Linking Local Actors
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Business support
ICT for new jobs
Remote areas
Culture and tourism
Environment
Corporate social responsibility
In the islands of the north Aegean, partners including the
chambers of commerce and the university have built the
information infrastructure that will enable local businesses to
thrive in the information age.
Islands in the know
NAIAS – the North Aegean Innovative Actions and Support
project – has helped to transform a poor, insular, border region
into a dynamic, pioneering part of a modern knowledge-based
economy. The actions addressed the needs of an emerging
innovation culture: competitiveness, e-business, green
products, “new” traditional products and, finally, a cleaner
environment.
The region of the Northern Aegean consists of three prefectures (Lesvos, Chios and
Samos) with nine inhabited islands, with a total area of 3,800 square kilometres and
204,000 inhabitants.
In such a region, innovation is critical in developing a modern knowledge-driven
economy. The driving forces for innovation are competition, technology and research;
yet successful innovation also depends on the ability of entrepreneurs to make the most
of human and cultural capital and take advantage of the market opportunities available.
The programme objectives fell within the framework of the more general objectives of
the regional operational plan. Specifically, it aimed to run pilot projects to meet the
needs of significant economic sectors in the Northern Aegean, to improve the quality of
life and to experiment with new technologies. Furthermore, it was to monitor the benefits
and determine how their outcomes could be improved and extended to serve the entire
range of activities in the region, following the completion of the programme.
First place for innovation
The first step to develop an innovation management techniques (IMT) methodology,
suitable for local needs and standards, for the creation of an innovation culture in the
business community of the region. Forty innovation audits took place. Secondly, modern
services related to business plans and internationalisation have been established,
with the intention of strengthening the growth and competitiveness of existing enterprises, and to promote new start-up companies. The first round of actions was
concluded with the launch of an e-commerce web site to promote an e-business
environment in the business sector of the region, an action in which 50 companies took
part.
A local eco-label for all the companies of the region was
developed, based on integrated product schemes, to
invigorate the production and marketing of green products
to other markets (30 companies from the dairy and ceramic
sectors participated). The next step was to develop new
products using existing local resources to strengthen the
promotion of alternative local products, with the participation
of 15 companies. Last but not least, the olive mill waste
management system was adopted by 15 companies in the
region, which introduced innovative measures to protect the
environment.
A new regional identity
The methodology used to implement the programme’s objectives is rooted in partnership, a principle which is brought into play in every attempt to stimulate innovation.
These partners include the University of the Aegean (which provides the required new
technology, research, and know-how), the chambers of commerce of each prefecture
(which represent the region’s enterprises very effectively), the Co-operative Bank of
Lesvos-Limnos (which provides the new financial instruments required), selected
participating companies and an external consulting company (which provides specialist
know-how).
The actions have been designed to address the region’s problems by introducing new
products and services to create a new regional identity based on human, technical and
natural resources.
The pilot actions have been designed and developed so that there would be a close
synergy among them. For example, the actions in innovation management techniques,
business planning and e-business are support measures that strengthen the effectiveness of the other three actions: eco-labelling, new traditional products and waste
management. In this way, the focus was kept on the programme’s strategic themes and
the objectives.
Any strategic development plan for the Northern Aegean would be incomplete if it did
not consider tourism, since this is the region’s main economic activity. The support to
tourism development focuses on a new form of tourism that respects the environment –
eco-tourism – and is based on producing new products and rendering services that
contribute to the added value of this form of tourism.
All the actions resulted in the creation of new jobs either via the creation of new
businesses or the expansion of existing ones. The actions have been designed so as to
provide the benefits of knowledge, in a practical and educational way, based on theory
and practical examples.
The final action of the programme was to use its outcomes and know-how as part of the
collaboration package that has recently been developed with neighbouring Turkey, as
part of its moving towards EU membership). This strategic approach provided a transEuropean dimension to the programme.
Useful websites created
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As part of the ‘new products using existing local resources’ action, the
www.golesvos.com website was established, which provides information and
suggestions for alternative styles of tourism. The Co-operative Bank of Lesvos-Limnos
created a portal for electronic commerce, www.e-lesvos.net, to be used by small and
medium-sized enterprises in the prefecture of Lesvos. Fifty enterprises in the region,
representing all fields of the local economy, figure in this website.
Another action of the programme is the Responsible Enterprises Label, which set up the
first internet Greek portal promoting sustainable business, a concept that covers
corporate social responsibility, cleaner production, environmental management tools,
sustainability reports and stakeholder dialogue. Although it currently focuses on labelling
socially responsible SMEs, the portal will constantly evolve to address more issues.
One of the most vital activities was olive mill waste management. Its goal is to set up
pilot waste management systems at a number of olive mills in the region, and ultimately
to define integrated solutions to the olive mill waste management problem.
Links:
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NAIAS project: www.naias.gr
New products using existing local resources: www.golesvos.com
E-commerce: www.e-lesvos.net
Responsible Enterprises: www.responsibility.gr
Olive mill waste management: www.aegean.gr/environment/naias
Contact:
Dr Dimitra Ioannou
METHODS SA
Methods and Planning
Kleomenous 51-55
10676, Athens, Greece
Telephone: +30 210 72 33 304
Fax: +30 210 72 90 622
E-mail: [email protected]
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