The Final Conference of the project “Business ecosystem as an integrated system” was successfully completed

The final conference of the project “Business Ecosystem as an Integrated System” – Be In, which was attended by more than 50 guests, was successfully held on November 17, 2023 at Hotel Sirius in Strumica.

In the first part of the conference, we had the honor to hear the welcoming words of the State Secretary of the Ministry of Local Self-Government, Mr. Kiril Partalov, the President of the Council for the Development of the South-East Planning Region, Mr. Slave Andonov, the Head of the General Directorate for Internal organization and operations, Region of Central Macedonia in Greece, Mr. Michailides Constantinos, as well as the Director of the Centre for Development of the South-East Planning Region, Mr. Gjoko Kamchev.

In the second part of the conference, the results, the specific activities implemented in the project, as well as its significance for the creation of an integrated business ecosystem were presented. An analysis of the results of research conducted on both sides of the border, which referred to the workforce and entrepreneurial capacities of SMEs and the significance of startup businesses and their impact on economic growth and employment were also presented.

Apart from the official part, the opportunity to collaborate and exchange ideas between the business community, experts, young entrepreneurs and other stakeholders was of great importance. The guests had the opportunity to expand their networks, creating lasting connections with colleagues, partners and experts in different areas of business, but also through conversation and discussions to come up with concrete solutions to improve the business ecosystem in the South-East planning region.

Although the Final Conference marked the completion of the  project “Business Ecosystem as an Integrated System”, the Centre remains committed to working on new activities and projects that will continue to develop entrepreneurial activity in the region.

The project was implemented for about two years, and it is financed by the National Funds of the participating countries and the European Union through the Interreg IPA Programme for cross-border cooperation between Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia.

 

A new President of the Council for the Development of the South-East Planning Region was elected

On November 10, 2023, the XX Session of the Council for the Development of the South-East Planning Region was held in the municipality of Strumica, which was attended by the mayors of the ten municipalities in the region, the director and representatives of the D Centre for Development of the South-East Planning Region.

At this session, the mayor of the municipality of Vasilevo, Mr. Slave Andonov, was elected as the president of the Council for the Development of the South-East Planning Region, who will preside for a term of one year.

Assuming the role of President of the council, Mr. Andonov thanked his fellow mayors for their trust and emphasized that priority should be given to regional projects that will create lasting solutions for a better quality of life in rural areas in addition to urban areas.

At the session of the council, decisions were accepted on the handover of five successfully completed projects within the framework of the Program for balanced regional development with indicative funds for the period 2022/2023:

-Handover of a trim track in municipality of Bosilovo, within the project “Tourism – the future of the region”.

– Delivery of a bicycle path and appropriate equipment in the municipality of Dojran, as part of the realization of the project “Tourism – the future of the region”.

– Handing over of a ring road in the municipality of Radovish, as part of the broad project “Tourism – the future of the region”.

-Handover of a constructed auxiliary building – a canopy in the House of Culture in Radovish municipality, included in the project “Cultural treasure – heritage for future generations”

These implemented projects represent significant progress in the field of tourism and cultural heritage as strategic aspects for the development of the South-East planning region and we hope that they will have a long-term positive effect on the quality of life for the local community and that they will contribute to increasing the attractiveness and quality of life in the municipalities in the South-East planning region.

TWO NEW FIRE FIGHTING VEHICLES FOR VALANDOVO AND GEVGELIJA

The Center for Development of the South-East Planning Region in the implementation of the project project “Early Fire Detection and Ranging for disaster prevention and management – eFIDAR”, procured two fire fighting vehicles for TPPE Valandovo and TPPE Gevgelija worth over 200,000 euros.

The small rescue truck will be for the use of TPPE – Gevgelija, and the vehicle or the first response pickup will be for the use of TPPE Valandovo.

In the meantime, a modification of the project was made, with which the Center received additional funds, and the procurement of a third firefighting vehicle, which will be intended for the TPPE – Strumica, is already in the process.

Such procurement of specialized vehicles will facilitate interventions on the ground, especially in dealing with forest fires, and will also increase the efficiency of all territorial firefighting units from the Southeast planning region.

With the new modification, three drones with sensor cameras will also be procured, which will be used for early detection and marking of fires in hard-to-reach places.

The project is financed by the European Union through the Interreg IPA Program for cross-border cooperation between Greece – R. N. Macedonia.

DELIVERY OF THE FOURTH FIRE-FIGHTING VEHICLE FOR THE MUNICIPALITY OF RADOVISH

In the context of the improvement of the fire-fighting facilities in the South-East planning region, the fourth fire-fighting vehicle was handed over to the municipality of Radovish, which has been specially modified and equipped to effectively deal with forest fires within the project “Early Fire Detection and Ranging for disaster prevention and management – eFIDAR”, financed by the EU through the cross-border cooperation program with Greece.

