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DYTIKI ELLADA
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GEOGRAPHY AND DEMOGRAPHY
Western Greece covers an area of 11 351 square kilometres (8.6% of the Greece area) and has a density of 65 inhabitants per km˛. The region is essentially cut in two, the only link between the two parts being the ferry between Rio and Antirio. It comprises the western and northwestern parts of the Peloponnese and the western part of Central Greece. The capital is Patras, the third largest city in Greece, while other towns are Pyrgos, Egio, Agrinio and Messolongi. Its population is 741.282 inhabiatnts. |
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INFRASTRUCTURE
In the region there are a network of road and railroad (3 hour from Athens to Patras); the port of Patras is a very important one, connecting the region with the rest of Greece and Europe. |
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ECONOMY
Western Greece has 9% of Greece's agricultural holdings and its utilized agricultural area accounts for 8% of the country's agricultural land. The principal crops are tobacco, olives, tomatoes, potatoes, vines, fodder crops, melons and fresh vegetables. Livestock farming is highly developed. Although the secondary sector employs 18% of the labour force, it contributes 27% of GDP, of which 60% is produced in the Patras area. The main products are cement, textiles, foodstuffs, wine, etc. The backbone of manufacturing is the two sectors of textiles and foodstuffs. The regional GDP is 7.700 Mill. EUR, and the per capita GDP is 10,4 (in K EUR). |
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LABOUR MARKET
The total number of employees is 232.816 ( the male employment rate is 66,32% and the female one is 33,68); the current unemployment rate is 11%. The sectoral employment distribution rate is : 40,9% services (commerce, public administration), 17,60% Industry and 41,50 Agriculture. |
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RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT
The total research spending in the region is 0,7% of its GDP ( 0,01% public sector, 0,15% government, 0,34% university, 0,20% private sector). |
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DATA RELATED TO REGIONAL STRUCTURAL FUNDS MECHANISMS
The region belongs to EU objective 1, for the period 2000-2006, granting in that period 684 billions euros. |
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REGIONAL PROGRAMME OF INNOVATIVE ACTIONS (RPIA)
The region activated a programme of innovative actions, “INNACT”.The region played through this programme, a crucial role in the application of stateof-the-art and emerging innovative mechanisms and processes to high priority regional sectors of its responsibility, such as competitiveness of SMEs, health and safety of citizens, transition to the new digital economy, and support of the traditional production sector.Five major actions were planned:
- Promotion and implementation of innovations for strengthening SMEs competitiveness through recent technological advances.
- SMEs support for easy transition to the new Digital Economy;
- Use of innovative services in the health and safety sectors for citizens;
- Support of organic farming by adoption of innovative technologies;
- Participation in an interregional network.
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