In-depth characteristic of the regional innovation systems

South Aegan Region (Greece)

Introduction

Business environment in the region

The business environment in the South Aegean Region has been developed especially the last years. In this modulation the general, personal and financial consulting has played a major role. Drawing up and carrying out studies and business plans, offering know-how, processing information towards the business sector are the significant objectives of consulting. The general goal is to build the necessary environment for sustainable development.

There are a lot of companies managing EU projects. The Polydynamo Centre of Social Intervention of Cyclades, the Regional Development Agency of Cyclades, the Association for the Development & Progress of the Dodecanese and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Cyclades and Dodecanese are some of the important companies who manage European Projects. They all have a long experience in planning and realizing actions in every field and a specific competence in the realization of European Community Projects.

Name of the

company Island Telephone Fax Manager

DEVELOP Α.Ε.

Tinos +30-22830-

22626-9 +30-22830-

23153

Mr. Vlaxos

F1 COMPUTERS A.E.

Syros

+30-22810-81133 +30-22810-81225

Mr. Politis

ΑΙΓΑΙΟ Ε.Π.Ε.

Syros

+30-22810-87451

+30-22810-

83700

Mr. Galanopoulos, Mr. Mpamparis and Mr. Rotas

ΑΝΑΠΤΥΞΙΑΚΗ ΕΤΑΙΡΕΙΑ ΚΥΚΛΑΔΩΝ Α.Ε.

Syros

+30-22810-86609

+30-22810-

87982

Mr. Voltis

ΣΥΜΠΡΑΞΗ Ε.Π.Ε.

Syros

+30-22810-

85227-9

+30-22810-

85228

Mr. Kechagioglou, Mr.

Sevastakis

GAUTIER GRECE Α.Ε.Ε. Syros

+30-22410-20187 +30-22410-20187

Mr. Lizardos

ΑΝ.ΔΩ. ΑΝΑΠΤΥΞΙΑΚΗ ΔΩΔΕΚΑΝΗΣΟΥ Α.Ε.

Rhodes

+30-22410-75323

+30-22410-

75324

Mr. Kousourgas

ΖΑΝΝΕΤΙΔΗΣ & ΣΙΑ Ο.Ε. "OH-LA-LA BIZU"

Rhodes

+30-22410-39514

+30-22410-

70225

Mr. and Mrs. Zannetidis

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ΚΑΡΠΟΔΙΝΗΣ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΣ "UNIVERSITY PRESS"

Rhodes

+30-22410-39009

+30-22410-

75032

Mr. Karpodinis

ΚΟΝΤΟΥΖΟΓΛΟΥ, Α., &

ΣΙΑ Α.Ε.Β.Ε.

Rhodes

+30-22410-

94816-7

+30-22410-

94818

Mr. Kontouzoglou

ΜΟΥΝΤΗ, Α., & ΣΙΑ Ε.Ε. Rhodes

+30-22410-34745 +30-22410-29470

Mrs. Mounti

ΜΠΕΡΓΚΜΑΝ ΚΟΡΝΤ Ι Α.Ε. Rhodes

+30-22410-78302-4

+30-22410-78305

Mrs. Kordera

ΟΙΚΟΝΟΜΙΔΗΣ ΕΡΕΥΝΑ ΤΕΧΝΟΛΟΓΙΑ ΕΦΑΡΜΟΓΗ

Ε.Π.Ε.

Rhodes

+30-22410-28638

+30-22410-35623

Mr. Oikonomidis

ΡΟΔΟΣ ΤΟΥΡΣ Α.Ε.

Rhodes

+30-22410-21010-3

+30-22410-74025

Mr. Chatziliamis

Enterpreneurship support framework

An example of a project being realized concerning the entrepreneurship support framework is “EQUAL Programme Women, Employment and Local Economy in Aegean Islands”.

The duration of the Programme was from February 2002 to December 2004. 24 Institutions participated in the Programme, among them was the South Aegean Region.

