In today’s increasingly global economy, the relationships of competition between countries and regions have changed. Regional development networks play a major role in regions’ competitiveness? The support of regional ecosystems may help regions in their development and competitiveness.
How may we strengthen our region for making it more resilient and a better place for living and working there?
Manfred Kojan has been engaged for 30 years in Austria´s largest regional consultancy and has been supporting regional actors around the globe in developing activities that are strengthening competitiveness of economic activities, enhance regional profiling and support the cooperation between regional stakeholders and improve regional governance structures.
He also worked with European Union structures and international donor organisations in setting-up, managing and evaluating regional cooperation programmes and initiatives.
Consulting areas
Enhancing cooperation initiatives and structures in a region
Setting-up and coaching of regional development structures and clusters, facilitation of strategy and cooperation processes, supporting the coordination and multi-level involvement of all relevant parties in a region (governance)
Rural diversification and regional value chains
Facilitating strategies and supporting initiatives for new forms of income generation of rural households, promoting the integration and extension of regional value chains
Programming and management of EU cooperation programmes
Facilitating the participatory programming process and elaboration of relevant programme documents for EU structural funds and cooperation programmes
Project examples
Programming Interreg Programme Slovenia-Austria 2021-2027
(SI, AT, 03/2020-05/2022) Team Leader
Diversification of Sustainable Rural Development in Albania,
(Albania, 08/2018-01/2019); Team Leader
Value Chain development and rural diversification in the Western Balkans,
(Western Balkan, 03-06/2018), Senior Reg. Development Expert
Development of an integrative EU programme for regional, economic and employment promotion in a province of Armenia
(Armenia, 2022, Austrian Development Agency),
Programmierung und SUP des österreichischen EMFAF-Programms 2021-2027
(AT, 10/2019-06/2021) Senior Expert
Further development of National Park Gesäuse partner network
(Austria, 6/2021 – 5/2022) Team Leader, Evaluation Expert
Value Chain development: – Mountain Tourism, – Honey
(Albania, N-Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo; 2/2019-5/2021), Senor Expert
Technical Assistance for Kosovo´s Cross-border Cooperation Programmes
(Kosovo, 1/2014-4/2015); Team Leader
Programming HORIZONT 3000: Strategy 2020
(Austria, VIII/2015-III/2016), Facilitator and Senior Expert
Bulgarian IPA CBC Programmes 2014-2020
(Bulgaria, FYROM, Serbia, Turkey; 11/2013 – 7/2014); Team Leader
EU Support to Implementation of Cross- Border programmes under IPA Instrument,
(Bosnia and Herzegovina, 8/2010 – 7/2011); Team Leader
Setting-up and coaching Regional Development Agency Bjelasica and Komovi
(Montenegro, 2006-2010), Team Leader and coach
Training at national and regional level for Regional Operational Programme and ETC Programmes implementation in Romania
(Romania, VI / 2008 – XI/2009), Team Leader
REDD Programme – financing sustainable forestation in Central America
(El Salvador, Belize, XI-XII / 2012), Senior Expert
Programming ETC AT-CZ Programme 2014-2020
(Austria, Czech Republic, VI/2012-XII/2013), Senior Expert, Process Facilitator
Technical Assistance for project preparation and implementation of the Objective 3 CBC Programme Bulgaria – Romania 2007-2013”
(Bulgaria, Romania; XII/2006 – XI/2007), Team Leader
Support for the Programming of the Future Objective 3 Interregional Cooperation Programmes Central European Space 2007-2013 and South-East European Space 2007-2013
(EU various, VIII/2006-II/2007), Senior Expert, Moderator
Support for participation of Bulgaria in Community Initiative INTERREG III B (CADSES) and INTERREG III C Programmes
(Bulgaria, VI/2006-II/2007), Team leader
Strategic Project Generation in INTERREG Programs
(EU, II-VIII/2006), Team Leader, Senior expert
Advisory services for the INTERACT Point Managing Transition: “Comparative analysis of EU INTERREG IIIA Programs”
(EU various, IV- X/2005), Senior expert
Neighbourhood Programme 2004-2006 Romania – Serbia & Montenegro
(Romania, Serbia & Montenegro, III – X 2004), Senior Expert
Strategy and Capacity Building for Regional Development in Croatia
(Croatia, X / 2003 – X / 2005), Deputy Project Director, Senior expert
Preparation of the Interreg III Community Initiative Slovenia with Croatia and Hungary
(Slovenia, V / 2003 – III / 2004), Team Leader
Systemic Analysis of the Austrian participation in the transnational Interreg IIC and IIIB Programmes (CADSES, Alpine Space)
(Austria, DE, IT, CZ, HU, SI, CH; II – X / 2003), Senior Expert
Implementation of the multi-annual CBC strategy agreed between Romania and Bulgaria
(Romania, V – VI / 2003), Senior Expert
Strategic Regional Analysis of DIANE Region (Direct Investment Agency Net) and Process Assistance
(Austria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary; I / 2003 – I / 2004), Senior Expert
LEADER+ Austrian Network Unit
(Austria, X/2002-X/2008), Senior Expert
Preparation of the Phare CBC Programme for the Bulgarian – Greek border region
(Bulgaria, VI / 2001 – XI / 2002), Team Leader
Preparation of the Phare CBC Programme for the Czech Republic – Austrian border Region
(Czech Republic, IX/1999 – VIII/2000), Team Leader
RDA network CEDA
(CZ, SK, HU, SLO, ITA, AUT; X/1999 – IX/2001), Senior Expert