Project title “Smart Specialisation” D.4.2. Business Environment in Greece and Bulgaria Action Leader: URENIO Research Unit - AUTH Project Reference Nº Deliverable Nº D4.2.3 Relevant Work-package 4 Nature R Dissemination Level PP Document Version 1 The Project "Smart specialisation", is Co-financed by the European Union (European Regional Development Fund) and from National Resources Copyright ©2014 - All Rights Reserved Nicos Komninos, Stratos Manos, Nancy Martzopoulou, Dimitris Milossis, Editor(s): Isidoros A. Passas, Maria Schina, E. Sefertzi, Kakderi Christina, Milosi Maria Contributors: Reviewers: Table of Contents Table of Contents ...................................................................................................................... 2 1. Introduction: Identification of Smart Specialisation priorities in Bulgaria and Greece .... 6 1.1 The case of Bulgaria ............................................................................................................................ 6 Smart specialisation priorities in Bulgaria ............................................................................................ 7 1.2 The case of Central Macedonia .................................................................................................... 12 1.3 The case of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace ................................................................................. 20 1.4 Selection of Sectors to Focus - Documentation ............................................................................... 22 2. The Agro-food Sector in Greece and Bulgaria ................................................................. 23 2. 1: EU Policies on Agro-Food Sector .................................................................................................... 23 2.1.1 EU Targets for a Sustainable Development of the Agro-Food Sector ...................................... 23 2.1.2 Strategies to support competitiveness ..................................................................................... 25 2.1.3 Climate change and green growth Strategies ........................................................................... 26 2.1.4 Innovation strategies ................................................................................................................. 27 2.1.5 Product quality policy ................................................................................................................ 27 2.1.6 Regulations, Measures and Constraints .................................................................................... 30 2.1.7 Challenges and Opportunities ................................................................................................... 34 2.2: EU Market and Trade of the Agro-food Sector ............................................................................... 35 2.2.1 The importance of the sector in the EU ........................................................................................ 35 2.2.2 The EU Agro-Food Market ......................................................................................................... 41 2.2.3. EU's Imports of Agro-Food Products ........................................................................................ 46 2.2.4 Perspectives and Drivers for the EU Agro-Food Market ........................................................... 51 2.3 Trends in the sector .......................................................................................................................... 54 2.3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 54 2.3.2 Agro-Food Technologies ............................................................................................................ 61 2.3.2.1 Technological Innovations in the Product .......................................................................... 61 2.3.2.2 Informational and Organisational Technologies ................................................................ 68 2.3.3 Good Practices Examples ........................................................................................................... 72 2.3.3.1. Integration of scientific disciplines in food safety ............................................................. 72 2.3.3.2 Sustainable food production .............................................................................................. 73 2.3.3.3 Packaging and Storage Technologies ................................................................................. 75 Latest innovations: .................................................................................................................. 76 3.The tourism sector ............................................................................................................... 79 3.1. European Policy relevant to the tourism sector .............................................................................. 79 3.2. The Market of the tourism sector in EU .......................................................................................... 87 3.3. Trends in the sector ......................................................................................................................... 94 ITB World Travel Trends ..................................................................................................................... 94 Eurobarometer trends ........................................................................................................................ 96 Tourism and ICT .................................................................................................................................. 99 Smart Cities ....................................................................................................................................... 101 Forms of tourism .............................................................................................................................. 101 Climate change and Tourism ............................................................................................................ 104 All Inclusive Hotels ............................................................................................................................ 105 3.4. The Market of the sector in Greece, Bulgaria and the cross border area. .................................... 106 a) Greece .......................................................................................................................................... 106 Indirect Benefits of Tourism ............................................................................................................. 110 Tourism and GDP .............................................................................................................................. 110 Tourism and Regional Distribution ................................................................................................... 111 Tourism and Employment ................................................................................................................ 112 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................... 112 Tourism Organisation- Governance, Public & Private Bodies .......................................................... 113 b) Bulgaria ......................................................................................................................................... 116 Tourism and Regional distribution ................................................................................................... 117 Tourism and Employment ................................................................................................................ 120 Trivago research ............................................................................................................................... 121 Conclusions ....................................................................................................................................... 121 c) Cross – border area ...................................................................................................................... 123 c.1 Central Macedonia ...................................................................................................................... 123 Thessaloniki ...................................................................................................................................... 127 c.2 East Macedonia & Thrace ........................................................................................................... 128 c.3. South-West Planning Region (District of Blagoevgrad) ............................................................. 131 c.4. South Central Planning Region (Districts of Smolyan, Kardjali and Haskovo) ........................... 133 3.5. Opportunities for young entrepreneurship and start ups in the sector ....................................... 137 Athletic - Sports Tourism .................................................................................................................. 137 Gastronomy tourism......................................................................................................................... 138 Applications ...................................................................................................................................... 141 4. Analysis of the