The objective of the Programme was the creation of a network for the sensitization, the encouragement and the consultative support of women entrepreneurship in new sectors of economy (new technologies, environmental services, innovative types of tourism).

Another Programme, which supports entrepreneurship and is being realized currently, is “Innovation for Sustainable Tourism and Services – ISTOS”. The ISTOS programme specific objectives are:

To promote the region’s competitiveness and its ability to adopt regional development strategies to meet the needs of the social, environmental and business stakeholders

To push an innovative and sustainable approach into the regional development strategies of the local authorities and SMEs participating in the programme

To make the best use of all available, regional, national and European resources in the region in platforms for development of innovative and sustainable structures both in the private and the public sector

To develop public-private-partnerships in order to facilitate innovative projects in the service and tourism sector.

The expected results of the programme can be summarized into the following:

Development of Local Agendas 21 in two islands, one in the Cyclades and one in the Dodecanese Prefectures

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Development, test and pilot implementation of a regional scheme for sustainable tourism that will address the needs of the local business community and the prerequisites of the sustainable development strategies and polices of the European Union.

Creation of business ideas in 30 companies (or 3-7 clusters of companies) on the basis of innovative projects concerning the production, processing, organizational and marketing functions of the firms

Design, development and pilot implementation of a wireless area network in an island that will provide broadband access to the internet together with valued added services.

South Aegean Region is a member of RINO Network (http://www.rinonet.org), the 1st National Innovation Network in Greece.

RINO Network is the basis of a joint platform for collaboration and exchange of experiences in the area of Innovative Strategies, Policies, Actions and Projects. RINO net is open to all regional actors in Greece, implementing Regional Innovation Projects.

The key objective of RINO is to build linkages between the regional innovation Programmes with other regions in Greece and in the EU and with networks and other organizations that are active in the field of innovation in relation to regional and local development. These linkages enabled the regions to share experiences and lessons and develop collaborative relationships during the Programme implementation periods and in the future.

RINO facilitates the dissemination of the results and outcomes of the Regional Programmes and eases the transfer of the regions' experience and concrete outcomes to other stakeholders. Equally, the regions profit by the experience of others work and are able to keep abreast of the latest developments in technologies and in the management of innovation.

The main target of RINO, is to enable all regions to enter a common learning platform, based upon:

• Collaboration among all regional innovation players and stakeholders in Greece • Exchange of experiences concerning the implementation of innovative ICT

projects • Promotion of access to new business innovation tools and platforms • Enhancement of the existing foundations of regional and inter-regional learning

opportunities

The RINO network aims towards one major goal:

"to link together the results obtained through the Regional Innovation Projects and Actions, in order to present and promote the outcomes to a regional and national level"

A number of regions will seek to implement specific actions developed during the formulation of their regional innovation strategy through the European Regional Development Fund Innovative Actions. In this basis, RINO is aiming to offer substantial assistance and knowledge transfer via the exchange of Good Practice experience in numerous aspects.

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The RINO network was designed, developed and co-funded under the RIPE Project (Regional Innovation of Peloponnese), as part of the Innovative Actions 2000-2006 Initiative.

Core Objectives of RINO

• Creation of bonds and co-operative actions with regions, entrepreneurial organizations and specialized business members.

• Creation of a regional networking for promotion of innovative actions • Knowledge and experience transfer through companies, research centers, public

and private sector service organizations. • Development of a model in order to increase awareness related to innovative

services offered. • Ways in which innovative support methods can be sustained. • Successfully connect different programmes and members at a regional, national

and European level.

Also the South Aegean Region is a member of DIAS.NET PROJECT (http://www.digitalislands.net).

Partners

Madeira (Portugal)

North Aegean Region (Greece)

South Aegean Region (Greece)

Hiiumaa (Estonia)

Balearic Islands (Spain)

Canary Islands (Spain)

Aland (Finland)

Gozo (Malta)

Regione Sardegna (Italy)

Are committed to :

• Establish an international association entitled “Digital Islands Association” abbreviated as DIAS.

