The Region of Attica recently inaugurated a European
office in Brussels. This was neither occasional nor
conjectural. It is part of
a wider strategy to pro
mote entrepreneurship, openness and innovation
towards sustainable growth and job creation.
This
is a
new regional development model
we are working
on in Attica.
This objective
passes across a three fold approach
and a public initiative to support entrepreneur
ship.
The first dimension has to do with openness.
The
European Office of the Region of Attica in Brussels,
the decision making centre, can “contribute deci
sively to making the Region of Attica adopt an out
ward looking approach, by building a chain of com
munication, exchange of information and good prac
tices.”
Something which we seek
through our systematic
involvement in worldwide leading events
on innova
tion and digital policy: i.e. the Mobile World
Congress in Barcelona, DLD Innovation Festival in Tel
Aviv, Slush event in Helsinki.
The Region of Attica was present at the aforemen
tioned events, which thus enabled it to choose syn
ergies
— and this is the second dimension.
We have
selected various chambers of commerce and actors to
be our associates/partners, such as the Athens
Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Athens
Chamber of Tradesmen, Enterprise Greece or the
Hellenic Association of Mobile Applications
Companies (HAMAC). Our aim is to give Attica greater
visibility in these top events, through mutually ben
eficial synergies in relation to supporting innova
tive entrepreneurship initiatives.
Thus, during the second six months of 2016,
8 Greek
start ups active in areas
such as e commerce, mobile
applications, barter economy, and the manufacture of
cutting edge machinery, had the opportunity to
showcase their business ideas, new methods and
innovative products and services at top internation
al exhibitions in Helsinki (Slush) and in Lisbon
(Summit), with the support of the Region of Attica.
Meanwhile, under the strategy for a new model of
regional development, we support structures and
