Stefan Kah is a Knowledge Exchange Fellow at the European Policies Research Centre (EPRC). His work focuses on EU Cohesion Policy and territorial development, with particular expertise in the design, implementation and evaluation of place-based and integrated territorial policies across urban and rural contexts. Stefan’s research centres on the territorial dimension of regional development policy, especially within EU Cohesion Policy. He is widely recognised as a leading European expert on EU-funded territorial instruments, notably Integrated Territorial Investments (ITIs) and Community-led Local Development (CLLD). His work combines policy analysis, programme evaluation and applied knowledge exchange, bridging research and practice at European, national and local levels.

Policy evaluation and international engagement. Stefan has extensive experience in the strategic design and practical implementation of Cohesion Policy programmes. Between 2023 and 2025, he co-led a two-year, in-depth ex-post evaluation of the territorial dimension of EU Cohesion Policy for the European Commission. In 2025, he was invited to act as a peer review expert for the European Urban Initiative (EUI), contributing to the development of sustainable urban development policies in cities across the EU.

Comparative and country expertise. Stefan has country expertise in Austria, Germany and Slovenia.  He is fluent in German, English and Italian.

Knowledge exchange and professional experience. A significant part of Stefan’s career has been dedicated to knowledge exchange and mutual learning in EU regional policy, including his former role as Network Manager of the IQ-Net knowledge exchange programme. His prior professional experience also includes work with the INTERACT Programme in Vienna, a regional development agency in Switzerland, and the International Commission for the Protection of the Alps (CIPRA) in Liechtenstein.

United Nations Advisor. In parallel, Stefan works as a Capacity Building Advisor on integrated territorial development for the United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) in Serbia, where he supports the pilot implementation of territorial instruments.