The research center "HiMAT - The History of Mining Activities in the Tyrol and Adjacent Areas - Impact on Environment & Human Societies" was established 2007 at the University of Innsbruck. Concern is the impact of mining activities on culture and environment in the alpine area from the Neolithic period up to modern times. International experts from Innsbruck and other universities are gathered in a multiple interdiscipline network in order to evaluate and analyse the stages of expansion, consolidation and regression of mining activities in the middle apine region.