The Hellenic Technology Clusters Initiative (HTCI-Corallia) supports state-of-the-art, innovation clusters in knowledge-intensive, export-oriented technology sectors and is helping boost competitiveness, entrepreneurship and innovation.
- 17 August 2011
Corallia helps Greece to become an international business focal point with the trade mark “Innovation Made In Greece.”
Projects such as this are helping the EU to become a smart, sustainable and inclusive economy by 2020, as set out in the EU 2020 growth strategy. The EU is facing some tough challenges, including an ageing population, an insufficiently qualified workforce, the need for greater innovation, striking a balance between economic growth and environmental degradation, and ensuring secure, clean energy supplies. Regional policy projects across the EU are playing an active role in dealing with these and many other challenges, by undertaking projects designed to generate employment, raise educational achievement, develop renewable energy sources, boost productivity and give all citizens access to opportunities. The projects and the regions play a pivotal role in this, as they generate real results that contribute to achieving the strategy’s key goals.
Microelectronics and embedded systems are the focus of Corallia’s first innovation cluster known as mi-Cluster, now a reference point for over 100 organisations (industry, academic labs and research institutes). The impact is being felt already, with many participating companies having reported a staggering 60% increase in revenues, a sure sign that clusters such as this represent a critical step forward for the country.
Pioneers in their field
Cross-industry synergies and research collaborations are increasingly important in today’s competitive climate. They allow the members of these clusters to become pioneers in their specialist areas and to attract direct foreign investment. Corallia officially came together in May 2006 with financing from the EU’s third CSF through the Hellenic Operational Programme for competitiveness and entrepreneurship. It is hosted in the Athena Research Centre.
Corallia has put in place strategic, well-organised measures:
a one-stop shop for unique business opportunities and added-value services; support for the creation of new ventures; incentives for business angels to invest early on to create favourable conditions; development of networks to enhance technology transfer; training programmes to expand the innovation-knowledge horizon; promotion of an ‘innovation made in Greece’ brand.Economic growth generated
Through Corallia’s activities in the area of microelectronics and embedded systems, tangible results including a significant increase in annual turnover (up 60%), exports (up 110%), patent submissions (up 138%) and job creation (almost doubling at 93%) have been achieved. Sharing the same premises has resulted in substantial benefits for the cluster members. It has strengthened cooperation between the companies involved and boosted research efforts.
Rewards for excellence
Corallia has been singled out for recognition as ‘best practice’ performer on the European stage on more than one occasion. In particular, it has been praised for establishing the Microelectronics Innovation Centre (µIC) in Athens and designing and implementing the ‘Career Days’ event in Greece. In both 2008 and 2009, it was recognised by the European Commission as a small enterprise ‘best practice’ success story.
The cluster continues to receive positive publicity, with hundreds of articles and special reviews published in the local and international press. It has also cooperated closely with other centres of excellence and cluster initiatives in Europe and beyond. Subsequently, Corallia’s public relations and communications programme was granted the European Excellence Award in Berlin in December 2007.