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Entrepreneurship Through Innovation in
EpirusENTIAn Innovative Action Complementing
Development Policies and Looking at the Future

• by Katerina Filippou-Keramida
• Manager Director, BIC of Epirus,
• IOANNINA, GREECE
• Brussels, October 8, 2004

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What about EPIRUS?
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Some Key Characteristics of the Region of Epirus
3,2 of Greek Population 2,7 of Greek GDP
Surface 9,203 KM2 6,7 of Greece
4.4 of Research Institutes Universities 7th
among the 13 Greek Regions
Strategic Position Big Construction Works Natural
Beauty Historical Monuments
Employment rate Epirus 45,20 Unemployment
rates Epirus 11,19
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Production Sectors of the Region of Epirus

• The first and the second one provide negative
  data.
• The third sector, services provision, appear to
  develop

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Entrepreneurship ofthe Region of Epirus

• Medium Sized enterprises
• Most of the enterprises are limited to the
  services sector
• Fewer enterprises are implicated to exporting
• Large investments are lately in progress

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Some Key Characteristics of the Region
Advantages Geographical Position Geo-Physical
products Tourism of all sorts Cultural
Heritage New Transport Construction works RD
Organisations Food Beverages Industry Transport
Services
Disadvantages Very small production units Lack
of large Scale Industries Low level of
specialisation Training Quality Problems in
Products Services Low interaction between the
RD System and the Local Firms
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Excellence

• The key characteristics that drive a Regional
  Economy or an Economic Area in performing better
  than others in certain fields of economic
  activity.
• These can be policies, schemes, methodologies,
  technologies, natural resources, culture, human
  resources, financing etc.

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What is ENTI?
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Entrepreneurship Through Innovation in Epirus
renews the efforts to support the development of
the region based on innovation promotion and
knowledgeThe main objective of the project is
to promote innovative entrepreneurship through
the identification of innovative opportunities
and the application of innovative techniques.
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ENTI Key Thematic Areas

• Selected thematic areas where the program
  focuses
• Regional economies based on knowledge and
  technological innovation
• E-EuropeRegio the information society at the
  service of regional development

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ENTI key functions (1/2)

• ENTI aspires to develop innovative and risky
  actions due to the support of entrepreneurship
  through innovation in the region of Epirus
  directing to
• Recognition and promotion of new investing
  opportunities as a result of infrastructure
  development in the Region of Epirus, through the
  creation of new enterprises, especially in the
  service sector
• Pilot implementation of innovative training
  methods targeting the development and support of
  innovation

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ENTI key functions (2/2)

• Promotion and diffusion of private capital in the
  region of Epirus
• Pilot promotion of e-commerce and information
  management throughout local enterprises
• Application of a regional forecasting practice
• Creation of an Interface Committee for Innovation
  
• Application of an awareness campaign.

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ENTI designed
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ENTI INTERNAL FLOW CHART I
Guide on New Employment Opportunities
Working Groups ICT TOURISM TRANSPORT
Congress of Innovative Entrepreneurship
ENTRA - Study
6 Workshops
ENTOUR - Study
ENICT - Study
Guide on New Investment Opportunities
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ENTI INTERNAL FLOW CHART II
Analysis and description of innovative training
needs in Tourism
Training schemes for 120 entrepreneurs
Support of 60 entrepreneurs
Analysis and description of innovative training
needs in ICT
Analysis and description of innovative training
needs in Transport Networks
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ENTI INTERNAL FLOW CHART III
Documentation of E-Commerce Services
Regional Foresight Exercise
Development of E-commerce portal facility
Develop a common understanding of the main
threats and opportunities in a 10-15 years
horizon and creation of alternative scenarios
for future development Emphasis in 3
sectors TOURISM TRANSPORT ICT
Training Sessions for Potential Entrepreneurs
Pilot Action
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Factors influencing regional policy makers
Visibility Absorption Long-term
1 km of Highway 3m Euros 2004 ! Olympics
Political- Financial Security
I postpone things that I do not understand or I
do not understand their impact
Uncertainty Lack of Resources Count on external
Who will do this intellectual Job?
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ENTI - Targets (I)

• Political Awareness
• Regions Authorities
• Direct involvement of Policy Makers
• Research Institutes and
  Local Actors
• Ideas Directly from Companies
• (Development of the SMEs ability to collaborate
  and network Business Plan Competition)
• Communication Networking Platform
• (Website, Newsletter, Progress Report,, Visiting
  Schemes)

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ENTI - Main Targets (II)

• Work on High Priority Innovation Policy Areas for
  Regions
• Identification of investment opportunities
• Support of 60 entrepreneurs
• Creation of 120 newly trained entrepreneurs
• Attraction of Business Angels Financing
• Development of e-commerce facilities

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ENTI in collaboration with the Regional
Operational Plan (ROP) of Epirus
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ROP of Epirus 2000 2006. The strategic goals
envisaged by the ROP are the following (1/2)

• The potential use of new infrastructures
  transportation projects that make the region as
  the Western Gate
• The city of Ioannina and other urban units
  activation as Regional Units International
  Development Centers
• The appointment and utilization of the natural
  and cultural reserves of the countryside
  utilization of the new prospects of Epirus in the
  littorals

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ROP of Epirus 2000 2006. The strategic goals
envisaged by the ROP are the following (2/2)

• Utilization of the natural and cultural resources
  of the Region for the tourism development
• Encouragement of the creation, introduction and
  utilization of Innovative Actions
• Harmonization of the interference in the
  Community Legislation regarding the environmental
  issues
• Provision of properly trained human resources
  adjusted to the new conditions that are formed in
  Epirus.

