CENTRAL
MACEDONIA
Profile Region of Central Macedonia
Functions and The Region of Central Macedonia is one of the thirteen administrative territorial coverage regions of Greece. It has a population of almost 1.9 million (census 2011), which makes it the second most populous region in the country. Central Macedonia was established with the administrative reform of 1987. Its powers were refined and extended in 2010 with the Kallikratis plan. Along with East Macedonia and Thrace, the region is supervised by the decentralized administration of Macedonia and Thrace, which is based in Thessaloniki.
Policy instrument Regional Operational Programme of Central Macedonia 2014-2020
Territorial Context and Major Challenges for Central Macedonia
Central Macedonia is divided into Thessaloniki. These are further seven regional units (previously subdivided into altogether 38 muni- called prefectures): Halkidiki, Ima- cipalities. thia, Kilkis, Pella, Pieria, Serres and
Regional Unit of Kilkis Regional Unit of Pella
Regional Unit of Serres
Regional Unit of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki
Regional Unit of Halkidiki Regional Unit of Imathia
Regional Unit of Pieria
Image 1: Map of Region of Central Macedonia, © Region of Central Macedonia
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Central Macedonia makes up 26% of their production and marketing the country’s primary sector. It services. To address this need, the contains the country’s richest Region of Central Macedonia collection of agricultural products established an Innovation and Entre- including fruits, vegetables and preneurship Support Mechanism, cheese. The agri-food sector is an which is funded by the ERDF important economic priority for the Operational Programme. One of the region, recognised by the Regional components of the mechanism, the Smart Specialisation Strategy of so called One Stop Shop Liaison Central Macedonia (RIS3) which Office, offers services to the research defines agri-food, tourism, textile institutions and enterprises from the and construction materials as region. Its main focus is to bring the strategic market priorities. business and research communities closer together. The region’s policies aim to boost entrepreneurship at all stages - from The Region of Central Macedonia the idea formulation to the market works intensively to strengthen the capitalisation. A particular focus is private sector and to make better placed on the support of social use of the available resources. By entrepreneurship. The entrepre- doing so, it aims to increase the neurial ecosystem of the region has productivity, the export capacities strong components including and the competitiveness of the local research institutes and R&D infra- businesses and public admini- structures and has diverse inno- strations and to develop a business- vation and extroversion potentials. and investor-friendly ecosystem. The The region aims to bring these vision of the Region of Central components closer together in order Macedonia is to become the friend- to support entrepreneurship and liest region in the country for inno- innovation and to promote employ- vation, entrepreneurship and invest- ment. ments.
The region’s capital city Thessaloniki Small and medium-sized enterprises hosts three universities and two in the rural areas of Central large research centres. Despite the Macedonia lack opportunities to growth of research and development establish networks with other in the region, projects have mostly businesses within and beyond the focused on externally funded acti- region. This limits the enterprises’ vities and do not address the needs ability to build collaborations with of local companies. Small and research and development insti- medium-sized enterprises in Central tutions to modernise their pro- Macedonia have limited opportu- duction and develop export capa- nities to collaborate with research cities. The current RIS3 Strategy of institutes and boost innovation in Central Macedonia marginally recog-
3 nises the importance of rural areas opportunities. The RUMORE acti- and their potentials for the economic vities in Central Macedonia aim to competitiveness of the Region. establish closer collaborations bet- Regional SMEs can significantly ween enterprises and research and benefit from targeted digital development institutions in the services, offered by a digital incu- region and to boost innovation bator or a support web platform, for activities which address local market information on economic and needs. development trends and funding
Regional Operational Programme of Central Macedonia 2014-2020
The ERDF Regional Operational “Strengthening research, techno- Programme of Central Macedonia logical development and inno- 2014-2020 is the most important vation”. Investment Priority 1b, funding and developmental tool in specific objective 1b2 concerns the the region. It provides compre- “establishment of links and syner- hensive support to the region for a gies between enterprises, research balanced and sustainable develop- and development centres and higher ment and has a budget of ca. 1 education institutes to promote Billion euro. applied research, as well as knowledge and technology transfer The Programme gives emphasis to in RIS3 sectors”. Under this research and innovation activities objective, support mechanisms to which strengthen the compe- facilitate the establishment of those titiveness and extroversion of the links will be developed. local SMEs. So far, ca. 150 Million euro were provided for research, The Region’s Innovation and Entre- innovation and entrepreneurship preneurship Support Mechanism actions, which strengthen the and mainly the One Stop Liaison productivity system and increase the Office (which are part of the specific competitiveness, openness and objective 1b2) are of a crucial effective entry of Central Mace- importance due to activities focusing donia’s enterprises into the global on: market. 1. Performing a number of In its RUMORE project activities, the collaborating actions (continues Regional Authority of Central entrepreneurial discovery process, Macedonia focuses on Investment co-developing and co-monitoring the Priority 1b, Priority Axis 1 strategy and main actions.) in order
4 to shift the ecosystem towards its workshops, roadshows to areas main priorities that are agri-food away from the city, to boost trust and tourism, both of whom are also and collaborations. rural activities. 3. Train and inform SMEs on how to 2. Support SMEs to boost compe- better profit from innovations titiveness through innovation, by through boosting clusters, venture offering a digital data base of every investments and generally new single R&D infrastructure in the business models that try to increase area, matching events, interactive the size of the ventures.
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