Abstract
In the economic literature, quality of life is increasingly highlighted as a crucial determinant in the location choices of highly skilled professionals (Diamond, 2016). The Euregio (comprising Tyrol, South Tyrol, and Trentino) presents favorable conditions for this demographic, attributable to its ecological, economic, and cultural assets. The development of sustainable communities, with consideration of the emerging concept of "new rurality," offers a dual advantage, fostering ecological and social sustainability while simultaneously addressing the present and future needs of residents to ensure a lasting and high-quality standard of living. The research project aims to analyze the key factors contributing to the attractiveness of the Euregio. The study will identify causal factors and the strengths and weaknesses of Euregio that are relevant to the decision-making processes behind the migration, immigration, and remigration of highly skilled professionals. Based on this analysis, coherent and sustainable policy recommendations will be developed to promote sustainable communities, to enhance the's attractiveness of Euregio as a place to live and work. The chosen research design is a mixed-methods approach, which allows for exploring complex phenomena from various perspectives. The empirical qualitative data collection is conducted with twenty-one highly skilled professionals who have emigrated from, immigrated to, or remigrated to the Euregio. The open narrative interview technique is employed for this purpose. Data analysis follows the qualitative content analysis method by Kuckartz and Rädiker (2022) and is supported by MAXQDA. The quantitative part of the research includes a questionnaire aimed at students from universities in Euregio, with a total sample of 579 analyzable questionnaires. The analysis of empirical data is conducted using SPSS. The applied descriptive statistics and binary logistic regression model yield relevant results within the sample. The findings demonstrate that the causes of migration are multidimensional and multifactorial. On the one hand, the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the 2030 Agenda can be considered as drivers of migration, on the other hand, it is evident that the implementation or non-implementation of these goals serves as significant predictors of migration patterns. It is therefore recommended to initiate timely interventions aimed at advancing the implementation of the SDGs and promoting sustainable communities.