The PROGRASS Partnership

The idea of a trans-national project dealing with the future management of NATURA grass-land habitats has been discussed among the applicants over a period of time because it touches on both grassland production and nature conservation, and because it is a matter of utmost urgency in their countries as it is in many other additional European countries. The co-operation between the University of Kassel (Prof. Wachendorf) and IBERS (Aberystwyth) has taken place for 10 years and focused on various aspects of grassland management within two very successful concerted actions (COST814, COST 852). Most recently, the ap-plication was prepared by an international conference on bioenergy production in Tartu, Estonia. With the support of the Government of the State of Hesse, members of the University of Kassel and of the Estonian University of Life Science were able to discuss the issue and develop strategy papers which lead to the present proposal.

PROGRASS builds on a number of stakeholders (associated partners and further co-operating partners and multipliers), who have outstanding expertise in their field and who actively participate in the research and development of bioenergy in their countries. The following partners are co-operating:

  1. University of Kassel
    Department of Grassland Science and Renewable Plant Resources
    (Prof. M. Wachendorf
    Department of Farm Management (Prof. D. Möller)
  2. Government of the Vogelsberg Region
  3. Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IBERS)
  4. Estonian University of Life Sciences (EMU)
  5. University of Bonn (UB)
  6. blinc eG
  7. MAWERA/Viessmann group (VM)
  8. Hessian Ministry of the Environment, Rural Development and Consumer Protection (HMUELV)
  9. BUPNET Lt.