• Invite the insular regions of Europe to show their intention to become members by the signature of this declaration

• Create a work-group in charge of the preparation of the founding documentation

• Collaborate with the existing networks and associations.

Dias.net platform

Dias.net platform is a digital ecosystem based on a grid architecture where the agents and entities of the European islands and isolated regions can make use of those more interesting and innovative spices, contributing to enrich the hole system.

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Dias.net can help organisations by:

Lowering cost of information technology (hw, sw, management) due to better resource utilization

Bringing access to resources not available locally

Providing better collaboration within widely dispersed organisations, allowing the creation of virtual organisations

Providing a new vision for design, production, and support of Information Systems that ends up in a new generation of software applications and business processes.

Dias.net is ...

o a platform where regions would benefit from inter-regional networking and mutual learning and, through the exchange of good practice, enhance regional development capacity and competence.

o an instrument to foment and to accelerate the development of information society in islands and isolated regions of Europe

o a common domain where the regions will share and demonstrate resources, services and knowledge

The main goal of DIAS.net is the development of an IT resource management system named DIASGrid to allow organisations share knowledge and work collaboratively.

Dias.net can be seen as a dynamic platform:

o It ensures that sharing relationships can be initiated among arbitrary parties, accommodating new participants dynamically.

o The mechanisms are interoperable across organizational boundaries, operational policies and resource types

o The sharing mechanisms do not require substantial changes to local policies and allow individual institutions to maintain ultimate control over their own resources.

o Benefit SMEs and small organisations that can adapt easily to new business/organisational models. To achieve this, secure and easy to use interfaces to services are provided.

It consists on Four thematic networks :

e-learning

Benchmarking

SMEs and telework

Tecnological network

Especially SMEs and telework and Tecnological network contains of :

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Technological centres

o Map of R&D&I (Centres, Departments, R&D Groups)

o Research group search (by keyword, activity, country, region, island)

Innovation and technology transfer

o Regional Innovation Systems

o Connecting technological offer and demand

o Documents and links

Sources of funding

o Regional aids to R&D&I

o Links to European funding opportunities

SMEs and telework

o Flexwork

o Best practices

o Employment

o Documents and links

Training

o Virtual Campus

o Trainig resources

o Documents and links

Tools

o Forum

o Chat

o News

o Map

o Search

• Centres for Transfer of Technology, Parks of Science and Technology

There are almost 4 Centers for Transfer of Technology in Greece:

The Greek Research and Technology Network (GRNET) supports the research and development of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) within Greece and internationally, through the provision of its high-capacity networking and grid computing infrastructure, the strengthening of e-Learning & e-Business practices, as well as the participation in international research and education efforts. GRNET operates under the auspices of the Ministry of Development and is supervised by the General Secretariat for Research and Development.

Networking GRNET develops and provides advanced services of national and international internet access to the Research, Academic and Education communities of Greece, with its gigabit GRNET2 network and the Virtual NOC supportive scheme. The network connects 27 Universities, 15 Technical Universities, 33 Research Institutions and 12,673 schools to the Pan-European Research and Education Network, GEANT. GRNET is also promoting the use of Broad-Band technologies in Greece and administers the Athens Internet Exchange (AIX), through which the Greek Internet Service Providers interconnect.

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Grid Computing

GRNET's networking infrastructure serves as the foundation for advanced computing applications, taking advantage of the processing/storage clusters that reside in different parts of the country and sophisticated middleware developed by our European collaborators. The resulting computing grid is the subject of the HellasGrid national project, coordinated by GRNET. Additionally, GRNET is the coordinator of the SEE Federation for EGEE, the pan-European Grid infrastructure. Further on the international front, GRNET participates in the GRIDCC EU project for the integration of scientific instruments and the Grid.

e-Business & e-Learning

GRNET supports national and international actions which aim at the integration of e-Learning, Internet technologies and their use within the Greek business environment, with a focus on Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). In this framework, GRNET coordinates the e-Business Forum project, the project for the educational support of the GoOnline programme and the EU-funded ELISA project.

