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IONIA NISSIA
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GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHY
Ionia Nissia, is a region of Greece formed by the Ionian islands of Corfu, Paxi, Lefkada, Ithaca, Kefalonia, Zante. The region with its 218594 inhabitants, covers an area of 2307 square Km.
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INFRASTRUCTURE
The Ionian Islands have various harbours, with regular ferry connections to Western Greece. Some islands, for example Kefalonia and Corfu, also have air services to Athens.
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ECONOMY
Per-capita GDP is below the average for Greece. The mainstay of the economy is small and medium-sized businesses in the secondary and tertiary sectors. Of the few industrial units operating in the region today, a good number are struggling to survive. Craft industries, on the other hand, are doing quite well, and here the influence of tourism is clear. Tourism, and all linked activities, plays a vital role for the development of the region. One important group of small businesses is engaged in producing tourist goods, while another processes products from the primary sector.
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LABOUR MARKET
Compared to 1995, there were no substantial changes in the total employment in 1998, when the total figure was 76,000 people. Employment in the region is centred on the tertiary and primary sectors (57% and 26%, respectively). The most important branch in the tertiary sector is distributive trade, restaurants and hotels, which accounts for more than 50% of total employment in the sector.
The employment rate is around 59% ( the female employment rate is 35.30% whereas the male one is 46.90%).
Unemployment rate in the region (6.7%) is well below the levels for Greece as a whole. However, the number of unemployed persons in the region (5 300) is double compared to the beginning of the decade. Unemployment rate for women is the lowest in the country. The unemployment rate for young people under 25, however, is very high and, in conjunction with the high average age of the work force, constitutes a serious problem for the region. About 32% of the total persons in unemployment were concerned by a long-term unemployment (more than 12 consecutive months).
Of the total working population, 44% are self-employed and 47% are wage or salary earners. Unpaid family workers, most of whom are women, are employed mainly in the distributive trades and tourism and to a lesser extent in agriculture.
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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The region spends 0,12% of its GDP in research and development.
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DATA RELATED TO REGIONAL STRUCTURAL FUNDS MECHANISMS
The region belongs to EU objective one for the period 2000-2006, granting funds of 2 billions euro for that period.
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REGIONAL PROGRAMME OF INNOVATIVE ACTIONS (RPIA)
During the period 2003-2005 Ionia Nissia implemented a RPIA named “Innovation in the Ionian Islands - 3I”. The total resources for this programme reached Euro 4.630 million (Euro 2.88 million - European Commission, Euro 0.85 million - public investment and Euro 0.9 million - private investment). The programme was approved on all three RPIA strategic themes. The programme focused on the regional needs to include Ionian Islands into new economic areas while protecting traditional business practices and retaining the region's identity and distinctive cultural characteristics. The main objectives of the “3I “ programme were therefore: - To blend digital services into traditional services providing information and context for the creation of innovative actions in the tourism sector;
- To improve the current state of business reality by improving the quality levels of all traditional services and the certified 30 SMEs with the regional quality seal;
- To create new services and innovative start-ups (30) capitalising on the local resources of tourism, culture, local agricultural products and artefacts blending them with technology features, where it is appropriate. New forms of tourism such as cultural, archaeological, religious, athletic must be produced in order to accelerate the impact of this sector in the regional economies;
- To protect the rural environment from the expanding need of enlargement of the urban areas and to monitor and control clean salt water conditions;
- To exercise foresight in order to raise awareness within regional actors, entrepreneurs, decision makers, researchers and opinion leaders;
- To provide regional support in the innovation cycle by assisting business planning and promoting the financing of innovative ideas from third party financing;
- To provide information about regional innovative status and to transfer best practices from relevant regions.
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