The Synopsis gives a comprehensive overview on the work carried out within the international ECONNECT project. The ECONNECT project, implemented to stimulate significant interest for the protection, improvement and development of ecological connectivity throughout the Alpine range, brought up some very clear results why ecological connectivity is not available in the Alpine region. ECONNECT was launched in order to promote model implementation of ecological networks in several pilot regions. With the support of tools and fundamentals provided by the Ecological Continuum Initiative, the pilot regions have been working to show how ecological connectivity can be improved in the specific case at the local level and beyond protected areas. ECONNECT also provided additional support in the form of pan-Alpine data bases and analyses of physical and legal barriers to the migration of animals and plants being effective both in the terrestrial as well as in the aquatic ecosystems, respectively. ECONNECT demonstrated in a very lively way at several workshops, conferences and other activities, how the exchange of knowledge is promoted, both among the actors and with other mountain regions.