European/International Activities

GRNET participates actively in a multitude of international projects funded by the European Union, including 6DISS, EUMedConnect, EUMedGrid, ForSociety, ACTION, and others, for the advance of digital technologies in Europe and the world. South-Eastern Europe eInfrastructures

GRNET is being instrumental in the execution of regional and European projects which aim at bridging the digital divide between countries of the region and the rest of Europe. In this context, GRNET is coordinating the SEEREN project for building a high-speed regional network which extends GEANT to all the Balkan countries, as well as the SEE-GRID project to prepare the ground for the region to join the broader European Grid computing activities. Furthermore, GRNET is a partner in the SEEFIRE project which studies the existing optical networking infrastructure in SE Europe, in preparation for building a dark-fibre network which will cover the whole region.

The National Documentation Centre (ΕΚΤ) is the backbone organisation of the national infrastructure for scientific documentation, online information and support services on research, science and technology. It has been operating since 1980 at the National Hellenic Research Foundation (NHRF) and is supervised by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Ministry for Development. Director of EKT is currently Mr Evangelos Bouboukas.

Within its institutional framework, EKT:

Develops and provides online access to Hellenic Science & Technology databases Creates and provides online access to the National Archive of PhD Theses Develops and provides a library automation software system installed in Hellenic

libraries, enabling them to access and interconnect with Hellenic and international Science & Technology databases

Develops library networks and updates national union catalogues Supports the ISSN and ISBN division of the National Library of Greece

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The wide range of information sources, the specialised personnel, as well as its technical infrastructure, render EKT a focal point for the flow of scientific and technological information to the scientific, research, educational and business community of Greece. Furthermore, EKT has a significant presence in Europe, participating in EU projects and networks for Innovation and the Information Society.

Mission and Objectives

In the Information and Knowledge Society, EKT's strategic aim is to develop, collect, manage and provide Science & Technology (S&T) content. Applying state-of-the-art information and communication technologies, EKT offers access to S&T information, as well as optimum documentation and information retrieval services.

EKT's objectives also include:

Systems integration for the uniform management of S&T content The operation of an Internet portal to navigate through S&T content The provision of personalised information services The transfer of know-how on digital content management to other organisations

The strategic targets of EKT, i.e. the development of both state-of-the-art computer infrastructure and qualified staff with high level know-how on digital content, are implemented through the "National Information System on Research & Technology" - a programme aiming at the development and provision of digital content in Science & Technology.

Activities

EKT is involved in a wide range of activities that could be grouped under the following general categories:

Activities targeted at the Dissemination of Science & Technology (S&T) Content

Activities targeted at Libraries

Activities targeted at the Support of Cooperation in RTD Projects

Activities targeted at Linking Research with Industry

In addition, EKT is engaged in several horizontal activities such as:

Horizontal Activities

Consultancy Services

Training Seminars

HelpDesks

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Organisation of Information Days, Workshops and Conferences

Participation in Exhibitions, Conferences and Fora

Publications

Online Services

EKT's activities and services are financed through public funds, national and European programmes, contracts with public institutions and third parties from the private sector, as well as by fees from services provided.

A large part of the public funding is channelled into the development of infrastructure and know-how with medium- and long-term benefits in areas related to the content of Science & Technology in the Information Society.

The Research Academic Computer Technology Institute (CTI).

The Research Academic CTI supports research in cooperation with various Hellenic or European organizations, in major ICT areas.

Its efforts are mainly aimed at contributing to basic research and the creation of lab prototypes and related products, while collaborating in seeking an interdisciplinary approach to these technologies, as well as understanding their impact on society. The Institute also comprehends its role as a channel for introducing innovation to contemporary society and economy.

