In the aftermath of the steel crisis, where many points of reference disappeared into thin air, the economy of the South had to be rethought. The history and memory of the steel industry was promoted by municipalities, national administrations and associations as early as the 1980s and the Fondation Bassin Minier was created in 1989 to set up and support scientific, cultural and socio-cultural activities in the mining area.

However, the South needed a global approach to significantly improve its economic, social and environmental standing. Building a shared vision of the region became a central concern for public stakeholders. The potential of the land left behind by the mining industry triggered the debate on the future of the region while other cases were made for drawing up a development plan for the South as a whole. Local stakeholders concerned for citizens’ quality of life began taking an interest in intermunicipal collaboration and the cross-border context and national policy aimed to promote a regional approach to spatial planning.

Several tools have been developed to drive regional development:

May 1999: The law of 31 May 1999 on regional planning encouraged municipalities to create intermunicipal associations for the harmonious and sustainable development of the regions defined in the plan. Luxembourg state’s intention to prioritise the development of the South is clearly stated here.

July 1999: The Ministry of Spatial Planning played an active role in setting up a regional observatory in the South. The municipalities of the region and the ministry signed an agreement and co-financed ORESUD which was created in July 1999. This tool is designed to help municipalities implement and monitor Luxembourg state’s regional policy in statistical and cartographical form and represents a step forward in intermunicipal cooperation.

2000: Luxembourg state and the steel group Arbed jointly set up the development company Agora in 2000, whose mission was to restore former steel sites in southern Luxembourg, starting with Belval. The aim was to create a modern and dynamic urban district on the former industrial site with a 40/60 modal split between public transport and car.

2002: The Fonds Belval was created. As a public institution, the Fonds Belval is responsible for the creation of the "City of Science, Research and Innovation" in Belval. Turning this steel production site, and later financial site with the installation of Dexia-BIL, into a place of research and knowledge required a strong political will.

May 2003: Finally, the municipalities of the South joined forces in a municipal syndicate called PRO-SUD whose statutes were approved on May 19, 2003.