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The border area in both countries, Greece and Bulgaria, is often characterized by difficulties in access to finance, limited access to the know-how of businesses, weak formal and informal access to mainstream information, lack of support services for the development of competitive products/services, insufficient development of human resources and skills and a poor performance in internationalization.

The CO-WORKING project aspires to overturn these facts by creating an innovative ecosystem in the cross-border region between Greece and Bulgaria, aiming to encourage business creation. The implementation of the system is based on the establishment of two support mechanisms for the pre-incubation of businesses based in the two countries respectively.

The project aims at accelerating early-stage teams to develop a business idea under real-life conditions, before taking an entrepreneurial risk, with the goal to transform initial ideas into viable proposals that go beyond the so-called “valley of death”.

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The border area in both countries, Greece and Bulgaria, is often characterized by difficulties in access to finance, limited access to the know-how of businesses, weak formal and informal access to mainstream information, lack of support services for the development of competitive products/services, insufficient development of human resources and skills and a poor performance in internationalization.

The CO-WORKING project aspires to overturn these facts by creating an innovative ecosystem in the cross-border region between Greece and Bulgaria, aiming to encourage business creation. The implementation of the system is based on the establishment of two support mechanisms for the pre-incubation of businesses based in the two countries respectively.

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The project aims at accelerating early-stage teams to develop a business idea under real-life conditions, before taking an entrepreneurial risk, with the goal to transform initial ideas into viable proposals that go beyond the so-called “valley of death”.

The Project Beneficiaries

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Alexander Innovation Zone SA (Head Partner)

The Head Partner of CO-WORKING is the Alexander Innovation Zone SA, the entity that has undertaken the management and development of the Innovation Zone of Thessaloniki. The role of AZK is to strengthen and promote innovation in the wider area of Thessaloniki, with emphasis on purposes of public interest. The Alexander Innovation Zone SA has the necessary experience, know-how and capacity in the planning, management and coordination of EU-funded projects as it has participated in many EU-funded projects under INTERREG.

Website: https://www.thessinnozone.gr/

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Special Account for Research Funds of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki

The Special Account for Research Funds (SARF) is the university body created to meet the specific needs of the research activity of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. More specifically SARF facilitates the distinction between teaching work and the allocation of external funding for the management of research and research-related activities. It boasts experienced researchers and academics, experts in economics, development, business etc. The staff of the department has participated in several EU-funded projects such as INTERREG A, B, and C, ESPON, INTERACT, FP, HORIZON etc.

Website: https://www.auth.gr/en/rc-en/

University of National and World Economy

The University of National and World Economy, is one of the oldest, most prestigious and largest economic universities in Southeastern Europe, a pioneer in Bulgarian higher education. In 2006 UNWE received the highest institutional rating among all Bulgarian universities by the National Agency for the Evaluation and Accreditation. The University is the absolute leader in the professional fields of Economics, Management and Administration in Bulgaria.

Website: https://www.unwe.bg/en/

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National Company Industrial Zones PLC

The NATIONAL COMPANY INDUSTRIAL ZONE PLC, is a company under the guidance of the Ministry of Economy of Bulgaria, which designs, develops and manages industrial and free zones, assisting investors in the implementation of projects. The company assists investors in the implementation of projects in economic zones with developed infrastructure, first class locations and transport links and manages 11 industrial zones across the country with a total area of over 7.4 million square meters.

Website: http://www.nciz.bg/en/

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A few words about the Programme

Greece and Bulgaria, two neighboring countries with a rich past, since the end of the 1990s have entered an era of closer co-operation, due to the INTERREG Programme “Greece-Bulgaria”.

The main idea behind “INTERREG” is that countries have issues which can be better solved if they work together with their neighbors than if each one remains confined within its borders. So for this reason, in our Programme we promote activities that bring our people closer.

The Cooperation Programme “Greece-Bulgaria 2014-2020” was approved by the European Commission on 09/09/2015 by Decision C(2015)6283.

News

Deliverables

Lead Beneficiary - Alexander Innovation Zone SA

Project Beneficiary 2 - EIDIKOS LOGARIASMOS KONDYLION EREVNAS ARISTOTELIOU PANEPISTIMIOU THESSALONIKIS

Project Beneficiary 3 - UNIVERSITY OF NATIONAL AND WORLD ECONOMY

Project Beneficiary 4 - NATIONAL COMPANY INDUSTRIAL ZONES PLC