ASCEND aims to produce, via a series of European discussion groups, a Model Management Framework for the transfer of military sites and heritage from the defence sector into civilian ownership. The project also aims to present EU Policy recommendations, and to analyse the contribution made to date by Objective 1 and 2 Operational Programmes. Achievements: Achievements so far ASCEND partners have now organised and attended 13 workgroups and seven steering group meetings since the project began in January 2004. Workgroups were split into three themes: 1) management mechanisms for the transfer of military land and heritage into the civillian sector; 2) transforming abandoned military heritage into proven tourism assests; 3) developing former military sites as clusters of knowledge-based economic activity. ASCENDS main output the is the Model Management Framework (MMF) In total 28 case studies are featured at length, whilst 19 further instances of best practice are referenced. Partners dedicated significant time to the creation of an agreed Process Model, outlining the key stages that are deemed vital for sucess in any military regeneration and this is an important feature in the MMF. The last workgroup focused on financial constructions and the exploitation of military heritage sites. To date 1050 copies of the MMF book and 800 copies of MMF on CD version have been produced and distributed. ASCEND’s findings and key policy reccomendations were formally presented to an audience of stakeholders at the Committee of the Regions in Brussels in June 2006, under the patronage of five Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) and attended by over 100 international delegates. A Feasibility Analysis on the establishment of a pan-European agency for the transfer of military land and heritage has been completed and the results also formed one of the EU Policy recommendations that ASCEND was tasked with making. The partnership has also produced a Database Map of military heritage sites in partner regions, containing important information about the transformation process particular to each site. ASCEND has a comprehensive website which hosts: reports from each workgroup theme; Data Base Map; Feasibility Analysis; MMF; project newsletters; partner contact details as well as background information about the project and each partner area. In November 2007 partners sent a delegation to meet with government representatives based in Brussels and signed a declaration of intent to 'Establish a Network of Military Sites'. The partners by signing the declaration have demonstrated their commitment to work towards the drawing up of a new formal agreement which will set out the process for the tangible exchange of good practice relating to the socio-economic re-use of former military brownfield land and heritage.