1. 22.02.2016

2. Summary The region of Northern Italy, Southern Germany, Austria, Switzerland and (later also South-East France) can un- doubtedly be referred to as “Europe’s Powerhub”. To ensure the prosperity of the region for years to come, the aim of the initiative “Powerhub Alps-Adria Region” is to connect scientists, politicians and entrepreneurs to define a common path for the future. That means also to promote the region to strategic partners in the global world. What “Powerhub Alps-Adria Region” will do The initiative will start projects, hold conferences, build up service platforms and a Business Think Tank, release publications and develop a guideline for the region’s future. “Powerhub Alps-Adria Region” will address, amongst other fields, employment and labour market, energy, research, sustainability and environment, investments, infrastructure and education, migration – see also http://ec.europa.eu/about/juncker-commission/priorities/index_en.htm. One main target is the creation of specific projects. http://ec.europa.eu/about/juncker-commission/priorities/index_en.htm Membership The “Powerhub Alps-Adria Region” is open for all companies of the region. The companies will be members of the Alps- Adria internal Think Tank (with its working groups and service platforms), which is a part of Alps-Adria, and the general assembly, which will vote the political board with its politicians and representatives of associations

3. Structure of the initiative Political Board The President of the Political Board will be Ms. Elisabetta Gardini MEP. The first board members will be appointed. Regulary: Every 4 years there will be an election. Members are politicians, representatives of associations or universities Business Think Tank Alps-Adria Every company can appoint two representatives as conseiller économique of the Business Think Tank Alps- Adria. They are organized as working groups and give advice to the board and create specific projects. Service Platforms B2B, EU Funds, eCommerce and education / training Political and Economical Science and Research External Advises and Studies for Board and Think Tank Secretary General and Executive Unit The secretariat general will be coordinating the daily business of the initiative. President Elisabetta GARDINI MEP Political Board (with Ambassadors) BOARD Think Tank: Business Members - conseiller économique General Assembly SME Europe Dr. Horst Heitz SECRETARY GENERAL eupag GmbH EXECUTIVE UNIT TRANSPORT WORKING GROUP Political and Economical Science & Research ACADEMIC ADVISORS of the Board and Think Tank of Alps Adria FINANCE WORKING GROUP OTHERS WORKING GROUP SMEs WORKING GROUP SERVICES PLATFORMS

4. Implementation of the initiative The construction of Alps Adria cluster region will be done in three phases (rough timeframe): A) Structures: development of by-laws and panels / development of working groups and service platforms I member recruitment I formulation of basic principles / determination of short-term goals I first conferences in Brussels and partner cities – next planned in Munich (2016). B) Operational capability and first results: first position papers I implementation of specific projects I full operational capability of the service platforms for EU funding / B2B / advanced training / eCommerce I conferences / workshops / roundtables (end 2016). C) Establishment and institutionalization: Positioning as a relevant political-economic NGO in the region / states / EU; Creation of a regional chamber of commerce as an umbrella organization with services for companies in the region which can also implement the marketing of the Alps-Adriatic region as a business location. Offices in Brussels and in the regions (2020- 2025). The initiative Alps-Adria will be financed by: Moderate membership fees of the companies Associations and Companies can enter strategic partnerships Events complemented with sponsoring / EU funding and / or contributions by companies Business projects and services (platforms) Are based on the amount of work and will be financed separately by the participants and / or contracting authorities Basics on costs and finances. Costs / Contributions are based ultimately on the goals and means of the cluster region and its members. Only then a solid financial plan can be designed. A concept for funding has to be adopted in the early phase of the Alps-Adriatic Region. Until then, the eupag GmbH will carry the pre-financing. eupag offers its infrastructure for phase A. For Italy and France they will identify co-operation partners.

5. Elisabetta Gardini MEP (Forza Italia) (confirmed) | Italy President Alps-Adria, Senator of SME EUROPE of the EPP, Chairwoman of the Working Group Micro Business Dr. Emanuele Borasio (confirmed) I Italy President of CNA's Young Entrepreneurs Group Dr. Paolo Santin (confirmed) I Italy Partner of TEMPESTIVE Srl (confirmed) Prof. Paolo F. Bariani (confirmed) I Italy Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale Università degli Studi di Padova Astefano Balloch (confirmed) I Italy Mayor Cividale del Friuli Prof. Luciano Gamberini (confirmed) IItaly Associate Professor University of Padova Head of the Human Technology Laboratories Intended Board | Italy (Official Partner City ividale del Friuli)

