Interdisciplinarity is an important factor in the planning process of the Integrated River Engineering Project. Representatives from the areas of hydro-engineering, inland navigation and ecology have been cooperating in the planning process for years to develop an ideal solution for the Danube section east of Vienna, i.e. between the Freudenau power plant and the Austrian-Slovakian border.

via donau functions as the platform for this process in which the Danube Floodplain National Park plays a key role. As a result of the co-operation of all academic disciplines, a project was developed which meets all requirements and offers important opportunities for the Danube and the Danube floodplains.

The steering committee, which consists of representatives from all the before-mentioned expert groups, facilitates the process. The planning procedure is based on joint design principles agreed on by the steering committee. Their implementation is expected to provide an opportunity for learning from the new experiences gained from working with the river. Hence, the targeted observation of the developments seen in the project implementation process and continued academic research of the eco-system are major elements of the project.