Beneficiaries

Municipality of Oraiokastro (LB)

The Municipality of Oraiokastro is a municipality of the Region of Central Macedonia established by the Kallikratis Program. It resulted from the merging of the pre-existing municipalities of Oraiokastro, Mygdonia and Kallithea. The area of the new Municipality is 217,78 sq. Km and the population of 38,317 inhabitants according to the 2011 census (25,183 inhabitants according to the 2001 census). Its headquarters are Oreokastro, 11 km north of Thessaloniki. In an amphitheatrical location with an average altitude of 250m. and at a distance of 12 kilometers from the center of Thessaloniki, the Municipality of Oraiokastro includes in its administrative boundaries the settlements of Oraiokastro, Paleokastra, Galini, Asprovrisi, Pefki, Paradisos, Filothei and Amfithea. The seat of the Municipality is located in the settlement of Oraiokastro where it is the largest.

Oraiokastro is a Municipality with rapid population and residential development, which, with the care of the local Municipal Authority, is carried out in terms of quality and absolute respect for man and the environment. It is indicative that in just a decade the population of Oraiokastro more than doubled and out of the 5,500 inhabitants numbered by the municipality, in the 2001 census it reached 12,000 inhabitants. In any case, the actual population of Oraiokastro is estimated to be over 30,000 today. Apart from the population, on the other hand, the area of Oraiokastro is more than doubled, as with the new General Urban Plan, which is still a conquest of the Municipal Authority guaranteeing local development, an area of 4,217 acres was included in the city plan.

Having made a progress, Oraiokastro is today a modern and dynamic city, which provides almost all services to residents and visitors. In addition to well-organized basic infrastructure, Oraiokastro has the following facilities: administration (City Hall, Public Services, Public Services), education, sports (mass sport programs, child and sea program, “Baths in the Third Age” program, Kondopouloui Municipal Gymnasium “, Olympic Swimming Pool, Football Stadium, Tennis Courts, 5×5 Fields, Open Basketball Fields), Social Policy (Municipal Bank of Blood, Social Welfare Unit, KAPI, Job Search Office Parents ‘School, Parents’ Support Scheme, First Aid Courses, IKA Polycrystal), Culture (active Cultural Organization, Art groups, theater group, Philharmonic Orchestra, Folklore Museum – under creation, multifaceted cultural and sports center – under construction) as well as a number of medical and credit institutions as well as hotel groups. (Municipal Kindergartens, organized and continuously renewed primary and secondary schools, Vocational Training and Apprenticeship Schools, Adult Education Centers, Municipal Library, Dance and Music Schools).

Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications (IIT)-National Centre of Scientific Research “Demokritos” (PB2)

The General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT) is a modern public service assigned with the task of defining, as well as coordinating the implementation of, the national policy for Research, Technological Development and Innovation. It supports the activities of research and industry bodies through competitive research programmes highlighting economic performance and a socially fair allocation of outcomes. Furthermore, it supervises research and technology bodies, which provide local communities with the skills necessary for producing knowledge and boosting innovation. GSRT actively follows EU and international developments in the field of RDI and represents the country to the EU and International Organisations within its competence.

In the face of the current economic conjecture, investing in science, research and technology becomes a key strategic priority towards a socially and economically sustainable model of development, based on highly-qualified human resources and novel ideas.

The GSRT mandate consists in:

• Defining and promoting a comprehensive strategy for research, technology and innovation;
• Fully exploiting the highly-qualified research staff to boost economic growth, generate new employment and reverse the current trend of expert Greek scientists migrating abroad;
• Transferring and facilitating the uptake of innovative technologies by the country’s industry, through targeted use of research outcomes;
• Supporting initiatives to raise awareness among Greek people in the fields of Research and Technology;
• Supervising and funding Research and Technology Bodies across the country;
• Promoting international S&T cooperation with EU and third countries and making best use of the opportunities to participate in relevant EU, bilateral and international initiatives.  
• Evaluating the outcomes of research & innovation projects, with a view to adjusting research policy on an ongoing basis.

The Research and Technology Bodies supervised by GSRT boast a considerable range of scientific and research achievement in the fields of Medicine and Biomedicine, Astrophysics, Physical Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, Marine Research, innovative product development, Technology, Information Technology and Telecommunications.

The Strategy for Smart Specialisation constitutes the main guidance for defining and promoting the Research and Innovation Policy for the programming period 2014-2020. It highlights areas where Greece has already achieved, or can achieve, a competitive advantage. Priorities emerge as a result of the so-called entrepreneurial discovery process aimed at identifying new business opportunities to put into use newly-produced knowledge and integrate it into value chains. This process is carried out through continuous and active consultation of all actors involved in the innovation “ecosystem” (including private enterprises, higher education institutions and research centres, ministries, regional authorities, etc.), with private enterprises and the industry at large also playing a central role.

Smart Specialisation Strategy Priority Areas:

• Agro-food sector
• Bioscience and Healthcare / Pharmaceuticals
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Energy
• Environment and Sustainable Development – Climate Change
• Transport and Logistics
• Materials – Manufacturing
• Cultural and Creative industries – Tourism

 Actions planned by GSRT in each of the above areas are aimed at developing innovative products and services, transferring knowledge, supporting research staff and further developing and using research infrastructure. The European dimension (synergies and complementarity with the “Horizon 2020” strategy and other activities within the European Research Area) is strongly promoted; top priorities also include fostering an innovation culture and broadening the participation of social partners in research institutions.

MPHAT “SOUTHWEST HOSPITAL” (PB3)

MPHAT “SOUTHWEST HOSPITAL” is a carrier of the experience gained from the previous Partner – MBAL “Rokfeler” who participated in the implementation of the BEHEALTH project (which was successfully implemented during the previous programming period of the Greece-Bulgaria program).