Description
The project aims to develop a pilot mechanism framed by specified structures for business development and social entrepreneurship support in the mountainous region of the Municipality of Pyli - Trikala, giving special focus on tackling unemployment, creating new job opportunities, maintaining the existing ones and mitigating the effects of social exclusion.The scientific excellence of the proposal lies in the fact that a multidisciplinary approach will be recommended, with emphasis on the target group needs, the adoption of best practices and knowledge that have been developed in Norway, Greece and internationally and finally, the adjustment of the mechanism to the specificities of the mountainous populations and of the related economic activities, by proposing an integrated support mechanism of Social Entrepreneurship for mountainous areas and communities, contributing to positive social mobility.
Summary of project results
The project mainly concerns the pilot Establishment of a Supporting Mechanism for the Development and Promotion of Social Entrepreneurship for Populations of Mountainous Areas, which faces the consequences of economic crisis and do not have equal opportunities and the access channels to the job market and economic development, in relation to other social groups and geographic areas, especially due to the remoteness of their inhabitant places and the particularities of mountainous economy. The outcomes of the project could be summarized as following: • Address unemployment by creating new job opportunities while maintain the existing ones, especially for young people • Mitigate the effects of isolation for local communities and create channels to markets, • Information, motivation and support for building local collaborative partnerships under the context of the development of Social Entrepreneurship • Consulting and training services, as well as incubator and one stop shop services to local entrepreneurial partnerships • Achievement of Knowledge Transfer and best practices from abroad (Norway) concerning Social Entrepreneurship in mountainous areas • Understanding the target group's needs and build relationships based on mutual trust and cooperation among all the stakeholders and develop networks at local and regional level • Establishement of cooperation among Universities, research institutions, etc. for the creation of a think tank, capable of supporting R&D activities regarding under the context of Social Entrepreneurship in the area The benefits of the project could be classified into: Promotion and strengthen of networks and partnerships Strengthen the information and knowledge base on sustainable mountain development Promotion of markets for mountain services and products. Developing policies. Enhance international and regional cooperation on mountain areas issues. Strengthen national and international support for R&D activities on relevant issues.
Summary of bilateral results
The project includes the development of bilateral relations between The Norwegian Institute of Wood Technology and the Greek partners. This relation focused to the exchange of knowhow and of best practices regarding the establishment of relative mechanisms in both countries, focusing mainly to mountainous economy and especially the wood sector. During this activity, specific team members from Greece have participated to the short mobility project visiting Norway and the participating Institute. This short project aims to the exchange of knowhow on social entrepreneurship and its development in specific forms and types of the Norwegian rural economy and mountainous regions. Furthermore, personnel of the Pyli Municipality had the opportunity to acquire knowledge, experiences and technical skills of the involved persons in relation to the establishment of the relative mechanism, by visiting Norway and transfer this knowledge back to the project’s target region and communities. This constitutes an administrative advantage for the local municipality and administration. Thus several meetings, visiting in specific enterprises and firms, industries and research and other organizations was organized. A fully record of the mobility activities has been developed. For that reason, a detailed schedule of bilateral exchanges and visiting of specific researchers from both countries has been developed and the related budget has been foreseen. On the other hand, the participant researchers from Norway have also payed a visit to Greece with similar objectives and activities as above Finally, the interactions between Greece and Norway in the specific project, will further contribute to the establishment of a more permanent cooperation in several research, scientific and of common welfare fields in the future, creating a think tank for the area and in general, for implementing R&D and applied research in relative fields.