Implementation framework

The implementation of the Regional Technology Plan is to a great extent linked to and dependent on the 2nd Community Support Framework and those Community Initiatives which contain actions in support of innovation and technology transfer. For this reason, we tried to identify and list all the actions of the Operational Programmes within the 2nd CSF and the Community Initiatives which may support the implementation of the RTP. This analysis led to a selection of the sub-programmes, measures and actions, of which the most important are presented below.

Central Macedonia Regional Operational Programme

This covers the same area as the RTP. The actions relating directly to the RTP are mainly concentrated in the sub-programme 2, Reinforcing company competitiveness, and the measures:

  1. Reinforcing company competitiveness through technical support for SMEs, new methods of financing and private investment.
  2. Modernisation and completion of company infrastructure, particularly through the expansion of industrial zones, the foundation of the Food Company and the Textile Institute, and the completion of the Pieria Productivity Centre.
  3. Linking research and production through the creation of a Regional Council on research and the promotion of applied research.
  4. Development of inter-Balkan collaboration through the creation of an information network and stock exchange.
  5. Vocational training.

Operational Programme on Industry

This parallels the RTP, entirely and directly, being both clearly oriented towards the industrial sector and innovatory in virtually all its measures and projects. Related to the RTP are:

The sub-programme 1, Infrastructure, and the measures:

  1. Creation of a product quality system, with eight actions focusing on technical, organisational, institutional and other applications.
  2. Industrial infrastructures in industrial zones, industrial parks, technology parks and selected areas.
  3. Private and mixed industrial infrastructures in Northern Greece, providing modern services and establishing an Inter-Balkan Economic Collaboration Observatory.
  4. Restructuring of industrial areas in decline, by means of special incentives to companies (to the extent that some of these areas are located in Northern Greece).
  5. Encouraging exports through integrated programmes in support of products, promotion by product and country, advertisement and communication, and support for collaborative endeavours.

The sub-programme 2, Promotion of private investment,and the measures:

  1. Support for large scale private investments (over 5 billion GDR).
  2. Support for private investment under Law 1892/90.

The sub-programme 3, Company modernisation, and the measures:

  1. Support for selected enterprises with a view to improving their international competitiveness through development of incentives schemes.
  2. Modernisation of technology through actions aimed at quality, innovation and flexibility, ecological production methods, and technology transfer.

The sub-programme 4, Small and medium-sized companies, and the measures:

  1. Financial institutions and support instruments for SMEs, through the creation of joint securities companies, venture capital, credit co-operatives, interest subsidisation, factoring and leasing.
  2. Improving the competitiveness SMEs through technical assistance to collective bodies, up-grading of sectorial institutes, creation of a SMEs register/network, promotion of collaboration and sub-contracting, support for the creation of new SMEs as well as for the purchase of services (including consultancy services), and development of handicrafts.

Operational Programme on Research and Technology

This programme is entirely and directly related to the aims and objectives of the RTP, with, on the one hand, a high degree of innovation in its measures and, on the other, direct or indirect links with industry. All its measures are directly relative and are included in:

The sub-programme 1: Support for Science and Technology activities in areas of significant economic interest.

The sub-programme 2: Industrial research, technology transfer, innovation.

The sub-programme 3: Reinforcement and up-grading of the research fabric of the country, and especially the measure 2 for the research axis of northern Greece.

The sub-programme 4: Human Resources.

Operational Programme of the Community Initiative for SMEs

This programme is directly and integrally linked with the RTP, given that it deals exclusively with the reinforcement and modernisation of SMEs in the manufacturing and services sectors (new organisation and production methods, transfer of know-how, new financing mechanisms, etc.). All the actions of this OP are considered equally important for the RTP and especially the measures included in:

The sub-programme 1: Modernisation of administration and production.

The sub-programme 2: Development of trade and product distribution.

The sub-programme 3: Development of services provided to SMEs.

The sub-programme 4: Vocational training.

Operational Programme of the Community Initiative RETEX

This programme is aimed exclusively at the crisis in the textile and clothing sectors, and all its actions are innovative in character. Most important for the RTP are:

The sub-programme 1: Modernisation of textile and clothing companies in Northern Greece, which contains technical support for co-operation between companies, introduction of CAD-CAM systems, company modernisation, quality and production control.

The sub-programme 4: General support framework, and in particular the measures:

  1. Establishment and operation of Industrial Economic Observatories.
  2. Improving company access to entrepreunerial capital.

Operational Programme of the Community Initiative INTERREG II

This programme is related to the RTP only with respect to the measures that focus on industry, contain a certain explicit or potential degree of innovation, and are oriented towards Northern Greece. From this point of view, most important actions are:

The sub-programme 1: Basic Infrastructures, and the measure 6, Communications addressed to new advanced technology telecommunications services, and

The sub-programme 4: Reinforcing the Economic Base, and the measures:

2. Support for integrated business projects.

3. Cross-border collaboration between SMEs.

4. New financial instruments.

7. Collaboration in research and technology.

Operational Programme of the Community Initiative ADAPT

This programme is directly related to RTP Action Plan, since it focuses not only on the adaptation of human resources through the up-grading of professional qualifications, but also on industry, and especially SMEs, through interventions aimed at the structure of labour, the flexibility and productivity of the labour force. Among the measures included in this Programme, the most significant for the RTP are those concerning in-house training, training of entrepreneurs, and the promotion of collaboration between companies, universities and research centres.

