software Competence Center Hagenberg GmbH (Austria), Region Lucerne West (Switzerland)
ROLE OF FONDATION GRAND PARADIS: Implementing entity appointed by the Autonomous Region of Valle d’Aosta
Continuing along the path charted by the project “SmartVillages” toward the creation of a community of smart and sustainable mountain areas that are fully integrated into the “Smart Alps” network of the European Macro-Regional Strategy (EUSALP), the transnational cooperation project “SmartCommUnity” 40 aims to develop and test the concept of a “smart community” to make the best use of technology in order to strengthen local Alpine identity—given the significant natural heritage and strong connection to the territory’s natural resources—in communities living within national parks and protected areas or other communities based on natural assets. The Technological Systems Unit has identified the community within the Gran Paradiso National Park 41 and the community of the Mont Avic Natural Park 42 as test areas in the Aosta Valley. To achieve the project’s objectives, the Region has entrusted Fondation Grand Paradis with certain activities to be implemented within the Aosta Valley pilot areas. The activities under the responsibility of Fondation Grand Paradis were launched on behalf of the Autonomous Region of Valle d’Aosta in 2023, were carried out in 2024, and will be completed by the end of fiscal year 2025 43. For these activities, the Autonomous Region of Valle d’Aosta will pay Fondation Grand Paradis a maximum total amount of €150,000 (including VAT) as compensation for the services and collaborative work performed. As part of the project activities, initiatives are planned to build on Virtual Reality (VR) projects previously implemented by the Fondation Grand Paradis, with the goal of creating two new VR experiences, one for each test area. On the one hand, a nature excursion will be offered in the Mont Avic Park to explore the unique characteristics and importance of mountain wetlands; on the other hand, the VR experience will focus on one or more cultural sites in the Gran Paradiso area—namely, the crypt of the Church of Saint-Léger in Aymavilles, the Châtel-Argent fortress in Villeneuve, and Introd Castle—on a journey to discover the rich history and culture of these sites. The goal is to make these experiences available within a single framework that consistently and synergistically brings together and promotes, on a single platform, the VR experiences accessible in the project’s test areas in the Aosta Valley.