The Hellenic state has honoured the Institute by appointing it to be its scientific and technical consultant during its gradual progress towards the Information Society era, a role we have fervently embraced.

Sectors and activities

Research and development

The Research Academic CTI's main priority is Research and Development. In view of the crucial importance that science, technology and innovation have in the formation of the new social reality, the Institute conducts basic and applied research in the wider area of Information and Communications Technologies. The route of the Institute's research activity is guided by the short - and long-term technological needs of the country and it is influenced by the European R&D policy as well as recent trends in research and technology.

The Research Academic CTI concentrates on issues of basic research, mainly in: computational complexity, distributed systems performance, algorithmic issues and security systems.

This research is related to the applied research developments in the following subject areas: very large databases, natural language and hypertext technology, educational technology, geographic systems and decision support systems, intranets - extranets, multimedia networks, virtual reality etc.

Since 1996, the Institute has been implementing an average of 25 E.U. or state funded R&D projects on an annual basis.

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This activity is subsequently utilized in the development of products and prototypes for the Greek IT and related industry.

In order to attain its research objectives, the Research Academic CTI has formed national and international cooperation networks with a number of academic and research entities. Moreover, its researchers cooperate with other scientists and research centers from the international scientific community on matters of basic and applied research.

The R&D sector has been organized by the Institute for a more efficient exploitation of its research resources and the maximization of the impact of its research activity.

The sector comprises 7 research units, each of which specializes in a distinct thematic area. The R&D Coordinator, who is responsible for the operation of the sector and the coordination of the organization’s research activity, directs it. Since 1997, this task has been carried out by Professor Athanasios Tsakalidis President of the Computer Engineering and Informatics Department of the University of Patras.

Information society sectors

The rapid development of Information and Communications Technologies is a factor that has influenced significantly not only the economy but also almost all the areas of everyday life. Thus, it has caused the creation of new structures in the global society, transforming it in an Information Society (IS).

The Greek governmental policy, following the overall European strategy, is oriented towards the coequal participation of Greece in the IS.

The Research Academic CTI, having a longstanding experience in research in these technologies, has been employed by the Greek state to support the implementation of IT projects for the public sector and the technological innovation in the public administration.

Since 1995, the Research Academic CTI has been providing technical and scientific consultancy services to several Ministries and public entities in Greece.

In order to respond to the role of scientific and technical consultant and to the needs for development and administration of IS issues mainly in the public sector, the institute has organized its activities in sectors, each of which is specialized in a distinct subject matter, with its own vertical structure, administration, staff and technological infrastructure and material.

The sectors are:

Educational Technology Networking Technologies IT projects for the Public Stock market Applications & Services Telematics Center of Western Greece, Epirus & Ionian Islands (in collaboration

with the University of Ioannina and the Hellenic Telecommunications Organisation under INTERREG II (Greece - Italy)

The Further Education & Training Sector was established in December 2001 with the aim of providing technical support for the project "Teachers' Training in ICT Exploitation in

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Education". This project involves the training of 76.000 primary and secondary education teachers in the acquisition of basic knowledge and skills in the use of ICT in education. IS sectors' services The Institute provides integrated technical consultancy services, specialized as follows: 1. Project Planning services Current situation and requirement analysis studies. Security and technological consequences studies. Conducting of business plans. IT systems' development, installation, maintenance and operation cost analysis studies. Elaboration of action plans and time scheduling of IT projects. 2. IT Project Implementation Preliminary Services Detailed technical description design, elaboration of technical specifications, support of tenders, support of negotiations with project contractors and in the contract sign phase. 3. Project Technical Monitoring Services Implementation plan, supervision of project contractors, coordination services. 4. Systems' Start-up Services Involvement during certification on project completion, diagnostic and quality controls, training services and support of system's start-up.

Organization chart

Cti in figures

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The Centre for Renewable Energy Sources (CRES) is the Greek national centre for Renewable Energy Sources (RES), Rational Use of Energy (RUE) and Energy Saving (ES). CRES was founded as the national co-ordination centre in its areas of activity by Law 2244/94 (Production of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources) and Law 2702/99.

