Region of Western Greece: “The Western Greece Collection. Inspirations”
The Region of Western Greece (RWG) is a second level local government. It represents an area of around 700.000 inhabitants, divided in 3 regional divisions (Ilia, Achaia and Aitoloakarnania) and 19 municipalities, while it produces about 5% of the total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
The Regional Authority of Western Greece counts more than 800 employees, spread in 22 Directorates and 2 Special Services: the Intermediate Managing Authority, which is responsible for the implementation of the Regional Operational Programme, and the Regional Development Fund, which is the funding body of it. The latter also has a special department for the implementation of European projects and other networking activities.
Among the strongest points of the Region of Western Greece are its Higher Education and Research Organizations, which have shown exceptionally important research and development (R&D) activities. In addition, the Region of Western Greece presents a medium to satisfactory percentage of innovative enterprises.
Western Greece is quickly becoming one of the top tourism destinations in Greece. The emergence new hotel units and new investments in the area have strengthened the local economy and are currently changing the overall profile of economic activity.
The Regional Operational Programme 2014-2020 of The Region of Western Greece has been structured according to 3 main priorities, due to the Smart Specialization Strategy:
- Agricultural development and food sector
- Culture and Tourism
- Microelectronics and advanced technology
