AlpSatellites. Managing the transition to hybrid work and satellite offices to revitalize remote mountain areas.

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Alpine Space

Date of latest update: 2026-03-17

Description

Description (EN):

“AlpSatellites” is a “setting-the-scene” project designed to prepare a disruptive shift to digital workplaces and telecommuting in the Alps. Three mountain areas - l’Unité des Communes valdôtaines Evançon (Aosta Valley Region, Italy), Pays du Grand Briançonnais, des Ecrins and du Guillestrois/Queyras (France) and the Municipality of Gemeinde Doren in Austria – want to explore the opportunities offered by (and barriers to) remote working, seeking to attract young people, workers and “digital nomads”, and address the common territorial challenges represented by population decline and ageing, and the rural-urban divide. All three areas share their beautiful natural surroundings, a careful management of ecosystems and a strong cultural identity; instead of just reacting to changes like those arising from the recent pandemic, these communities want to shape those changes by creating new opportunities in the digital, economic, and social sectors. Three academic partners (Aosta Valley University, Aix-Marseille University and FHV University) will help realise these aims by combining scientific research with co-creation: a comparative analysis of the target territories’ level of readiness for telecommuting is combined with collaboration with local stakeholders in designing the best solutions to attract and integrate remote workers. The feasibility, scalability and impact of these solutions are then assessed through transnational cooperation, essential for studying liquid, virtual workplaces across the boundaries of regions and countries. The project output (Guidelines for Policymakers) will be disseminated to municipalities, business and non-profit organizations, as well as to grassroots associations. The expected result is a new approach to local economic development and regional policy that relocates innovation in the periphery, and especially in the AlpSatellites, being attractive places for both people and businesses.

Actual Achievements (EN):

The AlpSatellites project, financed by the EU’s Alpine Space Programme, is aimed at fostering the settlement of new residents and digital nomads in rural and mountain areas with the goal of mitigating negative demographic trends. The project explored remote and co-working solutions by analyzing the opportunities and challenges in the three partner countries. The project partners worked closely with local stakeholders to design tailored solutions for attracting and integrating remote workers based on the provision of workplaces and telecommuting facilities. The six partners are three universities in Italy, France, and Austria: Valle d’Aosta University (UNIVDA, leading partner), Aix-Marseille University (AMU), Vorarlberg University of Applied Sciences (FHV) and three local territorial organizations: Unité des Communes valdôtaines Evançon (CME), Association Culturelle Sociale et Sportive du Queyras (ACSSQ), and the Municipality of Doren. Transnational cooperation was an invaluable resource to achieve the project goals and was perceived as an added value. The co-creation group planned from the real beginning the methodology of the research; particularly valuable was also the collaboration within each country between the university partners and the territorial partners, due to the superior knowledge of the three focal mountain areas by the latter and their role in facilitating contacts with policymakers. Local mayors and policymakers were indeed the main stakeholders targeted by the project, but elected representatives, local businesses, tourism services, NGOs, remote workers, digital nomads, and the general public were also widely involved. The project initially assessed the level of preparedness of its target territories for coworking spaces. A needs analysis related to remote work and co-working spaces for the local community, employers, and employees, aimed to identify the key attributes that AlpSatellites spaces should possess. Although the research was a collective effort, each participating partner tailored it to meet the necessities of their respective territories. Some characteristics are shared by all, particularly those targeting local communities, namely diversification strategy of the services provided to tourists (reducing seasonality), environmental sustainability through reduction of daily trips, social cohesion, because of their nature places of aggregation in communities where the level of isolation is high, particularly in winter season. However the three regions also exhibit notable differences and different challenges. Differences have been identified between territories in existing coworking infrastructure (many in France, few in Austria, none in Italy) and in difficulties for remote workers (housing difficulties in France, law and social ties difficulties in Austria, Internet connection quality in Italy). To create new coworking spaces in mountain areas, the most relevant aspects that need to be improved are connectivity, public transports and car sharing, digital support and education, a housing policy to contrast depopulation and to attract new inhabitants. The planned solutions are different in the three territories. Moving forward, the next step would be the implementation and test of prototypes, one for each partner country. For the Italian territory, the feasibility study evaluated the economic sustainability of three coworking spaces in the Evançon community, one for each part of the Ayas Valley: Upper, Middle and Lower Valley. Setting up three coworking spaces would be economically feasible an appropriate cost-saving strategy was adopted, for example through the creation of a public-private partnership. The local government could provide a building, while the private partner could be in charge of the management of the coworking space such a prototype could be the establishment of a first coworking space. For the French territory the prototype would be the creation of a shared digital platform, financed by local authorities with a cost-effective strategy, with the objective of not only promoting the region’s assets but also as a tool to help remote workers to find easy information about the area. The Austrian pilot solution needs to have a heavy focus on the creation of social capital, implementing the three main pillars that they have studied (services, digitalization, and digital fit), to establish a vibrant community in Doren and around the hub “Klein Wien”, to facilitate the emergence of a community space with coworking facilities. The focus of the Austrian partners was on constructing a solution for the region, as well as making it transferable to similar areas. The implementation of these solutions will certainly be facilitated by the active participation of policymakers and political representatives from the territories involved in the project, who on several occasions have expressed their willingness to take charge of the development of coworking spaces in the near future.

