What is VIOLET?
From 2017 to 2021, the Interreg Europe VIOLET project addressed the need for improvement to regional public policy to enhance energy efficiency in traditional buildings, by addressing both low carbon and cultural preservation actions. In 2021, VIOLET submitted a proposal under a special Covid-19 call of the Interreg Europe programme, which was approved. An additional € 1,262,744.40 in ERDF for partners was awarded to continue its applauded work towards improving regional development policies to better face the net-zero transition and recover from the unprecedented situation brought upon by the Covid-19 pandemic.
For the past 12 months, the international consortium has continued to work together toward establishing a building culture that is sympathetic to modern requirements of reinstatement and conservation for improved energy usage and reduced carbon emissions, without endangering the highly appreciated EU architectural heritage. Main activities of the partners in this extended phase of the project include the implementation of the partners’ regional action plans, which outline concrete measures and include commitments from relevant public authorities to secure financial resources and policy support.
Communities of Practice (CoP)
Within the VIOLET project, regional Communities of Practice (CoP) were established to bring together various key players in the building heritage and energy sectors (i.e., architects, decision makers, energy managers, etc.) to build interdisciplinary, targeted stakeholder working groups. CoP members have actively engaged with the project locally, regionally, nationally and at EU levels throughout the project lifetime to leverage VIOLET policy recommendations and thus ensure the adoption of the VIOLET approach. The CoP members are also a foremost feature in the communication and dissemination of project outputs to assure VIOLET produces long-term effects. The regional VIOLET CoP members form a trans-European network to provide lasting results that will extend well beyond the project’s completion.
Biannual CoP meetings occurred of the VIOLET Interreg Project and dealt extensively with the work related to the development of the Action Plan at the regional level. Each partner had taken advantage of different tools in order to receive adequate feedback for their regional CoP development. Let’s take a look at how the VIOLT CoPs have developed and have left a lasting effect in each of the partner regions.
