On Tuesday 12 September, A. Bulgarelli, Director of Cedefop, K. Mitsotakis, member of the Greek Parliament, V. Takas, Chairman of Thermi SA Enterprise Incubator, and A. Tzikas, Chairman of the Association of Information Technology Companies of Northern Greece and of the future Technopoli, participated in a round table discussion.
The round table, which was organised and chaired by Cedefop, gave rise to a debate rich in ideas and examples, associating European points of reference with policies and reality in Greece.
What are the obstacles an innovative business encounters in creating an ideal environment in terms of human resources, infrastructure or funding? What support is available? These were the basic questions the participants were invited to address before an audience of business owners.
Above and beyond the financial issue, it was the individual and his environment which were highlighted by all the participants. A. Bulgarelli stressed that it is the general attitude at both regional and sectoral level which constitute a particular driving force, pointing to the importance of creating a climate of trust between the local actors, in order to facilitate the processes and remove the obstacles.
In addition to funding, training plays an essential role in the innovative business, contributing to developing knowledge and, consequently, innovative potential. How to evaluate needs, how to choose the right training, how to manage employee training these are just some of the essential issues that need to be taken into account.