Project outputs: Policy guidelines
“Enabling a remote-working ecosystem to make remote areas thrive" (EN)

Thematic information

ICT and digital society Rural and peripheral development

Priority: (VI-B_AS_3) Innovation and digitalisation supporting a green Alpine region

Priority specific objective: RSO1.2. Reaping the benefits of digitisation for citizens, companies, research organisations and public authorities

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO1 A more competitive and smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation and regional ICT connectivity

Type of intervention: 015 Digitising SMEs or large enterprises (including e-Commerce, e-Business and networked business processes, digital innovation hubs, living labs, web entrepreneurs and ICT start-ups, B2B) compliant with greenhouse gas emission reduction or energy efficiency criteria

Partners (7)

Lead Partner: Università della Valle d'Aosta - Université de la Vallée d'Aoste

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 01040890079

Department: Department of Social and Human Sciences

Address: Strada Cappuccini , 11100 Aosta, Italy

Department address: Strada Cappuccini , 11100 Aosta, Italy

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.univda.it

Total budget: EUR 154 700.64

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 116 025.48

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 38 675.16

Aix-Marseille Université

Name: Aix-Marseille Université

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FR84130015332

Address: Boulevard Charles Livon, 13284 MARSEILLE, France

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.univ-amu.fr

Total budget: EUR 133 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 99 750.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 33 250.00

ASSOCIATION CULTURELLE SOCIALE ET SPORTIVE DU QUEYRAS

Name: ASSOCIATION CULTURELLE SOCIALE ET SPORTIVE DU QUEYRAS

Partner’s ID if not PIC: N.a.

Address: WAY LA CHALP, 05470 AIGUILLES, France

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.queyras.org

Total budget: EUR 87 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 65 250.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 21 750.00

Contractors:

Name: DILA
VAT registration or tax identification number: 130009186 00011
Name: EUREX Conseils
VAT registration or tax identification number: 393 061 338 000 82
Name: Reynier Florence
VAT registration or tax identification number: 49937705900013
Name: Autocars Imbert SAS
VAT registration or tax identification number: 385 950 290 00044
Name: ETM Services s.r.l.
VAT registration or tax identification number: IT01162920076
Name: ADRETS
VAT registration or tax identification number: 434 508 883 00031
Name: INTRALP Ass.Prof.
VAT registration or tax identification number: IT01038460323

Gemeinde Doren

Name: Gemeinde Doren

Partner’s ID if not PIC: ATU 37680309

Address: Kirchdorf, 6933 Doren, Austria

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: http://www.doren.at

Total budget: EUR 50 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 37 500.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 12 500.00

Fachhochschule Vorarlbeg GmbH

Name: Fachhochschule Vorarlbeg GmbH

Department: Research Centre Business Informatics

Partner’s ID if not PIC: ATU 38076103

Address: Hochschulstraße, 6850 Dornbirn, Austria

Department address: Hochschulstraße, 6850 Dornbirn, Austria

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.fhv.at

Total budget: EUR 150 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 112 500.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 37 500.00

Unité des communes valdôtaines Evançon

Name: Unité des communes valdôtaines Evançon

Partner’s ID if not PIC: 00574890075

Address: Via delle Murasse, 11029 Verrès, Italy

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Local public authority

Website: http://www.cm-evancon.vda.it

Total budget: EUR 100 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 75 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 25 000.00

Contractors:

Name: Authentic Enterprise Solutions
VAT registration or tax identification number: 09342931004
Name: Ideazione s.r.l.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 02498390042
Name: Italia Gastronomica s.r.l.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 02238810036
Name: Consorzio Turistico Val d'Ayas
VAT registration or tax identification number: 01060710074
Name: ETM Services s.r.l.
VAT registration or tax identification number: IT01162920076
Name: A.V.I. Presse s.r.l.
VAT registration or tax identification number: 00190360073
Name: Massimo Lucii
VAT registration or tax identification number: 00841450117

Fachhochschule Vorarlberg GmbH

Name: Fachhochschule Vorarlberg GmbH

Department: Research Centre Business Informatics

Partner’s ID if not PIC: ATU 38076103

Address: Hochschulstraße, 6850 Dornbirn, Austria

Department address: Hochschulstraße, 6850 Dornbirn, Austria

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.fhv.at

Total budget: EUR 150 000.00

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 112 500.00

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 75.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 37 500.00

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

Aix-Marseille University

AlpSatellites. Managing the transition to hybrid work and satellite offices to revitalize remote mountain areas.