CRES was founded in September 1987 by Presidential Decree 375/87. It is a public entity, supervised by the Ministry of Development, General Secretariat of Research and Technology, and has financial and administrative independence.

Its main goal is the promotion of RES/RUE/ES applications at a national and international

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level, as well as the support of related activities taking into consideration the environmental impacts, on energy supply and use.

The Centre is managed by a seven-member Board of Directors, which includes representatives from the General Secretariat of Research and Technology/Ministry of Development, the PPC (Public Power Corporation)and the Association of Greek Industries. CRES has a scientific staff of more than 120 highly experienced and specialised scientists, and engineers. The organisational structure of CRES is made up of the following basic units:

• Division of Renewable Energy Sources • Division of Energy Saving • Division of Energy Policy • Division of Energy Information Systems, Dissemination & Market Development • Division of Financial and Administrative Services • Quality Assurance Office

Since 1992, CRES is located on its wholly owned premises at 19th km Marathonos Ave, Pikermi, Attiki.

In addition to over 2000 square meters of main office space, there are also experimental outdoor installations, specialised laboratories for energy technologies, a mechanical shop, conference rooms, a library and maintains a strong computing infrastructure. CRES has installed a demonstration wind park in the area of Agia Marina in Lavrio. The Wind Park is connected to the Public Power Corporation distribution grid and the electricity produced will be fel into. When it is fully developed, the park will eventually have 3MW installed power and will produce 7,6 kWh of electricity.

CRES' funding is mainly provided by National, European and International projects, as well as projects carried out on behalf of the industrial, hotel, and construction sector, etc.

CRES' ROLE & MISSION

During its 15 years of operation, CRES has established itself in two main fields of activity:

• As a Research and Technological Centre for RES/RUE/ES, by doing applied research on new energy technologies and by providing technical support to the market for the penetration and the implementation of these technologies.

• As the National Energy Centre, working on energy planning and policy for RES and ES and developing the necessary infrastructure to support the realisation of RES&ES investment projects.

CRES has a dynamic presence both in Greece and internationally, presenting novel research results and a large number of finished contracts for the Greek Government, the European Commission and Governments of non-European countries, concerning the planning, evaluation and realisation of energy investment projects.

In the framework of its mission, CRES:

• is the official Greek government consultant on matters of RES/RUE/ES in national policy, strategy and planning;

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• carries out applied research and develops innovative technologies which are both technically/economically viable and environment-friendly;

• organises, supervises and carries out demonstration and pilot projects, to promote the above technologies;

• implements commercial RES/RUE/ES applications in private sector energy projects, local authorities, professional associations, etc.;

• provides technical services and advice, in the form of specialised know- how and information, to third parties;

• disseminates technologies in its areas of expertise and provides reliable information and support to interested organisations and investors;

• organises and/or participates in technical and scientific seminars, educational programmes, specialised training courses, meetings, etc.

EXPERIENCE GAINED

Within the scope of its activities as a Research and Technological Centre, CRES provides the link between basic research and industry, aiming at the development of local technological products and services. Through this activity, CRES has obtained important know-how, participating in many research projects and networks. In parallel, by co-ordinating and participating in a respectable number of pilot and demonstration projects, the Centre has assisted the market in accepting and adopting new energy technologies.

CRES has provided important services to third parties (private investors) and to local authorities, concerning the exploitation of the technical and techno-economical possibilities for the application of RES/RUE/ES projects.

It has carried out national, European and international investment projects for RES/RUE/ES, contributing substantially to the evaluation of investment proposals, the technical monitoring of the projects, the briefing of investors, public organisations, industry and other relevant sectors, as well as raising public awareness of RES/RUE/ES.

CRES is a very active advisor to the Greek State on matters of national energy policy, especially RES/RUE/ES, for the development and realisation of business initiatives and investment ventures, participating in the planning, co-ordination and monitoring of integrated programmes and projects at national, regional and local levels.

Internationally, CRES has promoted Greek interests in the energy sector in regions of specific interest for Greece such as, the Mediterranean, the Balkans and the Black Sea, developing a network for communication and co-operation with the energy organisations in these regions and has participated in projects, international fora and networks.

Since it started up, CRES has participated in more than 500 European, national and international projects. These include applied research projects and development, demonstration projects, energy policy studies, development of energy information systems and energy modelling, investment feasibility studies, technical and economic studies, environmental impact assessments, market research as well as activities for the promotion of RES/RUE/ES. Through these projects, CRES has developed co-operation with numerous public and private organisations, at a national, European and international level.

There are almost 4 Parks of Science in Greece in the regions of Epirus, Macedonia, Peloponnisos and Crete but not in the Region of South Aegean.

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• Business clusters

EURO INFO CENTRE RHODES GR-164

One service of the Chamber of the Dodecanese !

It is the only business support structure on community matters in the insular region of South Aegean and especially in the Dodecanese. In cooperation with the Chamber of Cyclades, it also offers its services to the enterprises established in the islands of the regions. The EIC GR-164 is the official member of the network of 300 EICs, present in 43 countries.

THE EURO INFO CENTRES NETWORK is the biggest information business support network of the European Union, established in 1986.

Information and assistance

One of EICs core activities consists in informing enterprises about EU matters. EICs directly answer about 360,000 queries from SMEs every year. They concern a wide range of issues, such as business co-operation, Commission programmes and funding and general EU matters. EICs have a direct access to the European Commission and are supported by a team of experts in Brussels, assisting them in answering the most complex questions.

Information is also provided to companies through awareness-raising activities (participation in fairs, organisation of seminars, lectures, workshops…) and a range of publications offered in local languages (guides, newsletters, websites…).

Examples of queries:

What is the latest legislation on maximum noise levels for manufacturing?

Do I need to put CE marking on my products?

Is financial aid available to buy new machinery or to produce a feasibility study for a joint venture?

What safety standards exist for my machinery?

When can I put the ‘ECO label’ on my products?

How much import duty is there on wine imported into the EU from the Ukraine?

EICs perform an advisory role in a wide range of business sectors. They have expertise in areas of specific interest to companies such as: public procurement, business co-operation, financing, market research and European legislation. Working with in-house specialists, EICs help companies to apply for Commission projects and fulfil administrative formalities. EICs also advise companies on opportunities provided by Commission programmes, as well as on current and proposed Community legislation. Encouraging business relationships and co-operation between companies Regardless of what stage of a business cycle a company is in or what level of familiarity it has with European affairs, the EIC network can help. It assists companies to take advantage of business opportunities and can expose them to markets and possible partners in 46 countries with just one call.

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The result for SMEs of having a well co-ordinated network at its fingertips is that it can be assured of efficient and effective strategic help. They also organise trade missions and provide information on programmes, which relate to both EU and non-EU countries and internationalisation.

Provide feedback SMEs can directly influence European Community legislation and programmes through their local EIC. The network confidentially feeds back company concerns to the Commission by gathering information through a variety of means such as: direct discussion, regional surveys or participation in consultation panels. EICs are also an integral part of the Commission’s Interactive Policy Making (IPM) initiative. IPM is aimed at improving governance by collecting and analysing reactions in the marketplace for use in the EU’s policy-making process. With permission from the company, EICs submit information about the problems encountered to the IPM database. The database contains information on more than 30,000 enquiries to EICs. The aim of giving the Commission this information is to prevent any obstacles to business recurring. The information helps the Commission respond more quickly and accurately to the demands of citizens, consumers and business. It also makes EU policy more transparent, comprehensive and effective and should result in better legislation.

