STRATINC REGION OF CENTRAL MACEDONIA IMPLEMENTATION ACTIVITIES Dr Elena Sefertzi URENIO Research Unit TENERIFE MEETING 7/8 April 2005

2. The region of Central Macedonia A Strategic position in southern Europe 2. The Region of Central Macedonia Northern Greece Neighbors with Balkans and eastern Europe (FYROM, Bulgaria)

3. The Region of Central Macedonia Distribution of employment and GDP per sector 3. The Region of Central Macedonia sectorRegional distribution of employment Regional distribution of GDP primary sector19%18% (the larger regional share) secondary sector25,5%28% (the 2 nd larger) services55,5%54% (the 2 nd larger)

4.The Region of Central Macedonia Regional GDP in the European Union Objective 1 – Convergence Phasing out = GDP 75% EU15 Average 2000 – GDP per capita PPS EU25=100 GDP per capita PPS* EU15=100 Unemployment Rate % GDP per capita PPS * EU25=100 76,0469,3710,179,1 *Purchasing Power Standards

5. The Region of Central Macedonia Innovation Performance (average of re-scaled indicator values 2002) 83% of the National= % of the EU=100 R&D expenditures in C. Macedonia% in GDP Private sector 0,1 Public – Government sector0,08 Higher education sector0,44 Private non-profit sector0,01 Total region0,62

►Regional Development Fund of Central Macedonia – Regional Authority, partner project leader, manager of the ROP (Regional Operational Program) ►URENIO Research Unit of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, specializing in: Strategies for innovating regions Digital innovation spaces Innovative clusters Intelligent cities and regions ►Association of Information Technology Companies of Northern Greece, a collective body representing the interests of more than 210 ICT companies in the areas of Macedonia, Thrace and Thessaly 6. Regional Partnership

2. The Region of Central Macedonia Information and Communication Technologies ►SMEs: more than 90% of total companies ►Young companies in the majority: 2/3 were established after 1990 ►Dynamic trends: more than half of the companies increased their turnover and number of employees ►Main activities: Software (Operational applications and Internet applications): 32% IT Services: 31% Distribution of office machines and PCs: 16% Trading telecommunication products and equipment: 8% 7. The cluster

8. Implementation Sheme 2. Survey on cluster 5. Application of SI tools on cluster 3. Define PSIP related to cluster needs 4. Identification of SI tools 7. Guidebook, Website, Brochures etc… 6. Dissemination 8. SMEs Intermediaries Policy makers 1. Identification of SI cluster needs Feedback

Sample (1) Identification of ICT companies ► list of 111 companies (2) Selection of 40 companies - Criteria: size ► SMEs activity ► combine production and/or commerce (3) 21 ICT companies responded and interviewed + 5 representatives of the ICT companies Association Methodology - Process interviews based on a structured questionnaire (average time 1.30) data processing and quantification of results presentation of results through charts, tables and comments 9. Implementation: Survey (1)

10. Implementation: Survey (2) Results ICT ActivitiesService providers, business informatics, system integrators Production1/3 of the companies have developed new products IPRFew registered – aware of their importance R&DTakes place but not in an organized manner QualityVery important/need for improvement ManagementImportance on customer satisfaction and quality/ little use of innovation and knowledge management tools StrategyShort term planning, main goals: improvement of quality, new markets, product specialization, vertical diversification StuffTraining of skills internally ConstraintsInsufficient supply of telecommunication infrastructure, volatile of ICT market and inability for market planning Information sourcesInternet, employees, customers, suppliers, exhibitions Use of watchThe majority uses watch methodologies, but few are formalized

11. Implementation: Survey (3) Watch Other needs of watch ►Identification of potential sources of information ►Formulation of requirements in information Fields of watchKind of watch Empirical % of companiesFormalized % customers19,0552,38 technologies47,6223,81 markets23,8133,33 products28,5742,86

Strategic Intelligence Needs ►Improvement of quality of products and services ►New products ►New markets ►Watch suppliers/providers ►Customer satisfaction ►Patents ►Management of information and knowledge 12. Implementation: Survey (4)

13. Implementation: Survey (5) watch and applications WatchApplication Technologies/ products/ patentsImprovement of quality and NPD MarketPenetration in new markets Suppliers/ providers/ customersCustomer satisfaction Managerial/innovation management techniques Management of information for quality/ markets/ R&D/ patents/customers

Type of a PSIP related to needs 14. Implementation: PSIP (1) Technologies Products Markets Managerial Supplier/provider Costumer Patents Investigation Watch-Alert Analysis & Output Information diffusion PSIP Definition Fields

Selection Process Step 1: Evaluation of the proposed three tools by CEIS for RCM by the LWG Result: The tools were not totally corresponding to the demands of the ICT cluster in RCM Step 2: Reevaluation by URENIO of all the 33 tools identified by CEIS Result: selection of the askOnce tool as the most suitable for the ICT cluster Step 3: Contact with the company for define access rights Result: The price for user rights amounts to € Step 4: The purchase of a new tool has been decided Result: The SI-Watch Tool 15. Implementation: PSIP (2)

SI-Watch platform functions ►Broadcasting ►Interaction ►Transaction ►Integration Main scopes of testing PSIP ►Testing the flow system of information for the SI platform ►Testing the functionality of the Software Pilot Platform 16. Implementation: PSIP (3)

17. Implementation: Dissemination (1) STRATINC Website : Design/ development/update by URENIO

18. Implementation: Dissemination (2) STRATINC Brochure: design/production/print (bilingual - Greek/English)

Contacts/Meetings/Workshops ►40 regional ICT companies informed by letter for the project ►100 ICT companies received the survey report ►5 Local Steering Committees meetings with participants of the local partnership members from the Regional Authority, University and Professionals (5/1/04, 7/5/04, 15/7/04, 7/10/04, 12/1/05) ►14 Local Working Group meetings (one meeting in average per month) ►Organization of the Thessaloniki Meeting ► 3 workshop meetings in which participated the LWG and the ICT cluster’s managers (5 managers in average per workshop) for: define cluster needs presenting the 33 software tools relate cluster’s needs to a PSIP take decision for the appropriate software tool for application 19. Implementation: Dissemination (3)

Press Releases/Events ► Press release – article in 5 local and national news papers presenting STRATINC and the benefits for SMEs ► Press release – article in 5 local and national news papers presenting the results of Thessaloniki meeting ► Presentation of STRATINC in the ICT conference in the framework of the “Money Show” annual event in Thessaloniki ► Press conference for STRATINC by the Secretary General of The Region of Central Macedonia 20. Implementation: Dissemination (4)

► Survey report ► Assessment report of the software tools ► Presentation of survey results in Oslo meeting ► Presentations in Thessaloniki meeting: “Regional innovation environment and strategies in Greece” “Online benchmarking application” “The structure of the ICT sector in C. Macedonia” 21. REPORTS and PAPERS

►List of international and national ICT journals and magazines ►List of the ICT companies in C. Macedonia ►List of international and European ICT organizations ►Extended list of publications on strategic intelligence and clusters ►List of the existing media in Northern Greece 22. Creation of data lists