Local Development and Entrepreneurship, the Role of Self-government Organisations

Local Development and Entrepreneurship, the Role of Self-government Organisations

22nd - 23rd October 2005
Veria

The course of the local development passes through the private corporate initiatives and also through the collaborations of the Local Self-government with private entrepreneurs. This was specifically emphasised as a basic axis in the introductions at the Conference that was held over the weekend at the Antoniadeios House of Letters and Arts, organised by the Municipality of Veria and the Vice-mayor of Culture - Tourism in collaboration with the European Organisation for Strategic Planning (EOSP).

The Conference was related to the Local Development and Entrepreneurship and the role of the Self-government Organisations. Local development bodies of the public and private sector, university students and students of IEK OAED and of the Program of Lifelong Learning, the local self-government of the two levels and on behalf of the Government, high level executives of the Ministries of Development and Employment & Social Solidarity and executives of entities and organisations were invited to the activities.

The introducers elaborated on their rich order, on the axes of development and the possibilities of utilising the local entrepreneurship parameters. The executives of the Ministries and the European Organisation for Strategic Planning particularly emphasised the need of strategic planning in the regional and local economy as well as the turn of the developmental model from the Centre to the Periphery.

The areas covered among other were: the relation of the local development with the environment, the agricultural development on a local level, the relation of the local self-government with the modern technologies, the issues of employment and the primary sector, the development of programs for business grants for hiring unemployed persons and the employment through cultural policy development.

Program

1st day

Veria, Saturday 22nd October 2005

09:00 - 09:30
Participants' Registration

Coordinator
Mr. Konstantinos Sotiropoulos, Journalist

09:45 - 10:00
Reception - Greeting
Ms. Mima Dimoula - Petridi, Vice-mayor of Culture - Tourism - President of the Unified Cultural Body

10:00 - 10:30
Officials' Greetings

Mr. Spyridon Vliamos, General Secretary of the Ministry of Employment and Social Solidarity
Mr. Christos Skoubopoulos, Mayor of Veria
Mr. Antonios Koliopoulos, Member and Expert Secretary of EOSP
Mr. Nikolaos Sarandeas, Vice-president of Hellenic Serbian Union of Commerce and Industry
Mr. Sotiris Kareas, Member of the Board of Directors of the Finnish Hellenic Chamber of Commerce

10:30 - 11:00
Main Introduction: "The local Development and entrepreneurship"
Mr. Ian Gurley, President of the Hellenic-Irish Commerce Chamber
Mr. Christos Skoubopoulos, Mayor of Veria
Mr. Iordanis Chatzoglou, President of the Trade Associations of Central & West Macedonia - President of the Association of Veria

11:00 - 12:00
Introduction: "Local development and the protection of the environment"
Mr. Dimitrios Aggelis, President of Alpha Green
Mr. Giannis Spartsis, Prefect of Imathia
Mr. Christos Fourniadis, President of the Municipal Enterprise of Water Supply and Sewerage of Veria - City Councillor of Veria

12:00 - 12:30
Introduction: "Primary Sector and Employment"
Mr. Asterios Dioudis, Vice-prefect of Imathia
Mr. Christos Giannakakis, Director of ALME - Prefectural Councillor

12:30 - 12:50
Introduction: "Local Self-government and Technology"
Mr. Christos Skoubopoulos, President of the Local Union of Municipalities & Communities (TEDK) of Imathia Region - Mayor of Veria
Mr. Stamatis Tsiakiris, General Director of Central Macedonia Region

12:50 - 13:00
Introduction: "Agricultural Development"
Ms. Eleni Papadopoulou, Assistant Professor of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki - Member of the Board of Directors of the Center of European Studies of the Municipality of Veria

13:00 - 13:30
Introduction: "Programs of business grants for hiring unemployed persons"
Mr. Kyriakos Azis, Responsible of the Employment Programs of Greek Manpower Employment Organization (OAED) - Centre of Employment Promotion (KPA) of Veria
Mr. Dimitris Rodovitis, Economist - General Director of ANIMA

13:30 - 14:00
Introduction: "Cultural Politics and Employment"
Ms. Mima Dimoula - Petridi, Vice-mayor of Culture - Tourism - President of the Unified Cultural Body, Municipality of Veria
Mr. Giannis Kambouris, Director of DETOPOKA of the Municipality of Veria

14:00 - 15:00
Lunch

15:30 - 19:00
Guided Tour

20:30 - 21:30
Dinner

2nd day

Veria, Sunday 23rd October 2005

10:00 - 10:30
Participants' Arrival

Coordinator
Mr. Antonis Koliopoulos, Expert Secretary of EOSP

10:30 - 12:30
"Results of the Two-day Conference"

Representative of the Greek Government

Representative of the Prefecture of Imathia

Representative of EOSP

Representative of the Municipality of Veria