The technological and innovative capacity of Central Macedonia may be evaluated by the level of application of generic technologies, which may by used in many sectors and industrial branches. For the Central Macedonia RTP, as generic technologies were considered industrial information technology, automation, energy and clean technologies, quality control and certification technologies.

Our objective here is to describe the degree of implementation of these technologies in the industry of Central Macedonia, to identify requirements and trends for the near future, and to propose priorities for their expanded application throughout the Region.

Industrial information technology

Industrial information technology is a specialised branch of information science dealing with industrial applications. Enterprises are introducing industrial informatics into their modernisation efforts in three main sectors: accounting, production, and information


The accounting sector was the first to apply information services. In the Greek market in particular, accounting applications addressed to industrial companies are well developed and a wide variety of solutions are available, either in the form of standard packages or customised applications designed to provide a more integrated response to the problem of company financial control.

In the production sector, there are certain areas where informatics has penetrated to a considerable extent, creating islands of automation using data systems in the absence of an integrated support system (programming, monitoring and control) of the production process. Exception and more integrated applications are found in the chemicals sector. Starting from the basic level of CADD (Computer Aided Design and Drafting), industry in Central Macedonia can show a considerable number of installed applications, especially in the textile and metal construction sectors, where this basic application is in many instances linked to a CAM (Computer Aided Manufacturing) system.

In the field of production planning, installed systems are limited mainly to medium term Materials Requirement Planning (MRP). There are a very few cases of integrated industrial resources management systems (MRP II), which offer the possibility of global linkage and co-ordination of all an industry's operations (production, marketing, sales, financial administration, etc.).

Table 6.1. Applications of information technologies in the industry of C. Macedonia

1. Economical design electronic system
2. Long-term planning system
3. Stock management system
4. Products promotion on Internet
5. Material requirement planning (MRP)
6. Electronic data exchange
7. Administration information system
8. Unified products codification
9. Multimedia applications for products promotion
10. Intelligent systems applications
11. Electronic commerce
12. Decision support system

In the administrative data systems sector there are a few examples of integrated systems which provide full automation for the collection and processing of information from all the separate operations within the firm.

The trend in the immediate future is towards new products to cover "deficient" areas in industrial informatics, to link and integrate isolated elements and systems, and through informatics to introduce new technologies into the industrial environment. The principal characteristics of these new information technologies are their significantly reduced hardware requirements and their proportionately more sophisticated requirements in software and know-how.

Áutomation

In Central Macedonia, the lowest level of automation (the automation of production machinery) is adequately covered in most industrial sectors. In many companies (especially wood-processing, metals-processing and plastics industries) where the investments were made during the 1970's, production lines are conventionally automated, with the result that breakdowns are frequent and it is impossible to integrate the individual systems into a central control system.

Automation of production lines is adequately covered only in the largest industrial firms, which have invested in integrated production lines: these include textiles, chemicals, steel and foods. Problems frequently encountered in these factories are those of maintenance and adaptation of systems to specific needs (e.g., production of new products). In all other cases, and especially in average-sized companies, the major requirement is the integration of spot systems into a central process control system.

CNC, CAM and flexible automation systems are rarely encountered, except in a few installations in wood-processing plants and in tile-works (paint robots). The main reasons for this are the formidable installation costs and the lack of installation know-how and experience among both industrial engineers and systems suppliers. In the past few years a number of companies fulfilling the appropriate conditions have invested in process visualisation systems (foodstuffs, metal-processing, tile-works).

While very few plants have central production and quality control systems, interest in such systems is nonetheless increasing. On the other hand, industrial weighing and measuring equipment is generally considered inadequate, since in most cases the method used is that of manual adjustment to a reading (animal feeds, foodstuffs).

