Petra Schmutz studied landscape architecture, specializing in regional local supply management. In 1997 Petra Schmutz joined the interdisciplinary team at the Austrian Institute of Sustainable Development (ÖIN). She gained experience in the implementation of transdisciplinary research projects whilst organizing Local Agenda 21 initiatives in the Austrian province of Styria. One of her main tasks was to lead the internal and external communication, whilst managing the 130 members of the Austrian Network for Sustainable Development – most of which came from varying backgrounds and disciplines and professions and were located throughout the whole of Austria. Other fields of expertise are sustainable rural development and local action planning for employment; amongst other things she coordinated the EU-project “Training and Capacity Building for Local Action Planning for Employment” in Austria, which contained a face to face seminars and e-learning elements. Another project she worked on was the foundation and development of the regional economy network “Regionalcluster Hartberg”.