On October 6, Professor Franz Tödtling of the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien), Vienna, Austria, passed away unexpectedly.

He was a very active and valued member of the RSAI community, ERSA, and the German-speaking Section of RSAI.

Franz Tödtling dedicated his academic career to the study of regional development and regional policy. He authored and edited nine books and published around 250 articles, many of them in highly respected international journals.

Since the early 1980s, Franz had been an active and regular participant in ERSA's annual conferences and in the winter seminars of the German-speaking Section of RSAI.

He maintained an extensive network of research collaborations throughout Europe and beyond.

Franz will be greatly missed by all of us, not only for his intellectual strength but also for his warm personality. He was a dear friend and a generous source of support and encouragement to younger members of our communities throughout their academic careers.

Our deepest sympathies go to his family and to all those who were close to him.