Thanks to Interreg IPA, the Program for cross-border cooperation between the Republic of Macedonia and Greece provided additional funds for the region, which resulted in the purchase of a new firefighting vehicle for the Firefighting Unit in the Municipality of Radovish.

The new vehicle is conceptualized as a pickup vehicle for access to certain locations with fires that cannot be reached with larger vehicles, the same model that is already used by the unit of Father Valandovo. These vehicles are specially designed for quick and efficient interventions in the field, with a special focus on forest fires that have recently caused great economic losses in the region.

The delivery of the new vehicle is part of the strategic initiative to improve the capacities of the territorial firefighting units. This significant establishment of resources will allow the firefighting units in Gevgelija, Strumica, Valandovo, and now also in Radovish, to be fully equipped and prepared for the challenges of dealing with fires.

With the introduction of the new vehicles, the citizens of Radovish and the surrounding municipalities can feel more secure and protected, and the region becomes ready for quick and efficient response in case of fires.

Final Conference in Thessaloniki within the project “Early Fire Detection and Ranging for disaster prevention”

On 07.12.2023 in Thessaloniki, Greece, the Final Conference was held within the project “Early Fire Detection and Ranging for disaster prevention and management – eFIDAR”, financed by the European Union through the Interreg IPA Program for cross-border cooperation between Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia. The organizer of the event was the Region of Western Macedonia, the leading partner in the project.

The purpose of the conference was to present the results and experiences gained by the project partners and stakeholders during the implementation of the project, united by the desire to share their experience and contribute to the improvement of the rescue and warning system against fires and disasters.

Project partners had the opportunity to share best practices and innovations, creating space for discussions and exchange of experiences. Each project partner, including the Centre for development of SEPR, had the opportunity to present their experience and the results of the successful implementation of the project, with a focus on how new technologies and trainings affect their operational capacities and how they exert a positive effect on the protection and safety of citizens.

In the final part of the conference, the partners discussed future cooperation and the continuation of activities that will have an impact on security in the region, emphasized the need for current and future efforts and investments that will lead to the improvement of rescue and disaster management capacities. The sharing of experiences and knowledge created a lasting basis for improving capabilities and prevention in the cross-border region.

After the end of the Conference, the Director of the Center for Development of SEPR presented the partners from the Region of Western Macedonia with a plaque for the long-term cooperation and for a special contribution to the development of the region on the occasion of 15 years of existence of the Center for Development of SEPR.

Joint Training for Early Detection and Dealing with Fires in Thessaloniki

In the period from 05.12.2023 to 06.12.2023, Joint Training for early detection and handling of fires was successfully held in Thessaloniki within the framework of the project “Early Fire Detection and Ranging for disaster prevention and management – eFIDAR”, financed by The European Union through the Interreg IPA Program for cross-border cooperation between Greece and R. North Macedonia.

The training aimed to train firefighters from our regional units, representatives from the Crisis Management Center and the Directorate of Protection and Rescue, as well as other operational teams on the use of new technologies in the early detection and management of fires with the help of drone management. During the training, the participants got the opportunity to train their skills and get acquainted with the latest technological achievements in the field of disaster prevention and management. Drones were also used practically to detect fires and create control missions, which increased the efficiency of operational teams.

Topics covered in the training included:

Using drones for early fire detection

Creating drone management missions

Procedures for effective fire and disaster management

Establishing cross-border partnerships and cooperation

Participants gained significant knowledge and skills that will improve their capacities to predict, deal with and minimize the consequences of fires. This training is not just a one-time activity, but part of a long-term strategy for building capacities and improving cooperation between countries in the region in order to support the advancement of protection and rescue in the cross-border area.

The activity is co-financed by the European Union and the national funds of the participating countries.

The municipalities in the South-Еast region have been assigned with drones for fire detection

The South-East Planning Region Development Center, as part of the eFIDAR project in its efforts to improve forest fire response, has acquired three specialized drones with a thermal camera for the early detection of fires with spare batteries from the manufacturer DJI Model: Mavic 3 Thermal for TPPE Strumica, Gevgelija and Radovish.

In order to successfully manage these drones and collect information accordingly, the Center organized a two-day joint training program for all stakeholders, including the representatives of the four TPPEs from the region, representatives from the Crisis Management Center, as well as the Directorate for Protection and Rescue. This innovative training will enable stakeholders to use drones as a powerful tool for early detection and real-time monitoring of fires.

The training included gaining practical knowledge of operating drones, technical aspects of their operation, and the use of specialized cameras and smoke detection sensors. Participants will learn how to use drones to quickly locate fires, which will allow them to react in time and prevent their spread.

This training not only improves the capacities to fight forest fires but also contributes to the greater safety of the local community and the environment.

Drone training is just one part of the eFIDAR project’s broad approach to improving response to natural disasters and hazards. With this innovative technology and training, the region is preparing for more effective forest fire prevention and management. These three drones were officially handed over to the three mayors of the municipalities of Strumica, Gevgelija and Radovish on November 10th, within the framework of the training itself, for the needs of the three Territorial firefighting units. While TPPE Valandovo through another project has already received such a drone and it is used in the detection and marking of fires.

The project is co-financed by the European Union and the national funds of the participating countries.

A new firefighting vehicle was awarded to the municipality of Strumica

The Center for the Development of the South-East Planning Region within the project “Early Fire Detection And Ranging for disaster prevention and management – eFIDAR” has successfully completed the procurement of a specialized firefighting vehicle – a small firefighting truck for the needs of the Territorial Firefighting Unit – Strumica.

On November 10th, TPPE Strumica received a specialized small truck for extinguishing forest fires and rescue in order to cover the needs of the municipality of Strumica, as well as the rural municipalities of the Strumica micro region, including the municipalities of Bosilovo, Vasilevo and Novo Selo. The new specialized fire fighting vehicle was successfully procured and handed over to the municipality of Strumica for use and maintenance for the needs of TPPE Strumica in a timely manner and according to the plan. The total value of the vehicle is 107,000.00 euros.

This procurement significantly improves the capacity of the Territorial Fire Fighting Unit in Strumica and will facilitate field interventions, especially when dealing with forest fires, which in recent years have caused serious economic damage, even human casualties in the region.

The new firefighting vehicle will enable better preparedness for prevention and dealing with disasters, ensuring a regional, quick and efficient response to possible disasters in the fight to protect the environment and the safety of citizens in the region.

Through this project, specialized firefighting vehicles have already been procured for TPPE Valandovo and TPPE Gevgelija, and by the end of the project it is planned that TPPE Radovish will also receive its own vehicle, with which the entire Southeast region will be fully equipped.

The project is co-financed by the European Union and the national funds of the participating countries.

SMART equipment in the municipality of Dojran

Within the framework of the project “Tourism – the future of the region!”, the Centre for Development of the South-East Planning Region procured SMART equipment for the municipality of Dojran.

Purchased and installed were charger for electric cars, 20 E-bikes with smart locks and two city information LCD boards (information totems). Wireless equipment for wireless hot spot internet connection has been installed in the central part of Star Dojran.

With the installation of the charger for electric cars, Dojran as a tourist destination will be accessible to tourists who use electric cars as a means of transportation.

Informational LCD boards are placed in two very prominent locations and contain useful information about what is happening in Dojran, what Dojran has to offer. In order to experience Dojran 20 e-Bikes will be used for organized tourist in a new and different way by renting and riding an electric bicycle, where, in addition to riding along the pedestrian-recreational path along the lake, locals and tourists will be able to they also discover the hill beauties that have been difficult to access until now due to the terrain, to visit Ferdinand’s fountain and to ride an electric bicycle along the path of the First World War.

Previously, within the framework of this same project, the hilly bike path of the Front Line was marked, leveled and expanded up to 16 km in length, starting from Nov Dojran and going all the way to Lake Paljurci.

With the SMART equipment, Dojran gets new contents and a new modern image to attract a larger number of tourists, it gets closer to modern tourist sites and is in step with the new modern times in creating a Smart City (SMART CITY).

This activity is financed by the Bureau for Regional Development through the Program for Balanced Regional Development 2022-2023, and is implemented by Centre for development of the South-East Planning Region in partnership with the Municipality of Dojran.

Photovoltaic power plants installed in the “Energy Efficient Region” project

The second promotional event in the “Energy Efficient Region” project was held in Radovish, project implemented by the Centre for development of the South-East planning region, and financially supported by the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Swiss Government. Municipalities of Radovish, Konche and Vasilevo also participate with their own funds.

Activities implemented so far were presented and the event was attended by the Minister of Local Self-Government in the Government of R. S. Macedonia, the mayors of Radovish and Konche municipalities, the director of the Centre for development of the South-East planning region and representatives from the project office of the project “Sustainable and Inclusive Balanced Regional Development”.

With the implementation of the project, on the one hand, the municipalities of Radovish, Konche and Vasilevo will have a great benefit in terms of saving electricity consumption, and on the other hand, the citizens will also benefit from the increased investments in infrastructure projects which will lead to increased economic development.

– “I hope that all national and international institutions will recognize the benefits of these projects and will finance other similar projects in the future, which will enable easier functioning and easier sustainability of the municipalities and municipal institutions in the region” – emphasized the director of the Centre, Mr. Gjoko Kamchev.

It is expected that by the end of November this year, the photovoltaic power plants of the two facilities in Radovish will be completely installed, after which the development of software for energy monitoring will follow, and trainings for the use of the system are planned, intended for representatives of the three partner municipalities.