In Greece, there are 13 Euro Info Centres and two associate members; two in Athens, one in Piraeus, Iraklio, Rhodes, Ioannina, Kavala, Komotini, Thessaloniki, Kozani, Volos, Tripolis, Corfu and two associate members, one in Athens and one in Patra.

In Greece, the Greek EICs are the first information business support infrastructure on European issues.

The host structure of the Greek EICs are the Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the Prefectures, business unions etc. The EICs give a particular prestige to the host structure. They represent the most dynamic human network operating at the same time as an intermediary ring between European Commission and companies. The EICs with their modern infrastructure constitute a source of information for the businessman and their host structure.

The EICs network is the preferential partner of many General Directions of the European Commission and other institutional bodies for the promotion of their Policies.

Thanks to the network, the help of the Technical Assistance Office in Brussels and its privileged relations with the European Committee, the EIC informs, advices and assists all enterprises of the South Aegean Region. It transfers to the Committee, through the IPM Programme (Interactive Policy Marking), the problems enterprises face in the Single European Market.

Services

The EICs provide companies, no matter what their object is, with a complete range of high added value services, from the beginning and during all stages of a company’s development.

They inform companies and their host structures directly by organizing both seminars and information campaigns about programs, policies and the Community legislation on a

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wide range of subjects that interest companies such as: environment, the Euro, standardization, e-commerce, health and safety, enlargement etc.

They support and guide companies through their relations and their netting in local, national and international level on:

-The participation in programmes,

-The development of business cooperation,

-By supporting technically and informing on business environment, the lied legal framework, practical procedural issues in the countries covered by the network.

They contribute to the shaping of policies for companies through IPM (Interactive Policy Making) transferring problems, technical obstacles and malfunction of the Internal Market blocking thus the development of a company.

They advice and accompany enterprises in order to win new markets and participate in European programmes.

They assist enterprises to resolve problems related to their everyday functioning on issues such as customs, taxation, labeling, etc.

Tools:

Websites (http://www.eic-rhodes.gr, http://www.eic.gr)

Practical guides

Electronic newsletter

EUROENTREPRENDRE Alert- Mail services: tailor made information

Resources: The Euro Info Centre is financed annually with the amount of 32.000€, provided it is classed in the blue zone. Other resources come for participating in various programmes.

The cooperation between business and universities

Under many projects, we can watch the cooperation between the University of the Aegean and business. One of them is ISTOS. The abbreviation ISTOS stands for Innovation for Sustainable Tourism and Services, which is the full title of the Programme. It is financed 75% by the EU Programme “Innovation Actions”, and 25% by the national funds. The strategic objective of the ISTOS is to build the necessary environment for sustainable development through regional innovation in South Aegean Region. It is based on the planning of an integrated public-private-partnership among the stakeholders in the Region. The Region’s stakeholders have agreed on a strategy based on the needs of the tourism and services sector that dominates the economic and social activity in the Region. Thus sustainable tourism development is identified as the main component of sustainability on the South Aegean Region. The ISTOS programme is based on a strategy that has three interconnected layers. The first layer concerns the innovation in services, the second the sustainability and the third the information and communication technologies.

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The organizations, which also participate in the project, are the following: South Aegean Region, Chamber of Dodecanese, Chamber of Cyclades, Association of Development and Progress of Dodecanese, the Development Company of Cyclades, the Business Architects Consultancy, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki – URENIO research unit, the Municipality of the island of Paros.

The University of the Aegean also participates in international research projects such as Archimed – INTERREG IIIB.

Important institutions supporting the innovations

Chamber of commerce and Industry of Cyclades

http://www.e-Kyklades.gr

Dodecanese Chamber of Commerce

http://www.ebed.gr

Centre of Business and Technological Development of the South Aegean

http://www.keta-notioaigaio.gr

Regional Development Agency of Cyclades

http://www.anetky.gr

Association for the Development and Progress of the Dodecanese

http://www.detap.gr

University of the Aegean

http://www.aegean.gr

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Map of region with most important institutions and innovative locations

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