Eastern Macedonia and Thrace unveils strategy to strengthen SMEs after meeting with GSEVEE

The meeting took place on Monday, February 2, at the headquarters of the Region in Komotini, bringing together senior regional officials and representatives of Greece’s leading SME institutions, including the Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen and Merchants (GSEVEE) and local chambers of commerce.

Participants included Deputy Regional Governor for Administrative Services, Human Resources and Environment Nikos Efkarpidis, senior GSEVEE officials, representatives of the Institute of Small Enterprises (IME GSEVEE), and presidents and board members of local professional associations from Kavala and Rodopi.

Focus on Targeted SME Support and Regional Development

Discussions centred on the prospects for close institutional cooperation between the Region of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace and IME GSEVEE, with the aim of designing and implementing integrated support measures for SMEs. Broader regional challenges were also addressed, particularly how local economic and social conditions shape the development of entrepreneurship.

Governor Topsidis presented the Region’s ongoing initiatives and policy tools designed to actively support business activity. These include targeted ESPA-funded programmes, policies promoting innovation and outward-looking entrepreneurship, and investment in skills, knowledge and human capital.

He underlined that entrepreneurship lies at the core of the Region’s development strategy, stressing that the administration’s goal is to establish stable, long-term partnerships capable of delivering measurable results for local businesses and the regional economy as a whole.

Institutional Cooperation Seen as Key to SME Growth

All participants agreed that close cooperation between regional authorities and institutional representatives of SMEs can play a decisive role in shaping effective, needs-based support policies, better aligned with the realities of the local market.

The meeting reaffirmed a shared commitment to strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises as a cornerstone of sustainable regional growth, employment creation and economic resilience in Eastern Macedonia and Thrace.