“Innovative Business Information and Support services for young entrepreneurs in Herbs production and Eco-Tourism” had a special dedicated event at the HELEXPO in Thessaloniki, on the morning of Thursday, June 22, 2023.

The event was prefaced by the Director General of DEPAN, Mr. Vasilios Koutsioris, who briefly presented the goals of the program, the creation of a business network in the cross-border region of Greece and Bulgaria that will design and implement an innovative business model with the aim of promoting business culture and the creation of conditions for the mobilization of young people for business activity in the cross-border area.

Participants were the Director of the University Research and Innovation Center for Sustainable Development and Circular Economy of DIPAE, Dimitrios Aidonis, the Vice-President of Research and Lifelong Education and President of ELKE/DIPAE, Stamatios Angelopoulos and the Director of the Institute of Bioeconomy and Agricultural Technology EKETA, Dionysios Bochtis. The guests discussed topics on young entrepreneurs, aromatic plants, herbs and the circular economy. They highlighted the need for training and counseling of young entrepreneurs and the potential for new methods and promotion of benefits.
The event was attended by prospective trainers, students, members of the academic community, business executives, entrepreneurs from the field of herbs and aromatic plants. A particularly lively and constructive discussion followed about the possibilities of entrepreneurship development and the creation of policies to strengthen the rural economy for young people.
The speakers recognized that educational initiatives such as those developed under the FLOREO Program have the potential to redefine the model of education and training of young people and young people with entrepreneurship, thus contributing to the creation of new paths of development and professional exit.