The working paper covers the thematic field “work and economic development” by describing the challenges inherent to territorial development in the Greater region. It specifically focuses on industrial history as well as on employment and cross-border work within the Greater Region.
In this book, geopolitical experts from different countries provide important information on border landscapes thereby enabling us to get a deeper understanding of certain aspects of cultural landscapes. The political border represents a spatial limit to the political organisation of territories. But the way in which these borders are used and perceived can have an effect on the landscape.
The Interregional Labour Market Observatory (IBA) is a network of specialized labor market institutes, all of which operate in the Greater Region. On behalf of the Summit of the Greater Region, the IBA collects data on labor markets in the Greater Region. This data is used to write reports on the labor market situation in the Greater Region. In addition to structural reporting based on comparable statistical data from the sub-regions of the Greater Region, the publication contains qualitative information on thematic focus areas.
Saarland sees itself as a bridge between Germany and France. Due to historical developments, there is already a great deal of expertise on France, which is to be expanded further.
The France Strategy is designed as a comprehensive and civil society project. In close cooperation with Lorraine, it pursues an internal strategy (strengthening French competence within the country) and an external and communication strategy (marketing Saarland’s French competence externally, i.e. to France and Germany). Even if French competence is the focal point, the France Strategy is essentially a multilingual strategy.
The France Strategy has so far been complemented by two “Feuille de route” (roadmaps), which list milestones.
GR-Atlas is an interactive, interdisciplinary, thematic atlas of the “Greater Region SaarLorLux.” The atlas is the central result of a research project funded first by the Fonds National de Recherche (FNR = The Luxembourg National Research Fund) and then by the University of Luxembourg. The bilingual (German/French) atlas, which is constantly being added to, presents about 50 different thematic maps, which are based on an internet geographical information system (WebGIS) and have been created across borders for as much of the Greater Region as possible. Four maps show a diachronic view of a phenomenon by means of an interactive timeline. The objects displayed on the maps are linked to a database that can be accessed interactively. The map section is supplemented by a text section with explanations and illustrations of the individual maps.