Partners and Projects info

SOCIAL AND SPORTS CULTURAL ASSOCIATION OF THE QUEYRAS

AlpSatellites. Managing the transition to hybrid work and satellite offices to revitalize remote mountain areas.

Partners and Projects info

Municipality of Doren

AlpSatellites. Managing the transition to hybrid work and satellite offices to revitalize remote mountain areas.

Partners and Projects info

University of Applied Sciences Vorarlberg

AlpSatellites. Managing the transition to hybrid work and satellite offices to revitalize remote mountain areas.

Partners and Projects info

Evançon mountain community

AlpSatellites. Managing the transition to hybrid work and satellite offices to revitalize remote mountain areas.

Partners and Projects info

University of Aosta Valley

AlpSatellites. Managing the transition to hybrid work and satellite offices to revitalize remote mountain areas.

Partners and Projects info

University of Applied Sciences Vorarlberg

AlpSatellites. Managing the transition to hybrid work and satellite offices to revitalize remote mountain areas.

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): AlpSatellites. Managing the transition to hybrid work and satellite offices to revitalize remote mountain areas.

Project acronym: AlpSatellites

Project ID: ASP0200135

Project start date: 2022-09-01

Project end date: 2024-02-29

Project status: closed

Relevant linked projects:

A-RING Alpine Space (EN) | AlpSatellites builds on the Alpine Space Project “A-RING” of which FHV is a partner. The project focuses on the establishment of effective transnational cooperation among different levels of actors, to develop shared policies for Alpine regions. A-RING provides knowledge about policy implementations building on existing S3/RIS, AR R&I ecosystems and tools for fostering interdisciplinary approaches, making it easier to channel research findings into innovation and Alpine policies & strategies. (EN), ALPSIB /Alpine Space (EN) | FHV was a partner in this project aimed at reinforcing the capacity of public and private organizations to set up social impact bonds (SIBs). This project focused on how to finance social projects and foster social innovation by connecting the public, private and third sectors, on how to assess the financial and social impacts of social intervention, and on how to implement co-creation processes with local stakeholders. (EN), #Com.viso ALCOTRA (2017-2019) (EN) | The INTERREG/ALCOTRA project has enabled the ACSSQ to collaborate with French and Italian partners on developing mountain communities in various social and cultural areas, with a special attention to the role of social team leaders. It has brought new skills and new horizons for cross-border cooperation. (EN), CULTURE EN CONTREBANDE (2021-2022) (EN) | In collaboration with a local association (Musi Queyras), ACSSQ is developing a LEADER project on the notion of endogenous tourism and cultural action on the notion of contraband. The ACSSQ is identified as the leader on this project.
(EN)

Relevant mentions and prizes:

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 674 700.64

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 506 025.48

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 75.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 506 025.48. Co-financing rate, 75.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

“Alpine Remote Areas’ appetite for remote working”
“Remote Work in the Alps: Readiness, Opportunities and Barriers”
Building remote-work communities in the Alpine Space: co-designed and sustainable solutions”
Feasibility, Scalability and Impact study: “Making remote working solutions in the Alps successful”
AlpSatellites in the evolving regulatory framework for remote working

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyAlpineRegion AlpSatellites will contribute to EUSALP, and in particular to Objective 1, by supporting policymakers and local communities in enhancing conditions for remote working as a way of improving the attractiveness (AG3), economic development (AG2), and quality of life in rural/mountain areas. The synergies between AlpSatellites and AG2 lie in bridging the gap of disconnected value chains in mountain/rural areas as well as in supporting innovation by making better use of cluster initiatives.
Other AlpSatellites contributes to the European Green Deal and its target of Making EU climate neutral by 2050. The achievement of this goal requires a cut 90% of emissions from transport by 2050. Working remotely undoubtedly yields environmental benefits as it reduces commenting, thus emissions, and might increase the use of light and green means of transport for short trips.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 121 - Area covered by protection measures against climate related natural disasters (other than floods and wildfire), Measurement unit:

Delivered output indicator(s):

Other: 1.0

Programme Common Result Indicator:

RCR 098 - SMEs staff completing training for skills for smart specialisation, for industrial transition and entrepreneurship (by type of skill: technical, management, entrepreneurship, green, other), Measurement unit:

Delivered result indicator(s):

Other: 1.0

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSALP

EUSALP Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSALP Degree of compliance:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-B Alpine Space

Latest month of project-partner-call data publication

2026-03

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

47 / 47 (100%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

467 / 467 (100%)

Notes on the data

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AlpSatellites. Managing the transition to hybrid work and satellite offices to revitalize remote mountain areas.

Description

Thematic information

Partners (7)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

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