Industry centre stage again

Both the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece’s new management team and its new focus on interventionist steps will increasingly place the Federation's members in a central role.

That is because our aim is for the Federation to continue the work of the outgoing management team and:

1. to increasingly contribute to development of the region by pursuing specific objectives, in order to provide prospects for growth to its members;

2. to monitor developments in the global business environment to be able to support its members’ strategic choices, and

3. to work constantly and to the maximum of its ability to promote its members’ interests overall.

That is why we consider the Federation's strategy should focus on five priorities over the following period:

1. Expanding the Federation's range and its involvement in decision-making bodies (ministries, regions, development organisations);

2. Improving the business environment in which businesses in northern Greece operate and resolving the day-to-day problems faced by members;

3. Further strengthening the Federation’s presence in the region and promoting regional development;

4. Reinforcing the social role of the Federation as a socially responsible body; and

5. Helping businesses to take a more outward-looking, international approach.

We believe the Federation's strategy can be implemented by:

1. taking collective action,

2. having an outward-looking approach and

3. bringing together various views.

The common denominator in the above is more focus on members, especially during the current period of economic crisis.
At a time when our members have problems, we will be closer to them than ever so that they can get through the crisis with the fewest possible losses. It is the very best we can do, given that no-one can predict when the crisis will end.

In Greece in particular, the global economic crisis has highlighted problems in the manufacturing sector and above all the lack of government policy for industry for at least the last decade. It is now clear to all that industrial activity is not a priority of the government's economic policy, and was not a priority of past governments either.
Given the current crisis, all of us need to demand the position that industry deserves since, over the years, it has made major contributions to the development of Greece, and especially northern Greece. If we all rally together and put forward proposals about realistic measures in order to take us out the crisis, and ones that can be immediately implemented, we can be sure that this will lead the State to adopt policies to emphasise the role of industry in regional development and will assist it to overcome the impact of the global economic crisis.

Only thus will we be able to lay the foundations for regional development which northern Greece so badly needs.

Only thus will we be able to safeguard the economy and businesses and prevent adverse situations such as the closure of many businesses and the consequent rise in unemployment.

That is why the Federation is proposing an indirect sectoral policy to support dynamic manufacturing sectors and, if feasible, vulnerable sectors too (such as agricultural products) while at the same time emphasising the comparative advantages of various areas and regions of Greece - as is the case with such policies in many other European countries like France (Industrial Competitiveness Poles) - and financing Greece's production base in sectors where financial support is really needed.

It is time to put industry centre stage again and that is why we propose it should be given priority in Greece.

As Chairman, I would like to thank the businesses which are members of the Federation that have placed their trust in me as the representative of industry for the next two years. I hope to vindicate them and to contribute towards making industry the centre of focus in development policy once more.


Previous President's Messages

Proposals for avoiding the financial crisis

Bold decision-making for avoiding the financial crisis

Prospects for growth in Northern Greece in an environment of international crisis

Investment Law and Northern Greece

The market of izmir: the next goal for outward-looking enterprises of northern greece

The new government’s aspirations for thessaloniki and northern greece: fing’s proposals for development

Thessaloniki and Northern Greece in International Markets

Regional development policy as an engine for local industrial development

Global orientation, productivity and realistic management of the National Strategic Development Plan (NSDP). The challenges for 2007

Investment Law and Northern Greece

The new legislative framework for research and technology in Greece: a government nod of approval for the proposals made by the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece (FING)

Thessaloniki has the potential to become the second pole of development for Greece and the headquarters for development organizations nationwide

Changing attitudes to combat unemployment – Proposals for creating closer links between education and production

Support for the Regions: From now on, policy actions and not just policy announcements

The business community – a force for social cohesion in Northern Greece