Agreement signed for new project “Technical documentation: E-chargers for electric vehicles”

The Director of the Centre for Development of the South-East Planning Region, Mr. Gjoko Kamchev, signed an agreement for the project “E-Chargers for Electric Vehicles: Technical Documentation” which will be financed by the Fund for Technical Documentation through the First Call from UNDP for financing technical documentation for infrastructure projects. The project was evaluated as the best, with a total of 97 points within the call for which 69 applicants were registered, of which only 13 projects will be financed.

The goal of the project is to provide detailed technical documentation for the successful installation of 20 e-vehicle charging stations in all 10 municipalities in the South-East planning region with a focus on attracting as many tourists as possible to the region to make it attractive for tourists who bypass our region.

This successful initiative represents a significant step forward in supporting infrastructure projects in the region and is a good example of cooperation between the public and private sectors, as well as between international and local partners. Considering the long-term advantages for municipalities and residents, we believe that this project will contribute to the development and modernization of the region, creating a special attraction for tourists, improving regional tourism potential and economic growth.

In addition to the main goal of the event, future activities of the Technical Documentation Fund were also discussed on this occasion. We tried to highlight the research on the institutionalization of the fund as a permanent mechanism for financial and technical support for local governments in the preparation of high-quality technical documentation and management of construction projects in a municipal context.

The official signing of the agreement was also attended by the Minister of Local Self-Government, Mr. Risto Penov, Mr. Armen Grigoryan as a representative of UNDP, Mr. Ramiz Redzepi, Director of the Regional Development Bureau and Mr. Mikael Atterhog, Head of Development of the cooperation of Sweden.

Realized study visits, inspiration for new projects and challenges

In times of rapid change and global challenges, the development and support of entrepreneurial ecosystems is becoming essential for the development of the future of the South-East region.

The project “Business ecosystem as an integrated system” – Be In aims to explore, improve and strengthen business optimism and innovation in our region. Precisely in the direction of developing the entrepreneurial spirit and the integration of innovations as an inevitable step towards a better and sustainable future, two study visits to Barcelona and Amsterdam were realized within the framework of the project.

The Centre for Development of the South-East Planning Region had an incredible opportunity to look into the world of entrepreneurship and innovation and explore an integrated approach to business ecosystem development. These visits were an opportunity to explore the challenges and opportunities brought about by global trends.

In Barcelona, we experienced the innovative spirit and entrepreneurial initiatives that make this city one of the most influential innovation centers in Europe. The visit to Barcelona Activa and other innovative institutions enriched us with knowledge and showed us a new way of supporting startups and entrepreneurs by national institutions.

In Amsterdam, we filled these days with a visit to the AMS Startup Institute for Advanced Metropolitan Solutions, the Startup Village, as well as the Nemo Science Museum. At the Fem Startup Awards, we followed the latest trends in the field of entrepreneurship.

Study visits to Barcelona and Amsterdam allowed us to get to know successful entrepreneurial ecosystems and innovations in other regions of Europe. We got to know the ideas and practices used by successful incubators, startups and entrepreneurs and the possibility to adapt them in our business ecosystem.

Apart from successful practices, we had the opportunity to determine the shortcomings in our entrepreneurial world. We learned about the importance of constant cooperation and communication with other institutions and organizations to share experiences and knowledge, investments and support in innovation and entrepreneurship at the local level, developing programs and trainings for young entrepreneurs and startups.

In order to apply the benefits of study visits, we are ready to make partnerships with relevant structures, turn ideas into projects and support young entrepreneurs and innovators. The work ahead is challenging, but we believe that with the right strategy and engagement, we can improve our business ecosystem and become part of the global entrepreneurial community.

The project is financed by the European Union and the National Funds of the participating countries through the Interreg IPA Program for cross-border cooperation between Greece – R. Macedonia 2014-2020.

The first forum session for the implementation of regional projects was held

On October 27, 2023, with the holding of the First Forum Session, the Centre for the Development of the South-East Planning Region began the implementation of Regional Forums in the community in order to prepare projects under the Program for Balanced Regional Development for 2024 of the Bureau for Regional Development.

At the forum session, participants from different categories from the 10 municipalities of the South-Easte planning region were present and they actively participated in determining the priority areas in which they intervene, in identifying the problems and proposing solutions that will enable the improvement of the conditions for the life of the population in the South-East region.

The priority areas that received the most votes from the forum participants were the following:

Transport and infrastructure and
Economy and tourism.
Based on the identified problems, through their analysis and elaboration, conceptual solutions will be developed in the coming period. They will further be presented to the Council for the Development of the South-East Planning Region, as well as to the present participants of the second forum session, which is planned to be held at the end of November 2023.

The regional community forums in the South-East planning region are financially supported by the Ministry of Local Self-Government and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation through the project “Sustainable and Inclusive Balanced Regional Development – Phase 2”.

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.