The ATRAKTIV project team met for its second physical meeting at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences from November 14 to 15, 2023. Over the course of two days, intensive discussions were held on the current status of the project, initial empirical findings and planning for the coming year. The research partners of the joint project were also present: the Leibniz Institute of Ecological Urban and Regional Development (IOER) - as coordinator of the overall project, the Leibniz Institute for Regional Geography (IfL) in Leipzig, the Institute for Social Innovation e. V. (ISInova) Berlin, the Institut für Genossenschaftswesen e.V. and the Seminar for Rural Development (SLE) of the Albrecht Daniel Thaer Institute for Agricultural and Horticultural Sciences at the Humboldt University in Berlin as well as the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences(TRAWOS Institute, headed by Prof. Dr. Raj Kollmorgen).

A highlight of the meeting was the project team's visit to the "Rabryka", an inspiring socio-cultural center in Görlitz. The "Rabryka" served as a successful example of transformative initiatives in the Upper Lusatia research region. The exchange with Julia Schlüter, Managing Director of Rabryka, and Pia Hanfeld, PhD student at the Center for Advanced Systems Understanding (CASUS) and initiator of "Jugend hackt" on site, provided a deeper insight into successful local approaches to promoting innovation and sustainable development.

Another focus of the meeting was the preparation for the upcoming conference "Geographies of Innovation", which will take place in Manchester in January 2024. There, the ATRAKTIV team will present current theoretical discussions dealing with the topics of sustainable development in areas remote from agglomerations in Germany, with a focus on transformative innovation processes.

The ATRAKTIV project team is looking forward to incorporating the knowledge and momentum gained from this meeting into its future work. The progress of the project and exciting developments will continue to be shared on our website and in future publications.