Two competence centres, among the first ones to operate in Greece, are established at the University of Western Macedonia after approval by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology.
One of them is the first Energy Competence Centre to operate in Greece as a spin-off company and the University of Western Macedonia is one of the twelve collaborating bodies. The aim of the spin-off is to support and promote the innovation, entrepreneurship and sustainability of enterprises that operate in the energy sector. The National Technical University of Athens holds a coordinating role, while the other participating bodies are the following: the University of Western Macedonia, the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems, DEPA Commercial SA, Motor Oil Hellas Corinth Refineries SA, MYTILINEOS SA, EYDAP SA, OASA SA, DANAOS Management Consultants SA, HYDRUS ENGINEERING LTD, Trikala Development Agency SA, National Observatory of Athens, Environmental Protection Engineering SA.
The second one is a Competence Centre for a Resilient and Sustainable Built Environment using Smart Technologies. Based in the University of Western Macedonia, with the participation of enterprises that operate in Western Macedonia in the construction and information technology sector, the operation of the Centre was funded with a total budget of 1,000,000.
The Competence Centres are entities of the public-private sector created to bridge the gap between demand and supply of specialized innovation services and technology transfer in one or more value chains. Their main goal is to strengthen integrated plans that possess the necessary infrastructure and expertise and aim to support innovation in sectors of the Greek economy, through the provision of specialized/innovative services/products and the transfer of technology to enterprises, especially the media.
University of Western Macedonia
