UniStart Hubs Public Awareness Event in Tripoli
On Wednesday, February 5, 2025, the 5th public awareness event of UniStart Hubs, titled "Tourism, Culture & Entrepreneurship: Prospects in Arcadia," was held at Senor Café in Tripoli. The event attracted great interest and active participation from entrepreneurs, tourism professionals, and representatives of the local community, providing an opportunity to explore new development prospects in the fields of tourism and culture in the region.
In his address, the Regional Governor of Peloponnese, Dimitris Ptochos, emphasized the importance of entrepreneurship and innovation for the future development of the region: "The Peloponnese has unique advantages, but to fully capitalize on them, we need a new approach to entrepreneurship and development. Productivity and competitiveness do not increase on their own – they require strategic decisions, investments, and, most importantly, a shift in mindset. Private initiative is the driving force that can accelerate growth and create opportunities for all. Through new structures such as the UniStart Hubs, the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center, and the Bioeconomy Hub, we provide the tools, knowledge, and resources to support those who want to invest in our region."
Following this, greetings were delivered by Mr. Christos Lampropoulos, Deputy Regional Governor, Mr. Athanasios Michellogonas, Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism, Mr. Athanasios Katsis, Rector of the University of the Peloponnese, Ms. Eleni Karountzou, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Tourism of the Municipality of Tripoli, and Mr. Giannis Sambrakos, President of the Tourism Department of the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce.
The first part of the event featured a panel discussion on the topic "The Role of the University and Local Government in Tourism Development." Under the moderation of Ms. Vasiliki Kremastioti, Adjunct Lecturer at the Department of Business and Organization Management (DEO) of the University of the Peloponnese, distinguished industry experts shared their insights. The panel included Eleni Zymi, Associate Professor at the University of the Peloponnese, Dimitra Kourmouli, Tourism Studies Educator and Coordinator of Wine Tourism Experiences in Messinia, Athanasios Michellogonas, Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism, and Vagia Panagiotidi, Postdoctoral Researcher and co-founder of BeeSTEAM Solutions. They discussed the opportunities emerging for the region through education, collaboration, and the effective utilization of available resources.
Next, a discussion titled "Unlocking Arcadia’s Potential: Culture and Tourism as Drivers of Business Innovation" took place, moderated by Dimitris Voulgaris, Coordinator of the UniStart Kalamata Hub. Renowned tourism professionals, including Stavros Kefalas, co-founder of Tourix, Ioannis Lagos, President of the Social Cooperative Enterprise Mainalon, and Kostas Tsioros, founder of Tsioros Travel, shared their experiences and highlighted practical solutions for the sustainable development of Arcadia through tourism and cultural initiatives.
The event concluded with a networking session, providing attendees with the opportunity to exchange ideas and proposals. The discussion emphasized the importance of collaboration among all stakeholders and innovation in promoting the region and creating sustainable business opportunities. This gathering laid the groundwork for future initiatives in tourism and entrepreneurship.
The event was coordinated by Mr. Dimitris Voulgaris, Coordinator of the UniStart Hub Kalamata.
The public information event was implemented as part of Subproject 1, "Organization and Operation of Structures," under the Action "Creation of Support Structures for Knowledge-Intensive Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Region of Peloponnese," co-funded by ESPA 2021-2027, MIS: 6004735.
