As radical innovations are having a profound impact globallyon the macroeconomic environment, the Region of Central Macedonia is monitoringclosely following the developments, trends and variables that favour or affect it or negatively affecting its development.
Institutions and executives from the private and public sector have explored through a participatory and dynamic process (Thematic Participatory Workshop) the variables that will the innovation and entrepreneurship environment of the region with time horizon 2030, identified their dynamics and evaluated their interaction. The findings provided input to the working group for the development of four scenarios that will define the future of innovation in the region of Central Macedonia in the coming decade. These scenarios identified
the development of a proposal of three strategic axes, developing in a stepwise manner in three different periods, which will strengthen the resilience of the region and prepare it to face the conditions in these four futures.

The study is available in Greek.

The project concerns the operation of the One Stop Liaison Office Mechanism of the Regional Authority, the development of digital tools aiming to support the regional ecosystem, while at the same time monitoring and evaluating the Smart Specialization Strategy.

One Stop Liaison Office Operation
Horizon Scanning (Greek)
Innovation 2030 (Greek)
RIS3 Strategy Monitoring
RIS3 Strategy Evaluation
Updating the RIS3 Strategy 2021-2027

The project is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund

Megatrends 2040 was a project of Hellenic Republic-Presidency of the Government Special Secretariat of Foresight.

The secondary research conducted, initially revealed about twenty megatrends and trends, often cited in published academic papers, foresight books, reputable strategic studies, in the media, and especially in The Megatrends Hub of the JRC . Seven of these Megatrends, with a significant impact on the European and global economy, society and policies, have been selected.

Many of the megatrends presented here, are found in the European Commission’s Megatrends Hub or other sources of recognised standing in procedures of Horizon Scanning. In addition, the simple method of the Futures Wheel, which can be used by public institutions as a first step in understanding the interconnection of upcoming changes and challenges, is set out in Annex I (Glenn, 2009) . 

The analysis identified global challenges such as climate change, potential financial crises, pandemics and implications of exponential technological developments. These challenges (eg.Covid19) -often not directly dependent on the human factor- will bring about extensive pressure and significant impact on countries and societies. The effects of climate change and environmental degradation are likely to affect food and water availability for poor countries, intensify migration, cause new health challenges and contribute to biodiversity loss. New technologies will emerge and will spread faster, disrupting the economy, the labour market, society itself and the citizen’s position in it. The continuing effects of climate change exacerbate inequalities and intensify the phenomenon of climate migration globally, creating constantly new problems in both the countries of origin and of destination. The above challenges, if combined, will in turn affect other parameters, with implications that are extremely difficult to assess.

The study concerns the development of 4 Scenarios for 2040, for 5 Balkan cities: Thessaloniki, Nicosia, Skopje, Sofia, Tirana.

The research team identifies the factors that influence the development of these cities and highlights those that shape the urban future, identifying both the key challenges that cities will have to face and the forces they can proactively harness and build their desired future.

All scenarios present plausible future images of the above cities including references to their environmental status for 2040, as well as information on the specific air quality challenges.

The development of the scenarios took place in the framework of the European project AIRTHINGS (funded by the Interreg programme). It was implemented by a project team involving Helenos Consulting and the UNESCO Chair on Futures Research (ITE/PRAXI).

As a partner of the Eye of Europe Project, Helenos will implement its second pilot on Fashion Futuring, investigating potential links among objects, fiction, culture, and systems to understand how the values of the systems/societies can shape the future of fashion.

Date: 14/04/2025
Time: TBA
Location: MOMus- Museum of Modern Art, Thessaloniki, Greece
Format: In-person
Audience: Domain Experts


Context
Have you ever wondered why people in Ancient Egypt (3100-30 BCE) wore hair wigs? Or why samurai have been associated with kimonos, while feminine full skirts are linked with the post-war America of the ‘50s? There are numerous examples of fashion items that represent specific periods and places. But what does that signify? In ancient Egypt, men wearing hair wigs was considered an honor and a symbol of equalization to women, as women were regarded as wise and sacred.

Similarly, in Tokugawa Japan (1603 – 1868), when samurai lived, clothing indicated one’s rank and role within the highly structured feudal society, while in post-war America, fashion was influenced by the idealized image of the suburban family, emphasizing domesticity and traditional gender roles. The common space of all three examples is that - throughout the centuries - fashion has served people and societies as a way of self-expression, a sign of social status, also revealing the prevailing social norms and beliefs.

Today, our highly complex and uncertain world requires strategic tools that will help us create new sustainable development trajectories. Fashion not only reveals unique and collective identities, norms, and ethics but is also associated with environmental issues. It is one of the largest pollutant industries, prompting a shift in the way we produce and consume fashion items. How might the climate crisis change our attitudes, and how does this impact the fashion industry?


What is Fashion Futuring?
Fashion Futuring is an innovative approach that investigates potential links among objects, fiction, culture, and systems to understand how the values of the systems/societies can shape the future of fashion. It suggests a significant shift in the future of fashion approach, moving away from short-term trends and financial forecasting as primary factors for fashion production, towards sustainable, more humane means of fashion producing and consuming.