6. Intended Board | Germany (Official Partner City Munich – tbc ) Ludwig Spaenle Bavarian Minister of State (confirmed) (Christlich-Soziale Union) | Germany Vice-President Alps-Adria, State Minister of Education, Science and Culture Mechthilde Wittmann MdL (confirmed) (Christlich-Soziale Union) | Germany Member of the Bavarian Parliament, Committee of European Affairs Katrin Albsteiger MdB (confirmed) (Christlich Soziale Union) I Germany ( Committee of European Affairs, Member of Delegation to Austria, Vice Chairwoman of Junge Union Deutschland Hans Podiuk StR (confirmed) (Christlich-Soziale Union) | Germany City Council and Chairman of the CSU Parliamentary Group in Munich Thomas Schmatz (confirmed) (Christlich- Soziale Union) | Germany Vice-Chairman of Mittelstands-Union Bayern Chairman of Mittelstand-Union Munich Georg Schlagbauer StR | (confirmed) Germany President of Chamber of Handcrafts for Bavaria

7. Intended Board | Austria (Official Partner City Linz – confirmed) Brigitte Jank NRAbg. (confirmed) (Österreichische Volkspartei) | Austria Vice-President Alps-Adria, Member of the Austrian National Council, Honourable President of the Österreichischer Wirtschaftsbund Dr. Paul Rübig MEP (confirmed) (Österreichische Volkspartei) | Austria Honorary President of SME Europe of the EPP, President of SME Global, Member of the EP Delegation of Switzerland Dr. Angelika Winzig NRAbg. (confirmed) I (Österreichische Volkspartei) | Austria Member of the Austrian Parliament, Vice-President and Treasurer of SME Europe of the EPP Mag. Bernhard Baier StR (confirmed) (Österreichische Volkspartei) | Austria Deputy Mayor of Linz Asdin El Habbassi NRAbg. (confirmed) (Österreichische Volkspartei) I Austria President of Austrian Workers Union (ÖAAB) Salzburg Alexander Klacsca (confirmed) I Austria National Chairman for Transport und Traffic at the Austrian Chambers of Commerce (WKÖ), General Manager of Paul Klacska GmbH

8. Intended Board | Switzerland (Official Partner City Basel - tbc) Markus Lehman former National Councillor ( Christlichdemokratische Volkspartei) (tbc) I Switzerland former Vice-President of CVP Basel-Stadt Doris Fiala (FDP. Die Liberalen) I Switzerland (tbc) Vice-Chairperson of the Swiss delegation to the PACE Member of the National Council and European Council Tino Schneider (tbc) I Switzerland President of JCVP Prof. Dr. Rolf Weder (tbc) I Switzerland Professor of International Economics and European Integration Europainstitut Universität Basel Dr. Jan Atteslander (confirmed) I Switzerland Member of the Management of Economiesuisse Head of Foreign Economic Affairs Roman Hagen (confirmed) I Switzerland Head Brussels Representation of SWISSGRID

9. Intended Expert Board for SMEs and Regions | EU Jiří Buriánek (confirmed) | Germany and Czech Republic Secretary General of the Committee of the Regions Michael Jäger (confirmed) | Germany Secretary General, Taxpayers Association of Europe (TAE), Policy Officer Communication of Taxpayers Association of Bavaria Alain Terrenoire (confirmed) Member of EESC (UMP) President of Paneuropa France Vice President of CNS Atlantique Former Member of National Parliament of France Former Member of European Parliament Dr. Ingo Friedrich (confirmed) (Christlich-Soziale Union) | Germany Former Vice-President of the European Parliament, President of the European Economic Senate, Treasurer of the EPP Prof. Dr. Franz Schausberger (confirmed) (Österreichische Volkspartei) | Austria Chairman of the Board of The Institute of the Regions of Europe (IRE) Dr. Horst Heitz (confirmed) | Germany Secretary General Alps-Adria, Executive Director SME Europe of the EPP

10. Honorary Members Dr. Beate Merk (tbc) (Christlich-Soziale Union) | Germany Minister of State of Bavaria for European Affairs Dr. Christoph Leitl (tbc) (Österreichische Volkspartei) | Austria First speaker of the Business Members Alps- Adria, Honorary President of SME Europe of the EPP, Honorary President of Eurochambres, President of WKÖ Dr. Johannes Hahn (tbc) (Österreichische Volkspartei) | Austria Member of the European Commission Günther Oettinger (tbc) (Christlich Demokratische Union) | Germany Vice-President of the European Commission Antonio Tajani MEP (tbc) (Forza Italia) I Italy Former European Commissioner, Honorary President of SME EUROPE, Vice- President of Alps-Adria Sebastian Kurz (tbc) | (Österreichische Volkspartei) | Austria Minister of Austria for Foreign Affairs

