The Project Consortium consists of eight partners out of six different countries: Austria, Germany, Italy, Slovenia, Romania and Poland. The project partners combine science and practice: not only universities, but also Innsbruck Tourism as a Destination Management Organization (DMO) and experts in the field of sustainability in practice (EURAC and TourCert) are part of the ETSM2023 Consortium.
University of Innsbruck
Research Center of Tourism and Leisure
The University of Innsbruck (UIBK) from Austria and its Research Centre for Tourism & Leisure represent an interdisciplinary research and higher education institution.
The team at the Department of Strategic Management, Marketing and Tourism unites various disciplines in the Research Centre from sociology to economic geography, management and informatics.
Furthermore, the InnCubator is a university spin-off which supports new business start-ups with a special focus on social (and sustainable) entrepreneurship, and cooperates with the Research Centre for Tourism & Leisure in the Digital Innovation Hub West . This partner is part of the UniNETZ – University network "Education and Communication Sustainable Development" and the Aurora European Universities Network (EU/Erasmus).
Mike Peters
Head of project management a coordination, leader of WP 1, senior researcher, coaching and training
Transnational exchange in form of a network of sustainable working SMTEs is the key to foster sustainability development and certification on a Europe-wide basis.
Mike Peters holds a chair in tourism and SME research and is leader of the research centre for Tourism and Leisure at the UIBK. In the past he was project leader of various transnational and international projects, e. g. of the GATE project – Granting accessibility in tourism for everyone project and of the Austrian Science Fund Executive Innovation Programme Digital Tourism Experts with more than 50 national small and medium sized tourism business partners (2018-2021); funding 1,2 million Euro). Mike has also experience in the management of international conferences, executive development teaching, blended learning and is chair of the Tourism and Travel Research Association TTRA Europe.
Birgit Pikkemaat
PC manager, coordinator of SP 1, senior researcher, tourism innovation expert, coaching and training
Innovation in the tourism sector goes hand in hand with sustainability. It is important to foster the process of getting more sustainable especially in SMTEs to create a competitive advantage.
Birgit Pikkemaat is a tourism expert in the field of innovation research on the SMTE and destination management level. She holds a tenure track position at the Department of Strategic Management, Marketing and Tourism at the UIBK. Since 2008 she runs a tourism innovation agency and is court expert for tourism. She is in close contact with the tourism industry and successfully managed various research and training projects, e. g. she had the lead for a project team about small ski areas with 5 ski areas, 30 stakeholders and 500 tourists involved.
Johanna Sparber
Administrative personnel, project management, communication
I am thrilled to support international exchange of researchers and SMTEs within the tourism sector to foster sustainability.
Johanna Sparber holds a Bachelors degree in educational science and after that decided to study economics at the UIBK. After working in the Tourism and Leisure Department, she took the chance and wrote her bachelor thesis about "Corporate succession in tourism". After finishing the Bachelors degree Johanna started the Masters degree in Sustainable tourism- and destination-development, where she just finishes her master thesis on "Diversification potential of agricultural holdings in tourism". Johanna has supported and worked withing several projects in the tourism area and therefore brings a lot of experience in project management in the team.
Marina Farbmacher
Administrative personnel, project management, communication
SMTEs need to be supported in the area of fostering sustainability – with ETSM2030 we can make a big contribution to that mission.
Marina Farbmacher holds Bachelor degrees in economics and business law at the UIBK. She wrote one of her Bachelor thesis on the "Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive". Marina Farbmacher worked on several projects and therefore supports the whole project in terms of communication, project management and organisation.
Valentina Mitterdorfer
Administrative personnel, project management, communication
"Helping to disseminate sustainability understanding within SMTEs is a big challenge but a huge step into the right direction. I am happy to be part of this process!"
Valentina Mitterdorfer is currently studying law at the University of Innsbruck. Valentina has vast expierence in communication with stakeholders and in the administrative sector. Valentina Mitterdorfer worked on several projects in the past and therefore supports the whole project in terms of communication, project management and organisation.
