NAIAS (North Aegean Innovative Actions & Support)

The NAIAS project aims at contributing to the development of a new, innovative, regional identity in the region of North Aegean and enhancing the usage of new technologies, methods, know how by the professionals. The programme's objectives are placed within the overall objectives of the regional operational plan. More specifically, the aim of the program is to develop pilot applications to cover the needs of significant economic sectors for the region of North Aegean, improve the quality of life, experiment with innovative use of new technologies, and finally monitor the benefits of their application and identify how the results can be improved in order to provide high-quality applications for the whole activities of the region, following the end of the programme. Its total duration is estimated at two years approximately, starting in the beginning of 2002 and finishing in June of 2005.

The Chamber of Lesvos is the managing body of NAIAS Project (implemented by the Management Unit of Business Center). The objectives of the project are:

• The development of an innovation management technique (IMT) methodology, suitable for the local needs and standards, for the introduction and promotion of an innovation culture into the business community of the region.
• The development of modern services related to business plans and internationalisation, aiming at increasing the competitiveness of the existing enterprises, and at promoting the establishment of new ones.
• The development of an e-commerce web-site for the creation and promotion of an e-business environment in the business sector of the region.
• The development of a local eco-label for all companies of the region, to stimulate the production and the marketing of green products to other markets.
• The development of “new” traditional products, utilising existing local resources to stimulate the production and promotion of alternative local products.
• The adoption of the best olive mill waste management systems for the SMEs of the region, by involving businesses in innovative methods for the protection of the environment. Fifteen companies are participating in this project.

 

ΟRPHEAS (Local Strategy for the Promotion of Employment within the Framework of Sustainable Development)

This project refers to the implementation of an integrated local strategy aimed at exploring the issue of employment in the Region of North Aegean, in order to reverse the region’s difficulties, such as the area’s isolation from the mainland and raise its main advantages, as its rich cultural and environmental resources.

In the framework of ORPHEAS project, a research is in advance, regarding the population, the unemployment and other issues for North Aegean Region. The results will be used for a study, concerning the present employment situation in the Region of North Aegean. At the same time a Development Mechanism is in advance, for recording the needs and capabilities of enterprising action and the usage of local resources.

EQUAL (INNOVATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP FOR THE ISLANDS OF NORTH AEGEAN)

EQUAL is a Field of Experimentation on new forms of collaboration at local, national and European level, aiming against discrimination and inequality in the field of employment. The main characteristic of, planned services is to reach as close as possible the final user: the citizen of every Municipality or isolated island of the region. The project supports the pilot implementation of programmes, for the establishment and operation of enterprises in new business fields at local level (for example, using local resources, know-how, tranfitional methods e.t.c.). The efforts for equal opportunities are made through the participation of excluded or threatened with exclusion from the labour market social groups. The project focuses on the support of relevant entrepreneurship initiatives development, providing innovative services of continuous support to new entrepreneurs.

Three specific targets have been set: a) mobilisation of local communities, b) new entrepreneurship and c) financial tools adapted to the needs of local communities. Taking into consideration the economic and social environment in which the project is implemented and the priority axes of the Community Initiative EQUAL a number of actions divided in three different categories has been adopted for the attainment of the above specific targets. In this framework, a seminar for training “Community Facilitators”, took place recently. As a result, a close co-operation between the Center and every municipality has started, by establishing Offices for entreprenurship development.

GO- ONLINE PROJECT

Go-Online is an initiative of the Greek Ministry of Development. It is an action of the Operational Programmes "Information Society" and "Competitiveness" funded by the 3rd Community Support Framework of the European Union. Its main objective is to support small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) to connect to the Internet and inform them of the benefits that will be obtained through its usage. Eligible for the programme are all Greek small-medium enterprises (SMEs) with up to ten employees, except from joint stock companies (S.A.'s) and free lancers.

For this purpose enterprises are divided in the following three categories:

1. Enterprises with no infrastructure to connect to the Internet.
2. Internet ready enterprises with access to the Internet and an active e-mail address.
3. Enterprises that have a web site with the capacity of electronic transactions with customers and/or suppliers (B2C and B2B).

"Go-online" supports the first two categories in order to facilitate their move to the next stage: from the first to the second or from the second to the third stage. Funding is provided to each of these categories to purchase infrastructure and electronic services. The national target is 50.000 SMEs to participate in the project. Funding covers 40% of the total cost for both categories and cannot exceed 704,33 euro. The programme will be implemented over a four-year period, and the application process will be continuous. The initial call for applications was announced in the beginning of December 2000. Currently the 4th Call is on progress.

During the first three calls of the initiative, 519 enterprises of the prefecture have been selected to participate. Most of them have already finished their training. The training procedures are managed by the Business Center and our objective is 1.000 SMEs of the Prefecture to participate in the project.

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