Good practice:

Regional Entrepreneurship Networking Platform of Western Greece

The problem addressed is the low competitiveness of SMEs in the Region deriving from many factors but mainly from the lack of interaction between the relevant stakeholders.
Region of Western Greece (RWG) took the initiative to create the "Alliance for the Entrepreneurship and Development in Western Greece", a unique informal network that signifies the resolve and the collaborative spirit among the regional authority and the interested stakeholders from the entrepreneurial, commercial and scientific sector, discussing regional and local entrepreneurial matters, identifying problems and proposing solutions.
The network is increasing in popularity and trust in the RWG and has a tendency to increase its membership in the near future. The Alliance convenes on a monthly basis and since its first meeting counts today aprox. 60 members after 21 meetings.
Additionally to this institutional innovation an ICT platform is being developed by Regions Chambers in order to develop tools that provide services to businesses and all involved stakeholders throughout the remote rural areas. The interconnection of microSMEs/SMEs and professionals with each other and the use of innovative tools and methods (crowdsourcing, tele-education, teleconferencing, data sharing, etc.) creates dynamics in the business profile of our region, enhancing the region's competitiveness and extroversion. Τhe platform eliminates the distances and remove obstacles from the diffusion of information in rural areas.

The network is based exclusively to the human capital of regional entrepreneurial ecosystem. The informality of the network ensures and promotes the participation of stakeholders without prerequisites and exclusions. Moreover, RWG has allocated more than 1.000.000€ for the ICT platform development.

So long the evolution of the network is very promising and successful as there is an undiminished interest from several stakeholders to join the initiative. It has succeeded to transcend the regional boundaries bringing on track representatives of Ministries. The ICT platform is currently under development and therefore yet there are only indications derived from the high interest of microSMEs and the entrepreneurial community in total that this part will be successful.

A major challenge is the transformation of the informal network to an institutional body. The perspective for the initiative is to become a kind of regional entrepreneurial parliament bringing the voice of remote rural areas SMEs to the forefront.

The practice is transferable to Regions already operating a network of stakeholders with the aim to expand it to a more operational aspect. The practice is actually a successful bottom up initiative which can be part of local strategies as smart specialization strategy, regional policy, "Leader" approach in rural areas etc. Moreover, having established ICT platforms, different regions can easily exchange ideas and experiences bringing added value to local initiatives and support of local SMEs.