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ENTI and ROP of EPIRUS

• Strategic Goals of ROP

INNOVATIVE AND FLEXIBLE TRAINING
NEW INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
EFFICIENT PRO- MOTION OF PRIVATE FINANCING
E-COMMERCE INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
REGIONAL FORESIGHT EXERCISE
INNOVATION POLICY INTERFACE COMMITTEE
INNOVATION WEEK
INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATION
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ENTI observing the evolution of Innovation
and Development Policies in Greece and in Europe
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European Innovation Policy Greece
1988-1993
1994-1999
2000-2006
2006
Struct. Funds
FP
1990-1994
1994-1998
1998-2002
2002-2006
GR Inn. Policy
Infrastructures Networking
Networking Start-ups Entrepreneurship
Infrastructures
Financial Autonomy
10 on Innovation
GR Reg. Policy
RTP/RITTS/RIS
RIS-NACs Innovative Actions
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ENTI Close to the main targets of the New
Action Plan on Innovation in Europe
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ENTI In line with all Key Objectives of the
Action Plan for Innovation (I)

• Objective 1 Innovate Everywhere
• Objective 2 Get Innovation on the Market
• Objective 3 Knowledge Everywhere
• Make the most of intellectual property
  opportunities
• Enhance knowledge transfer and absorption
• An RD Framework Programme active for innovation

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Action Plan - Key Objectives (II)

• Objective 4 Invest in Innovation
• Mobilise European Financial Instruments
• Gear the European Structural Funds towards
  Innovation
• Proactive State Aid Policies for Innovation
• Objective 5 Skills for Innovation
• Objective 6 Efficient innovation governance

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ENTI in line with the Greek National
Operational Programmes
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ENTI Other Operational Programs (1/2)

• The Operational Program of the Ministry of
  Development Competitiveness and Development has
  stated as its basic aims
• the reinforcement of the employment and the
  improvement of the technological skills of the
  Greek firms
• Under these frameworks some actions are financed
  in the manufacture and services sectors, the
  research and technology, the tourism sector,
  power sector and the electronic entrepreneurship.
• The Operational Program for the Information
  Society
• promotes actions for the enhancement of the
  economic structure and the employment with the
  utilization of the new technologies, the
  promotion of networking of scientific and the
  technological capacity of the country with the
  production, the improvement or the integration of
  the new technologies and innovation in Greek
  Firms, the improvement of the international
  competitiveness of the Greek companies based on
  the high technology and their ability to capital
  access, the promotion of e-business and
  e-commerce, the new technology integration in the
  cultural activities and in public administration
  and many others.

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ENTI Other Operational Programs (2/2)

• Information Society (e-Europe)
• All proposed actions take into consideration the
  Community and national initiatives for e-Europe,
  and the entrance of all services into the
  information society. The actions are compatible
  with the application at regional and local level
  of the introduction of citizens, companies and
  infrastructures into the digital age. The
  actions are using the initiatives promoted by the
  information society as supportive tools to
  network the local areas of excellence, to
  identify and apply the pilot activities for new
  investment opportunities and facilitate and
  reorient the training mechanisms.
• Research
• Goal of this proposal is to go one step further
  from the existing programs and support
  initiatives. The goal is to mobilize the
  entrepreneurial world into new directions in
  order to use the new research infrastructures for
  development, certification and training. Our
  proposal promotes the bridging between firm and
  research and development infrastructures and
  creates the appropriate mentality for further
  collaboration into the new Research Areas.

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And what about the future?

• International Networking
• Interregional Networking
• Application of policy options from the Foresight
  Exercise
• Further engagement of the Innovation Policy
  Committee after ENTI
• Wide awareness of the entrepreneurs of the region
  rise of the private capital investment
• Implementation of the innovative management
  techniques
• Mobilization of Banks for innovative financing
• Promotion and further development of e-networking
  of all the regional actors

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Thank you !

• Business and Innovation Centre of Epirus
• (BIC of Epirus)
• Science Technology Park of Epirus
• University Campus
• GR451 10 Ioannina
• Tel [phone], 044457
• Fax [phone]
• e-mail bicepirus_at_ioa.forthnet.gr
• Website http//www.bicepirus.gr