11. Ambassadors of Alps-Adria Powerhub Region Martin Kastler - for Visegrad (Christlich Soziale Union) (confirmed) I Germany Former MEP, Senator and Chairman of Working Group Social of SME EUROPE President of INTERG, Head of HSS Visegrad Alessio Montanarini - for Middle East (confirmed) I Italy President of AISVEC Hubert Pirker - for Eastern Europe (Österreichische Volkspartei) (confirmed) I Austria Former MEP Founder of EUCONET Joseph Faymonville – for BELGIUM, Luxembourg (confirmed) I Belgium Senator of European Economic Senate (EWS) Founder of THG Group Javier Hurtado Mira - for Spain and South America (tbc) I Spain President of DEMYAC Dr.-Ing. Gi Won ON – for ASIA I South Korea (confirmed) President of KIC-Europe (Korea Research and Innovation Centre-Europe ASBL)

12. Business Think Tank Alps-Adria / Working Groups (Chairman and experts only from business sector – every company can send up to two conseillers économique) Agriculture and Food Products (tbc) Education and life long learning (tbc) Energy (tbc) Financial Affairs and Taxation (tbc) Infrastructure, Logistics and Transport (tbc) Innovation and Research(tbc) Internet and E-Commerce (tbc) Real Estate and Construction Business (tbc) Regional Network and Cross-border Trade (tbc) SME-Policy (tbc) Start-Ups (tbc) Tourism, Environment Protection and Culture (tbc) International trade (tbc) Migration and skilled labour (tbc) others

13. Permanent Service Platforms – Part of the Think Tank Platform Permanent Education, Staff and advanced training coordination: Jan Schrastetter, eupag Partners: Science Partners Platform Investments and B2B coordination: Dr. Fischer, eupag Partner: Magazine Private Wealth (tbc) Platform European Funds coordination: Dr. Fischer, eupag Strategic Partner: THG (tbc) Platform Internet and eCommerce for SMEs coordination: Mika Vainio and Sergej Lukutin, eupag Strategic Partner: Google (tbc)

14. Cooperation Partners

15. Management Alps-Adria with Contacts Office of Elisabetta Gardini MEP President Alps-Adria Office: +32 2 284 53 93 E-Mail: elisabetta.gardini@europarl.europa.eu elisabetta.gardini@europarl.europa.eu Dr. Horst Heitz Secretary General Alps-Adria Executive Director SME Europe of the EPP Office: +32 2 588 29 73 E-Mail: horst.heitz@smeeurope.euhorst.heitz@smeeurope.eu Lilia Heitz-Pyvovar (AUT-CH-G) Senior Project Manager eupag GmbH E-Mail : l.pivovar@eupag.eu l.pivovar@eupag.eu Frank Gübner Executive Director Think Tank Secretary General of CSU Munich E-Mail frank.guebner@csu-bayern.de frank.guebner@csu-bayern.de Dr. Ludger Fischer (AUT-CH-G) Vice Executive Director Think Tank Policy and Service Platforms eupag GmbH E-Mail: l.fischer@eupag.eu l.fischer@eupag.eu Stefan Knoflach (AUT-CH-G) Event Manager and Policy Advisor eupag GmbH E-Mail: s.knoflach@eupag.eu s.knoflach@eupag.eu

16. Management Alps-Adria with Contacts Carsten Beck (AUT-CH-G) Project Manager eupag GmbH E-Mail: g.eberle@eupag.eug.eberle@eupag.eu Mika Vainio (AUT-CH-G) IT Senior Project Manager eupag GmbH E-Mail: m.vainio@eupag.eum.vainio@eupag.eu Jan Schrastetter (AUT-CH-G) Director of Service Platform Education, Training and Science (ETS) eupag GmbH Italian Partner (tba) French Partner (tba)International Partners (tba)

17. Contact Alps-Adria Office Alps-Adria Munich c/o CSU-Bezirksverband München Geschäftsstelle Adamstraße 2 80636 München Office Alps-Adria Brussels c/o SME Europe Rue de Pascale 22 1040 Brussels EU Project Management: