Western Greece Region won the "European Entrepreneurial Region 2017" award
- 17/10/2016 11:43
- Press releases
The Region of Western Greece with its reliable and promising business vision, was awarded as the "European Entrepreneurial Region 2017" by the European Committee of the Regions (CoR).
It is one of three regions (with Lower Austria and Extremadura in Spain being the other two), which convinced the EER jury with forward-looking political strategies to boost small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and entrepreneurship as well as with credible action plans to turn these visions into reality in 2017.
The results were announced on June 15 by Mr. Markku Markkula, President of the European Committee of the Regions, who congratulated the Region of Western Greece, which despite the adversities due to economic crisis in Greece has presented a credible and plausible regional development strategy engaging different stakeholders across society, while also maintaining social cohesion. The region aspires to build an entrepreneurial culture based on cooperation, idea- and experience-sharing, and learning/mentoring.
“In the difficult situation currently faced by our country, we wish to join forces with successful businesses, in particular SMEs, and move towards a better future together. Our idea, which is receiving the EER 2017 award today, represents our vision and strategy to unleash the creative potential of our region and to establish the necessary conditions for sustainable growth", said Mr. Apostolos Katsifaras, President of the Region of Western Greece and member of CoR.
Meetings of the "Network for Entrepreneurship and Development in Western Greece"
At the conference room of Western Greece Regional Council in Patras have already been held the first two meetings with the stakeholders who will participate in the "Network for Entrepreneurship and Development in Western Greece", the first one in summer and the second in early October, during which there were discussed the details and was agreed to sign a Memorandum of Cooperation for the creation of the Network that includes the implementation of a framework of actions to administrative, business, educational, scientific, and research level to enhance enterprises.
The purpose is to extend the network to all stakeholders that will have an active role in plan’s implementation for SME entrepreneurship enhancement and in actions’ specialization focusing in networking concept.
Furthermore, it was agreed to allocate activities and create an Executive Committee that will proceed on think and action tanks recommendation in cooperation with the stakeholders on topical issues related to entrepreneurship in our region, while closing, is was reported the direct benefits by participation in the Network expected at a business level and the development of the European Entrepreneurial Region in Western Greece.
Network involved: GS Industry of the Ministry of Economy Development and Tourism, University of Patras, Chamber of Etoloakarnania, Chamber of Achaia, Chamber of Ilia, HFE of Peloponnese and Western Greece, Centre of Planning and Economic Research-CPER, Enterprise Organization of Greece, OAED, TEI of Western Greece, HOU, Occupational Federation - Craft - Trade Unions in Western Greece, SEVIPA, Western Greece Association of Technological Enterprises, Hellenic Association of Young Entrepreneurs of Western Greece ESYNE, RDFs, Special Management Service T.R. of Western Greece.
