URENIO Research Unit Aristotle University of Thessaloniki SUPER- SME Kick off Meeting Metz, 6 th of March 2006

URENIO Research Fields Research Field 1: Cities, regions, and environments of innovation Research Field 2: Clusters, technopoles and science parks Research Field 3: Regional innovations systems and strategies Research Field 4: Virtual Innovation Environment/ Intelligent cities and regions

CITIES, REGIONS & ENVIRONMENT OF INNOVATION 1. Surveys, analysis, modelling INNOVATIVE CLUSTERS 2. Technology districts 3. Science and technology parks 4. Innovation centres 5. Incubators REGIONAL INNOVATION SYSTEMS AND STRATEGIES 6. Regional innovation strategies 7. Assessment of regional programmes 8. Regional innovation observatories 9. Foresight (market and technology trends analysis) 10. Benchmarking 11. Technology transfer 12. New Product Development (NPD) VIRTUAL INNOVATION ENVIRONMENT INTELLIGENT CITIES & REGIONS 13. Regional Intelligence 14. Digital innovation tools (portals, expert tools, e- learning, roadmaps) 15. Physico-virtual clusters (technology parks and incubators) 16. Digital cities and e-communities

Contents I. The Region of Central Macedonia (RCM) II. S&T intermediation systems III. The business environment in RCM IV. Expectations

I.1 The region of Central Macedonia strategic position in the southern Europe, neighbouring with the Balkans & Eastern Europe strategic position in the southern Europe, neighbouring with the Balkans & Eastern Europe prosperous region combining dynamic & specialised workforce prosperous region combining dynamic & specialised workforce transport and communication networks, and transport and communication networks, and the presence of national and international organisations in Thessaloniki the presence of national and international organisations in Thessaloniki

I.2 RCM in numbers & figures Population (2001) (17,2% of Greece) Unemployment 9,2% (1992), 11,5% (2002) 37,6% male & 62,4% female Infrastructure Main hub of all national roads in the North of Greece (vertical axis connecting north borders with Athens, horizontal axis linking Italy with Turkey) Port and International Airport, Railway Station (passengers and freight) Labour force 17,1% of Greece Main industrial sectors Food & beverage, textile & clothing (in whole region) Development companies, consultants, research institutes, innovation centres, trade groups (in Thessaloniki mainly)

I.3 Employment Distribution & GDP Distribution of employment and GDP per sector sector Regional distribution of employment Regional distribution of GDP primary sector 19% 18% (the larger regional share) secondary sector 25,5% 28% (the 2 nd larger) services55,5% 54% (the 2 nd larger) 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 76,0469,37 11,511,511,511,579,1 *Purchasing Power Standards

I.4 R & D and innovation potential OrganisationSizeLocation Aristotle University staff/ students Thessaloniki Macedonia University 8 departments/ students 8 departments/ studentsThessaloniki Higher Tech Institute 650 staff/ students Thessaloniki Higher Tech Institute 300 staff/ students Serres Centre of Research and Tech 400 researchers/ 4 Institutes Thessaloniki Technopolis: Information Technology Cluster 77 companies / 800 staff Thessaloniki

I.5 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 sector 0,08 Higher education sector 0,44 Private non-profit sector 0,01 Total region 0,62

II. S&T Intermediation System

II.1 S&T in Thessaloniki

II.2 Public Higher Education Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) –9 Faculties –42 Schools University of Macedonia (UoM) –10 Departments Technological Educational Institute of Thessaloniki (TEI-Thes) –6 Schools Technological Educational Institute of Serres –3 Faculties –8 Departments

II.3 S&T Geographical Distribution CityUniv. Technical Institutes Estimation Students Pop. ( census 2001 ) Students per 1000 inhabitants Veroia Naousa Edessa Giannitsa Katerini Thessaloniki Kilkis Poligiros Moudania Serres

II.4 Digital Research Center (DRC)

III.1 Information about SME needs Different S&T Intermediation systems –Innovative tools (yet2com, VRC) –Technology clinics –Technology platforms Business Sectors utilise different systems or a combination of them. Each region is either already concentrated or focused to a specific sector. RCM appears to be ICT, food manufacturing and tourism oriented.

III.2 Information about SME needs RCM ICT SME Not relevant Some relevance Average relevance Great relevance Regulations+ Markets+ Technologies+ Competitors+ Suppliers+ Customers+ Products+ Process+ Recruitment+ Training+ Financing aids and subsidies + Standards+

IV. Expectations Extraversion of the SMEs on R&D Extraversion of Academia Design of a regional network of intermediaries to overcome fragmentation of supply of services; Enhancing the use of Digital Research Center DRC Transfer of experience in specific tools for research intensive SMEs such as innovation management in Region of Adana.