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The RUR project is a model example of a systemic approach to the transformation of coal regions, whose outputs will be usable not only in the Ústí Region but also in other regions of the Czech Republic and abroad. The results of the project can serve as a model mechanism for effective transition from fossil fuels and adaptation of regions to new socio-economic and environmental conditions.
The main coordinator of the project is Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem (UJEP), which has managed to connect key regional partners in cooperation on four broad key activities.
Faculty of Environmental Sciences of the Czech University of Life Sciences in Prague (FŽP ČZU) plays a role in key activity 3, called Creative Environment. Its research is based on the principles of the so-called "Smart Landscape", which integrates water management, soil protection, and eco-stabilization measures into a unified system of sustainable land use.
Strategic context and significance of the project
The project Region to the University, University to the Region (RUR) is a systemic project co-financed by the European Union, aimed at supporting the transformation of the Ústí Region in connection with the departure from coal mining and utilization. The process of moving away from coal has far-reaching impacts not only on the region itself but also on the entire Czech Republic. The RUR project thus primarily serves as support for the Ústí Region, but above all as testing a functional mechanism of change that can be applied in other areas.
Key research areas and pilot locations
The research activities of FŽP, ČZU in Prague, are structured into three analytical levels:
- Regional strategy – formulation of strategic recommendations for regional development and adaptation measures.
- Mining and reclamation area – assessment and implementation of innovative methods of landscape regeneration in the mining area.
- Micro-regional application – local pilot projects focused on ecosystem restoration and environmental sustainability.
Model locations represent pilot areas for testing adaptation measures and ecological landscape restoration. Research teams here examine, for example, hydrological processes, ecological succession, soil quality restoration, and the effectiveness of blue-green infrastructure.
Significance of the RUR project for the future of landscape transformation
The project Region to the University, University to the Region represents a unique testing platform for the comprehensive change of regions affected by coal mining. The outputs of the project will be significant not only for the Ústí Region but also for other areas of the Czech Republic undergoing restructuring of industrial and mining zones.
RUR ultimately does not limit itself only to supporting environmental restoration but also integrates social and economic aspects of transformation to ensure that the transition to new economic models proceeds fairly and sustainably.
The project has a significant outreach, as the methodologies addressed can serve as examples of good practice for other regions and countries facing similar challenges in the area of ending fossil fuel extraction and ecological land restoration.
| Project Name: | RUR: Region to the University, University to the Region |
| Project Number: | CZ.10.02.01/00/22_002/0000210 |
| Project Duration: | October 2023 – December 2027 |
| Provider: | MŽP Operational Program Just Transition 2021-2027 |
| Main Coordinator: | Jan Evangelista Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem |
| Project Coordinator for FŽP: | Kateřina Černý Pixová |
| Project Manager: | Lucie Mužíková, Michaela Rösslová |
| Total Project Budget: | 1.188 billion CZK |
| Budget for FŽP: | 144.5 million CZK |
Project description on the website of the Operational Programme Just Transition