Table 6.2. Applications of automation in the industry of C. Macedonia

1. Quality control automation
2. Productive equipment automation
3. Installation and process automation
4. Energy consumption automation
5. Product design automation (CAD-CAM)
6. Computer integrated manufacturing (CIM)
7. Central control automation
8. Weighting and sample measurement automation
9. Robotics applications

The problems which arise and which frequently prevent the application of control systems in industry may be financial, technical or administrative. The technical problems are related to difficulties of measurement, the lack of a model for the system to be controlled and the complexity of the system (large numbers of variables and lack of linearity). Administrative problems have to do with staff training, lack of know-how, problems in access to know-how and limited ability to assess the result of the application of a control system, as well as problems of collaboration, as between industry and the universities. The single principal obstacle to low-level automation (production machinery) is the insufficiency of the equipment, due to age. The fact that production engineers are lacking in know-how tends to make them resistant to new technology automation applications. Where the installation of such systems is decided, it is not on the basis of specifications produced by the firm's own engineers, but in accordance with the suggestions of the supplier, with the result that inevitably deficiencies subsequently appear, especially in the potential for integration. Inadequate back-up for installed systems on the part of foreign suppliers or their representatives in Greece (usually based in Athens) increase investor hesitancy.

Energy and clean technologies

At today's levels of technology Europe has the ability to save considerable amounts of energy in almost all industrial processes. The European Commission lays particular emphasis on horizontal energy technologies, that is, technologies which are not limited to a specific production process but are addressed to various industries, such as:

• Development of energy management system and use of computers in energy management.
• Development of heat recovery systems to capture energy wasted in the form of heat loss from boilers, furnaces, cooling systems, motors, etc.
• Co-production and simultaneous production of electric power and useful thermal energy.
• Use of "high efficiency" furnaces, boilers and motors to reduce both fuel consumption and the production of NOx.
• Use of renewable energy sources which is limited to biomass and the production of biogas.

In Central Macedonia, the main industrial fuel is fuel oil. In 1991, fuel oil accounted for 60% of all industrial energy requirements in the Prefecture of Thessaloniki, as compared to 20% for the European Union. In that same year, Diesel fuel accounted for a mere 5% of power needs, and electricity for 22%. The use of liquid gas has been increasing over the past few years, especially in view of the introduction of natural gas: in 1991 liquid gas supplied about 10% of fuel requirements. Finally, the sole cement industry in the area consumes considerable quantities of coal and coke.

The principal factor hampering efforts to reduce energy consumption and rationalise energy resource management is the large number of relatively small industrial units. The fact that these units are scattered rather than being concentrated in industrial parks or zones, the age of their equipment, their limited capacity, all conduce to relatively heavy energy consumption per ton of production and discourage investment in this sector. Listed below are a number of suggestions for energy use intervention and investment possibilities in three principal industrial sectors.

Table 6.3. Applications of energy and clean technologies in the industry of C. Macedonia

1. Energy saving systems
2. Ecological management systems (EMAS)
3. Renewable energy resources
4. Solid wastes management
5. Ecolabel sign applications
6. Anti-pollution applications for burners and motors
7. Responsible care applications
8. Applications of residue management systems
9. Residue monitoring
10. Biological purification applications

Foodstuffs. In the food industry, which includes numerous separate and distinct branches, the margins for improving energy use are quite considerable. This stems from the fact that in almost all branches energy consumption per ton of production is relatively high. For example, in the Greek dairy industry, consumption of energy is around 1500 MJ per tonne of processed milk, which is 30% higher than the EU average. The principal scope for intervention and investment in the food industry lies in recovering heat for internal use from low temperature liquid effluents, in the use of new types of boilers and improved refrigeration systems, and in the exploitation of renewable sources of energy. In this last instance, possibilities include the production of biogas from organic wastes and the heating or pre-heating of water by solar collector. The co-production of electric and thermal energy, already in application in the sugar industry, may be implemented in numerous large plants, including certain dairies. There is also a margin for co-production in the larger breweries, if betterterms for the sale of electricity to the Public Power Corporation can be negotiated, given the intermittent nature of the brewing process.

