Requests planning from the beginning requests the “Audience of Epirotians” for the Research Park

The Regional Authority of Al. is calling on the Regional Authority of Al. Kahrimanis, the “Public of Epirot” faction with its announcement a few hours after the decision of the Regional Committee to activate plan b with the unknown company GERAX IKE.

As stated in an announcement by the “Public of Epirus”, the Region of Epirus, in order to proceed with the construction and operation of the High Research and Technology Park, decided by a majority at the meeting of 22-4-2024 of the Regional Committee to proceed with an assignment process, after the barren process of the tender that had been announced. The award process concerns IKE “GERAX” which did not participate in the tender process but sent a letter of interest to the Region of Epirus to undertake the project. The company in question has a share capital of just five thousand euros, it was founded in 2021 and to this day has no activity, since it has no turnover. “The future of the project is uncertain and in any case it is not what we want for Epirus and modern needs require. Even if it goes ahead, it binds the region to an outdated and failed infrastructure rental development model” the statement says and the faction reminds that it has been repeatedly positioned on the issue of the construction of the High Technology and Research Park of the Epirus Region, for the lack of proper planning .

The announcement continues: “We consider that the PA’s choices were in the wrong direction from the beginning, there was no prior meaningful dialogue with the University of Ioannina, the productive bodies, the scientific chambers, the research groups or the civil society. The result was that the needs, the goals, the social and environmental benefit, but also how it will be constructed, were not clearly defined.

For the above reasons, we voted against the proposal for the assignment process to IKE “GERAX” and we call on the Regional Authority to stop the process and raise the issue of the creation of a dynamic ecosystem of research, technology and innovation, in an organized discussion framework.

The Region of Epirus signed in April 2024 a memorandum of cooperation with the University of Ioannina and the ITE for the creation of a Support Structure for the Research and Innovation Ecosystem in the Region of Epirus. Thus, the faction of G. Stefos proposes, based on this cooperation, to expand the Research and Innovation Ecosystem Support Structure in the Region of Epirus with the participation of other bodies, such as scientific and professional chambers, municipalities of Epirus, productive bodies, Social and Solidarity Economy. This particular structure, with its scientific proficiency, can redesign the project from scratch on a solid and sustainable basis.