Participation of Kapodistriaki Development S.A. in five proposals in "Interreg Greece-Italy 2021-2027"

Kapodistriaki Development S.A. participates as a partner in the project proposal "Training, upskilling and entrepreneurship for smart careers in the BLUE economy - TRAIN4BLUE". The aim of this project is to address the growing demand for skilled young people and NEETs (not in education, employment or training) in the blue economy sector. The focus is on upgrading the skills of the next generation of blue-collar entrepreneurs and creating a basis for strengthening cross-border cooperation in training. This, in turn, will sustain the blue growth of the program area. The lead partner of this specific project is UNIVERSUS CSEI - University Consortium for Education and Innovation from the Apulia region.

The second project proposal in which the Development Organization participates and has as its lead partner the "Anton Dohrn" Zoological Station from the region of Calabria, is entitled "Transboundary network for the development of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance and the South Adriatic Ionian Strait Ecologically or Biologically Significant Marine Area – SEATRACK”. The aim of the project is to support the development of Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI) in the marine ecosystem of the program area and to analyze the opportunities and impacts on ecologically or biologically important coastal areas in the South Adriatic - Ionian Strait, covering part of the Greek Exclusive Economic Zone. The main objectives of the project include supporting the development of SPAMI areas in the program area, cross-border joint actions for EBSA, stakeholder participation and consensus building, increasing protected areas (target 30% EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030).

The project proposal entitled "Interregional Thematic villages network Through Innovation Support Services - GrITheti2S", that has as lead partner the Patras Science Park, is the third proposal in which Kapodistriaki Development SA participates. The project aims at a cross-border clustering approach between Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) related to tourism in the program area. Existing SMEs related to local gastronomy, ecotourism, hospitality in traditional destinations, culture and the creative sector will be supported by the project to cluster and network with other tourism clusters in the EU, learning from international experience and transferring good practices (eg thematic villages) in the partners' targeted areas. This approach will be facilitated by a Cross-Regional Support and Clustering Platform and smart applications that enhance connectivity and offer members innovation support services.

The fourth project proposal that has as lead partner the Special Society for Economic and Territorial Development of Basilicata and entitled "Empowering digital transformation for UNESCO sites through the cross-border cooperation in the program area - DACC" aims to pioneer the digital transformation of tourist services within the monuments of UNESCO cultural heritage in the area of ​​the Greece-Italy Programme, in line with the European Union's policy program for the Digital Decade and its specific objectives for 2030, which acts as a guideline for Europe's digital evolution. In addition, the DACC project will contribute to the "Agenda for Europe", i.e. a renewed initiative of Greece aligned with the strategic goals and program priorities of the UNWTO (United Nations World Tourism Organization), presented during the 69th CEU (Commission for Europe).

Finally, the project proposal entitled "Ecological Community Approach to Responsible Environmental Stewardship - ECOCARES" that has as lead partner the Municipality of Maruzzio (Italy) results from the necessity of dealing with interregional problems related to human pressure on small communities and related issues of waste management, which is a matter of utmost importance for the space. The areas involved in the project are characterized by intense and highly seasonal tourist flows, characterized by the phenomenon of hypertourism, which excessively and negatively affects the quality of life of residents and/or the quality of visitor experiences. The project in question revolves around the potential of community composting units, which represent a middle ground between industrial and domestic composting to convert organic waste into high-quality compost.