About

The CB area includes some of the most economically challenged businesses in Europe. Almost all regions of the CB area are facing persistent problems of high unemployment and economic decline. This is also caused due to the lack of cooperation between businesses and research/educational institutions, which leads to the low involvement of these businesses in RΚΑΙD actions as well as to the non-adoption of innovations. Enterprises, vital for the region’s economy, such as private and state organizations providing medical, dental, medical rehabilitation, accommodation, SPA ΚΑΙ wellness, travel and leisure, medical facilitation and other services, lack networking activities with RΚΑΙD units and have limited access to innovation. Due to this lack of interaction, the development of innovative actions becomes rather difficult, rendering the area as “Low-Tech”. Thus, the CB area of interest fails to gain a competitive advantage in attracting capital, which is needed to valorize its human resources and promote its further development.

However, the region possesses core competences, which could redress the balance and put these CB areas back to the pathway of innovative development and economic growth. These competences include a large variety of research institutions and universities that operate in the area, which can offer a wide range of innovative services and know-how expertise to the struggling businesses in order to lead them to innovative development. The transfer of knowledge combined with the already advancing development of the ICT sector in the region, will enable the tertiary sector to utilize innovations and businesses to upgrade their services and products.

Also, it will lead to the introduction of a new type of touristic product, which is called health tourism and refers to the process of travelling outside the country of residence for the purpose of obtaining medical treatment. This product will benefit both areas, since medical tourism can combat seasonality, a major problem in the CB region. Another novelty that the project will deliver is a CB effort for bringing together the health and research industries with the local enterprises via the creation of a modernized e-Cluster, where medical information from both countries will be stored for the exchange of know-how and good practices.

The e-Cluster will lead to the development of cooperation and networking services, access to research and innovation capabilities. An e-Tour Facilitator will also be developed, which focuses on the end-users of the health tourism product, namely the patients/tourists. This platform will offer matching services for the patients looking for health and touristic units to receive the treatment. The project will deliver a whole new touristic product with high added value and will bring together research entities with enterprises to improve their access to RΚΑΙD and innovation.

Project co-funded by European Union, European Regional Development Funds (E.R.D.F.) and by National Funds of Greece and Italy

Progetto co-finanziato dall’Unione Europea, Fondo Europeo di Sviluppo Regionale (F.E.S.R.) e da fondi nazionali della Grecia e dell’Italia

Έργο συγχρηματοδοτούμενο από την Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση , το Ευρωπαϊκό Ταμείο Περιφερειακής Ανάπτυξης (Ε.Τ.Π.Α.) και την Εθνική
Συμμετοχή των χωρών Ελλάδας και Ιταλίας