Operational Programme on Energy

This programme is related to the RTP projects through the measures in its sub-programmes 2, on Energy saving, and 3, on Renewable energy sources.

Operational Programme on the Environment

This programme includes measures substantially innovative in dimension, but only indirectly connected with the industrial sector. This means that the programme's relation to the RTP is, both quantitatively and qualitatively, only modest, and is restricted to the sub-programme 1, Environmental Infrastructure, and the measure 3 on Eco-audit and Eco-labelling.

Operational Programme on Education and Initial Vocational Training

This programme is oriented towards the basic education and vocational training provided by the Ministry of Education. Only the sub-programme on the Higher Education contains measures relating to the scope of the RTP. ̀ost important is the measure 4 on links between education and production, and the creation of industrial liaison offices in the universities .

This list of sub-programmes and measures shows that there is substantial potential for linkage with the RTP and for integrating its projects in the above Operational Programmes for purposes of financing. It should also be noted that many of the projects and actions included in the above Operational Programmes have not yet progressed to the implementation stage, and in this sense the list remains "open" for the introduction of new projects and actions.

Table 15.1: Operational Programmes of the 2nd CSF and Community Initiatives related to the RTP of C. Macedonia

Operational Programme / Subprogram / Measure
Total Cost (million ECU)
% to total
% to Operational Programme
1. Regional Operational Programme of C. Macedonia 858,91 100,0
SUBPROG.2 Reinforcing company competitiveness 71,48 2,0 8,3
2. OP on Industry 2808,89 100,0
SUBPROG.1: Infrastructure 416,35 11,4 14,8
SUBPROG.2: Promotion of private investment 1250,00
Measure 1: Support for high scale investment 632,00 17,4 22,5
Measure 2: Support for private investment under the Law 1892/90 70,00 1,9 2,5
SUBPROG.3: Company modernisation 865,00 23,7 30,8
SUBPROG.4: Small and medium sized companies 141,20 3,9 5,0
3. OP on Research and Technology 579,07 100,0
SUBPROG.1: Support for science and technology 150,44 4,1 26,0
SUBPROG.2: Industrial research, technology transfer, innovation 265,25 7,3 45,8
SUBPROG.3: Reinforcing the research fabric of the country 101,95
Measure 1: Development of technology fabric 48,76 1,3 8,4
Measure 2: Widen the technology fabric of Northern Greece 35,46 1,0 6,1
SUBPROG.4: Human resources 47,25
Measure 1: Preparation of education programmes 3,33 0,1 >0,6
Measure 3: Trainning of SMEs executives 12,33 0,3 2,1
4. OP of Community Initiative for SMEs 155,57 100,0
SUBPROG.1: Modernisation of administration and production 54,10 1,5 34,8
SUBPROG.2: Development of trade and product distribution 53,33 1,5 34,3
SUBPROG.3: Development of services provided to SMEs 25,00 0,7 16,1
SUBPROG.4: Vocational trainning 16,83 0,5 10,8
5. OP of Community Initiative RETEX 141,10 100,0
SUBPROG.1: Modernisation of textile and clothing companies 40,40 1,1 28,6
SUBPROG.4: General support frameworks 5,41
Measure 1: Establishment and operation of industrial observatories 2,36 0,1 1,7
Measure 2: Improving company access to risk capital 2,00 0,1 1,4
6. OP of Community Initiative INTERREG II 492,22 100,0
SUBPROG.1: Basic Infrastructures 194,87
Measure 6: Communication addressed to advanced telecommunication services 16,50 0,5 3,4
SUBPROG.4: Reinforcing the economic base 113,40
Measure 2: Support for integrated business projects 35,00 1,0 7,1
Measure 3: Cross-border collaboration between SMEs 6,40 0,2 1,3
Measure 4: New financial instruments 10,00 0,3 2,0
Measure 7: Collaboration in research and technology 3,00 0,1 0,6
7. OP of Community Initiative ADAPT
8. OP on Energy 946,31 100,0
SUBPROG.2: Energy saving 375,40 10,3 39,7
SUBPROG.3: Renewable energy sources 190,90
Measure 2: Economic incentives for the development of applications 165,00 4,5 17,4
Measure 3: Infrastructure development and selective support 14,20 0,4 1,5
9. OP on Environment 512,00 100,0
SUBPROG.1: Environmental infrastructure 47,00
Measure 3: Eco-audit and eco-labeling 10,00 0,3 2,0
Measure 4: National network of environmental informatics 9,00 0,2 1,8
10. OP on education and initial training 1847,60 100,0
SUBPROG.3: Higher education 598,04
Measure 4: Creation of services linking education and production 46,60 1,3 2,5
Total of measures and subprograms related to the RTP 3642,22 100,0
Total of 10 OP 8341,66
Total of CSF and Community Initiatives 30515,06

Source: Andrikopoulou E., Tomprou V. (1996)