Lake Constance
The International Lake Constance Conference (IBK) brings together cross-border cooperations by the governements of the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Vorarlberg and the cantons of Appenzell Ausserrhoden, Appenzell Innerrhoden, St. Gallen, Schaffhausen, Thurgau, Zurich and the Principality of Liechtenstein. The IBK’s aim is to preserve and promote the Lake Constance region as an attractive living, natural, cultural, scientific and economic area and to strengthen regional cohesion as well as social developement.
Since 2018, the IBK’s strategy has been based on two elements. The mission statement contains the common principles of cooperation and, together with its guiding principles, the IBK’s long-term goals for the Lake Constance region with a time horizon of 2030:
- Improve the location for business, employment, science and innovation
- Varied urban structure and sustainable transport connections
- Unique natural and landscape area
- Attractive region with high quality of life
In order to push the development of the Lake Constance region over the next five years, the IBK-Strategy 2018-2022 defined – as a new element – two priorities as guiding principles. Based on such priorities, concrete measures and priority projects will be developed in the future:
- Strenghten the perception of the location
- Strenghten its innovative capacity
- Conceptualise the Lake Constance region
- Create the conditions for transport connections
- Optimise offers across borders
- Enhance the strategy for climate protection and energy
- Bring added value in agriculture and nature
- Foster coexistence and regional identity
INTERREG projects
IBH-Labs
The IBH, the Internationale Bodensee-Konferenz (IBK) (International Lake Constance Conference) und INTERREG-V-Alpenrhein-Bodensee-Hochrhein promote research and innovation partnerships between higher education institutions, businesses and society through thematically oriented IBH labs. By doing so, they make a sustainable contribution to the promotion of knowledge, innovation, and technology transfer and thus to the attractiveness of the Lake Constance region as a location.
Low-tech buildings
“Low-tech” refers to buildings that are energy-efficient, resource-saving and economical. Low-tech building concepts set a conscious counterpoint to the ever-increasing mechanization of buildings. This lighthouse project – initiated by the IBK – is scheduled to run for five years.
Bodensee-Ticket
The Lake Constance Ticket offers unlimited freedom of travel around Lake Constance with only one ticket for buses, trains and ferries. This attractive offer has recently been extended to include a 3-day pass. In 2017, this IBK initiated project celebrated its 15th anniversary.
Statistics Platform Lake Constance (Statistikplattform Bodensee)
The Statistics Platform Lake Constance regularly collects comparative statistical data on the Lake Constance region, such as data on international commuter flows, economy and employment or on tourism and population. The basis for this is provided by processed and harmonised cross-border data of the statistical authorities of the Lake Constance region.
Xchange
The Xchange Apprenticeship Exchange of the Internationale Lake Constance Conference and the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Alpenländer (Arge Alp; Working Community of Alpine Countries) has been in existance since 2001. It offers apprentices the opportunity to gain international experience.