Chemicals. The chemicals industry, both in the EU and in Greece, has made tremendous progress in energy saving over the past ten years, with results in excess of 35%. Although energy saving is not at the moment the number one priority of the chemical industry (competition from third world countries and environmental issues are currently the principal concerns of the European chemical industry), there are still margins for improved energy effectiveness. Some of the promising fields for energy-related investments in this field include:

1. joint production of steam and common steam grids for small units in the same area,
2. introduction of new technology motors (using approximately 10% less electricity),
3. co-production (already implemented in the Chemical Industries of Northern Greece),
4. use of energy management systems,
5. improved design and operation of heat exchangers and recovery of heat from low temperature liquid effluents,
6. application of "pinch" technology in the analysis and designing of chemical processes.

Textiles. Textiles is one of the most important industrial sectors in C. Macedonia, and may be considered a fairly "mature" industry. While energy saving is less of a priority in this sector than is improving product quality, there is scope for improved performance through the use of new technology boilers and motors, the use of heat pumps or the application of direct heating in drying and washing processes, as well as in the introduction of integrated energy management systems.

Quality control and certification

Efforts to improve quality include a series of structural and production processes on three specific levels:

1. quality control,
2. quality certification and the use of quality labels and
3. optimal exploitation of human resources by the application of such systems as quality circles,
4. development of loyalty and recognition of the role of the worker.

Industrial firms in Northern Greece are increasingly aware of emerging requirements relating to quality certification with respect to competitiveness, especially as regards the development of the ISO 9000 quality systems. However, the percentage of companies in Northern Greece which have already been awarded certification (most of which are in Central Macedonia) is still extremely small compared to the country as a whole. On the basis of published figures, by the beginning of 1995 the two major quality certification institutions (BVQI and the Hellenic Standardisation Organisation) had certified 115 companies, of which only 10 (9%) were in Central Macedonia.

Table 6.4. Applications of quality control technologies in the industry of C. Macedonia

1. Recognition of employees role in quality
2. Certification by related institution (i.e. ISO 9000)
3. Quality control statistical methods
4. Standards and specifications (legislative, firm, international)
5. Participation of employees in quality circles
6. Sample control and product testing
7. Calibration of instruments in quality control laboratories
8. Calibration of instruments on the production line

Many companies in this Region, however, are beginning to exploit the financing potential of Community enterprise support programmes to prepare themselves to enter the ISO 9000 quality assurance system. To achieve this, they need support and technical assistance, especially with regard to the organisation of infrastructure and the development of quality assurance systems. They also need monitoring, advice and know-how, possibly via advisory inspection procedures during the course of implementation of the system. Also important is the need for information and advisory services for already certified companies to encourage further quality development.

With regard to product conformity, the requirements with respect to Greek products meeting Community standards are tremendous, especially in relation to the New Approach Directives, by which all products must display both a declaration of conformity and the CE symbol. While lack of information has created considerable confusion among both producers and consumers across the country, the Ministry concerned (Ministry of Industry, Energy and Technology) for its part does not effect sufficient market inspection. Further, with regard to export-oriented products, the need to increase competitiveness on the European level has created the need for the quality of Greek products to meet the standards and specifications required by the destination countries (e.g., ecological textile products). Few companies, however, make use of the possibility of displaying on their products the Greek quality standards symbol awarded by the Greek Standardisation Organisation to products meeting Greek and European standards.

At the same time, the need to develop product quality and conformity assurance systems creates the need for modern on-line production control equipment and product quality control laboratory equipment. The industries in this Region have, with Community support and through the various Community Development Programmes, begun the process of modernisation in this field.

In the field of quality control and testing, there is a growing trend towards public and private laboratories for testing and measurement, a trend which is also being generally promoted on the regional level by the government development policies in this sector. The principal requirement in this sector is for certified laboratories to cover specific industrial needs relating to conformity with Community standards and the requirements of individual destination countries.

There is also tremendous demand for calibration services, a direct result of the fact that more and more companies are winning ISO 9000 certification, and for specialised measurement and testing services. The great demand for measurement and testing services is dictated by the need to perform specialised tests on products in order to win the CE certification symbol which a product must display before it can circulate freely and without restriction throughout the Single Market.