15 Feb 7 years CluBE
CluBE celebrates its 7th anniversary, 14/02/2014 to 14/02/2021!
7 years of effort, creativity and innovation!
7 years of collaborations, partnerships and synergies in order to share and develop new knowledge and to implement value-added projects for Western Macedonia!
During these 7 years, together with all the CluBE partners and members, we achieved a lot. Although we started without any funding during the Greek financial crisis, many of our members who believed in us provided assistance and their positive energy. They believed in the goals we had set and helped us overcome difficulties and obstacles at the beginning of our establishment and during the first years of our operation. The result? Since 2015 when we obtained our first project, we reached today to a total of 16 projects with an approved budget, for CluBE and its members, approaching 5 million euros and with 14 of our members already receiving direct funding through these projects.
All these projects are highly competitive and innovative and aim to enhance research and development in Western Macedonia:
- 10 Horizon 2020 projects; 1 completed, 8 under implementation and 1 approved.
- 2 Interreg cross-border projects.
- 1 project from the Kozani Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
- 1 national project from GSRT “Research – Create – Innovate”.
- 1 national project from the Green Fund.
- 1 national project from New Agriculture for the New Generation.
For their implementation, we currently employ 14 highly qualified researchers, thus contributing to the prevention of brain drain of valuable human resources in the region. With all this workforce, in addition to the implementation of our projects, we create new innovative ideas and proposals. By discussing and analysing together with the key stakeholders and companies of Western Macedonia, we always try to infuse new ideas and vision for development, in combination with the needs and priorities of Western Macedonia.
So, on the 14th of February we celebrate 7 years with innovative projects and proposals in the fields of bioeconomy, bioenergy and energy efficiency, biomass, biowaste, hydrogen, smart cities, regional and rural development and agri-food.
7 years with development-oriented, educational and informative activities such as the organisation of the International Conference and Fair “Balkan Clean Energy Transition” in 2019, the co-organisation of the annual Greek Biomass Day in the last 4 years, the contribution to the establishment and development of the Greek Bioeconomy Forum and numerous events at local, regional and national level.
7 years of recognition at European level with the creation of a wide cooperation network throughout the continent and the participation and representation of CluBE in various networks and organisations such as the European Bioeconomy Stakeholders Panel, the European Circular Economy Stakeholder Platform, the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance and the Hydrogen Valleys Partnership, the Biobased Industries Consortium, Greenovate! Europe, etc.
After 7 years, CluBE is now one of the most important and prestigious regional innovation clusters in the field of bioeconomy in SE Europe. And while most people celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14, we also celebrate these 7 years of hard work and faith in the vision that cooperation brings growth. As Henry Ford once quoted; “Coming together is the beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.”
All of us at CluBE, we are committed in the coming years to continuing to research, create and implement innovative development proposals and projects. We are committed to continue our efforts for collaboration, cooperation and synergies. We are committed to strengthening all those efforts for the transition of Western Macedonia to a greener and better tomorrow.
* Yannis Fallas and Nikos Ntavos, co-founders of the Cluster of Bioeconomy and Environment of Western Macedonia.