At the scientific conference on «The contribution of the island economy from 1821 to the present day» held on November 11, 2021, by the Chamber of Commerce Group for the Development of the Greek Islands, was attended by Deputy Regional Governor of the Islands, Vasiliki Theodorakopoulou-Bogri.
The aim of the conference was to A historical overview of the emblematic figures of the island economy, focusing on their actions during the revolution and later during the years of national reconstruction that followed. Through the coexistence of all relevant actors, the aim was to open a constructive dialogue to find solutions to the long-standing problems of island entrepreneurship, with particular emphasis on formulating a unified national strategy for exploiting the potential of insularity.
The committee responsible for supervising the conference proceedings included professors and scientists from universities across the country, chaired by Mr. Koto Angelos, Rector of the University of Piraeus.
In her greeting, The Deputy Regional Governor referred to the contribution of the island economy to the development of the Greek State., emphasizing that it was the islanders who created the new powerful merchant navy before the revolution. By offering their wealth to the struggle, they transformed a country in decline into a powerful maritime force. In the years that followed, the islanders played a leading role not only in shipping but also in other sectors of the economy, such as agriculture, mining, tourism, etc. Therefore, Historically, the driving force behind the domestic economy has been based on the model of extroverted growth of the islands.. We could follow this example fruitfully the day after pandemic.
In closing, he referred to the tough battle being fought by the Region of Attica for the development of the islands within its jurisdiction and for the improvement of the lives of their inhabitants, announcing that For the first time, the new Attica Regional Operational Program (ROP) 2021-2027 will fund OCE actions for the islands., because we believe that the islands can become the driving force behind growth throughout Greece.
