Crete is well known as a sun-drenched holiday island with a rich history and culture to explore. Besides that it has a very well-developed R&D capacity, as it is one of the four strongest Objective 1 regions in the EU. More specifically, the island is the second most innovative region in Greece and also the region with the lowest unemployment rate. Over the last 30 years, Crete has developed from an economy that had very little industrial activity and a limited market for products and services to a dynamic region with a large market that serves both its visitors and the surrounding Mediterranean area.
This economic development is mainly due to effective collaboration between the local entrepreneurial community and its representatives, the local chambers of commerce, the local research institutions and the local authorities. Three interesting examples of this 'triple-helix' collaboration are the Regional Innovation and Technology Transfer Infrastructures and Strategies (the RITTS project), Crete Innovative Region - Innovative Actions (the CR.INNO project) and the development of the Regional Innovation Pole of Crete, which is a cluster of research labs, SMEs and large companies, regional authorities and technology transfer organisations.
These projects have succeeded in stimulating cooperation between existing technology transfer mechanisms, entrepreneurship support organisations and technological educational institutions so that they now work together to meet the needs of SMEs on the island. The major players in 'The Regional Innovation System of Crete' are outlined below.
INTEREST OR SECTOR | BODIES OR ORGANISATIONS |
Local Government | - The Regional Authority of Crete |
Business and Entrepreneurship | - The Local Chambers of Commerce and Industry in Heraklion, Chania, Lasithi and Rethymno - Local Innovative Enterprises such as Forthnet |
R&D | - University of Crete, Technical University of Crete, Technical Educational Institute of Crete - Foundation for Research and Technology, Centre for Technological Research in Crete, National Agricultural Research Foundation, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania - Science and Technology Park of Crete |
