The UniStart Hubs Public Information Event, an initiative of the University of the Peloponnese and the Region of Peloponnese, was successfully completed on Sunday, June 27, 2024. The event, entitled “Bridging the Future: University and Local Entrepreneurship,” brought together a large number of entrepreneurs and organizations from the local community at Phlaos venue (18 Spartis Street, Kalamata).
The event opened with a welcome address by Dimitris Voulgaris, Head of the Structure:“Entrepreneurial activity is key to the development of the local economy and to leveraging the potential of the region. Through the actions of UniStart Hubs, we aim to create a support network that will strengthen entrepreneurship and innovation in the Peloponnese Region.” ».
The Deputy Regional Governor of Messinia, Stathis Anastasopoulos, stressed that “it is very important for entrepreneurship to connect with university research, and the Region of Peloponnese is open to any proposal that can provide such solutions.”
The Deputy Mayor for Strategic Planning and Climate Neutrality of the Municipality of Kalamata stated, among other things, that “an ecosystem for entrepreneurship must be developed, academic institutions and other bodies must be involved. Entrepreneurship must participate in this effort.”
Vangelis Xygkros, President of the Messinia Chamber of Commerce, spoke about the importance of events that are accessible to young entrepreneurs and noted that “for a new culture of entrepreneurship concerning the new generation, we must help them see the benefits that entrepreneurship can bring to the local community.”
Nelli Kouvelaki, student at Phlaos, noted that “what is happening, the local community supporting young people and providing them with tools to move forward with their own business ideas that connect local entrepreneurship with the university, is unprecedented.”
The discussion that followed was attended by the Rector of the University of the Peloponnese, Athanasios Katsis, as well as local entrepreneurs Dimitris Papapergias, Dimitra Karaggelaki and Foteini Theodorakou, coordinated by AMKE Mataroa representative Antonis Papadopoulos. They emphasized how entrepreneurship and academic research can work together to create a unified and healthy ecosystem. Particular emphasis was placed on the need to understand academic research and entrepreneurship and on directly linking the labor market with the skills and knowledge of students and graduates of the University of the Peloponnese.
Eleni Mitsia, Head of UniStart Hubs in the Peloponnese Region, presented the UniStart Hubs project and the services offered to beneficiaries, noting that “the goal of the event is to inform the public about the services of the Structures and how businesses and researchers of the University can benefit from these services.”
Participants had the opportunity to actively take part in the discussion and share their own ideas and proposals for the future of local entrepreneurship and innovation. Representatives of the University of the Peloponnese and local businesses from various sectors, including tourism and agri-food, exchanged views and experiences on the challenges and opportunities presented by connecting the University with local entrepreneurship. The discussion focused on ways in which the project can contribute to creating an active ecosystem of entrepreneurship in Messinia.
We look forward to the next UniStart Hubs activities and to the same warm response from the community, so that together we can create a dynamic and sustainable entrepreneurship ecosystem in the region.
For more information about upcoming UniStart Hubs activities, you can contact us by email at: [email protected]
The event was held under Subproject 1 “Organization and Operation of Structures” of the project “Creation of Structures to Support Innovation and Knowledge-Intensive Entrepreneurship in the Peloponnese Region,” MIS Code 6004735, implemented by Break-Even Consulting S.A. in cooperation with the Special Account for Research Funds of the National Technical University of Athens (ELKE NTUA), with funding from the Peloponnese Operational Programme (ROP) 2021–2027.