The pilot
The upcoming pilot in April is targeted towards domain experts in fashion & foresight. The workshop consists of a 7-stage methodology based on Garcia (2023), where participants will be encouraged to share their personal experiences and values, co-create a fictional future, and work together to design a fictional fashion item based on this future. The workshop will utilize various foresight methods, primarily core design, what-if scenario development, and strategic thinking.

That will be the second pilot in Fashion Futuring implemented by Helenos. The first pilot was held in January 2025 in Thessaloniki, involving local citizens. This upcoming workshop aims to contribute to a collective knowledge pool, helping to create a comprehensive understanding of the future of fashion and sustainability.

This workshop will be implemented in English.

For more information, please contact the following emails: 

stavros.mantzanakis@helenosconsulting.eu (Stavros Mantzanakis)

eliza.savvopoulou@helenosconsulting.eu (Eliza Savvopoulou)

Doiran ecosystem as a part of Natura 2000 (GR 123 0003) protected areas is located in the border between Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia, and constitutes a rich and invaluable area for the wetland in terms of natural beauty and developmental perspective.

Local and peripheral organizations have been closely working together for years as the lake requires close and structured collaboration in order to effectively face and address common problems and challenges such as:

Taking measures for the vital protection of the ecosystem
The lack of a strategic plan and stable mechanism for managing the ecosystem has caused serious problems as:
a) physical and chemical water elements are only periodically checked by third parties

b) Risk management is not organized and proactive process

c) The collaboration between the two countries becomes difficult and ineffective.

Taking measures for the compliance of Greece and the Republic of North Macedonia to the European law in order to conform to the conditions and entry processes to the EU.
The co-management of the lake so far is based in incomplete and nonrecurring actions
The protection and management plan of the lake should be based on mutual values and principles adopted by local associations
There is no technical infrastructure for the protection, management, and development of the ecosystem
The exploitation of natural resources can contribute to a great extent to the local development attracting more visitors and enhancing agricultural (traditional products) and cultural inheritance.

The main objectives are related to:
a) The organizations-associations- comprising the most important statutory parties in the implementation of environmental protection strategies and biodiversity as well as sustainable development;

b)A new, mutual and organized framework, structures and infrastructures defining stable collaboration principles to enhance environmental and socioeconomic competitiveness in the specific area.

c)Short-term and long-term benefits of the projects for the residents.

d) Development of an entrepreneurial mentality towards sustainable activities supporting an eco-friendly culture, exploiting the natural resources and the opportunities that the area offers.

e) Raising awareness in environmental issues and encourangement of a more responsible future generation.

As a partner of the Eye of Europe Project, Helenos will implement its first pilot on Fashion Futuring, investigating potential links among objects, fiction, culture, and systems to understand how the values of the systems/societies can shape the future of fashion.

Date: 20/01/2025

Time: 12.00-16.00 (local-Athens time)

Location: MOMus- Museum of Modern Art, Thessaloniki, Greece

Format: In-person

Audience: Regional stakeholders and citizens 

Context

Have you ever wondered why people in Ancient Egypt (3100-30 BCE) wore hair wigs? Or why samurai have been associated with kimonos, while feminine full skirts are linked with the post-war America of the ‘50s? There are numerous examples of fashion items that represent specific periods and places. But what does that signify? In ancient Egypt, men wearing hair wigs was considered an honor and a symbol of equalization to women, as women were regarded as wise and sacred.  

Similarly, in Tokugawa Japan (1603 – 1868), when samurai lived, clothing indicated one’s rank and role within the highly structured feudal society, while in post-war America, fashion was influenced by the idealized image of the suburban family, emphasizing domesticity and traditional gender roles. The common space of all three examples is that - throughout the centuries - fashion has served people and societies as a way of self-expression, a sign of social status, also revealing the prevailing social norms and beliefs. 

Today, our highly complex and uncertain world requires strategic tools that will help us create new sustainable development trajectories. Fashion not only reveals unique and collective identities, norms, and ethics but is also associated with environmental issues. It is one of the largest pollutant industries, prompting a shift in the way we produce and consume fashion items. How might the climate crisis change our attitudes, and how does this impact the fashion industry? 

What is Fashion Futuring?

Fashion Futuring is an innovative approach that investigates potential links among objects, fiction, culture, and systems to understand how the values of the systems/societies can shape the future of fashion. It suggests a significant shift in the future of fashion approach, moving away from short-term trends and financial forecasting as primary factors for fashion production, towards sustainable, more humane means of fashion producing and consuming. 

The pilot

The upcoming pilot at the beginning of the next year is targeted towards regional stakeholders in Greece, such as citizens, CCI regional firms, and experts from academia and market and regional policy-makers. The workshop consists of a 7-stage methodology based on Garcia (2023), where participants will be encouraged to share their personal experiences and values, co-create a fictional future, and work together to design a fictional fashion item based on this future. The workshop will utilize various foresight methods, primarily core design, what-if scenario development, and strategic thinking.

In the spring of 2025, Helenos Consulting will organize a second pilot on the same topic, focussing on a different audience of international and national Fashion, Textile, and foresight experts, to grasp a holistic image of the topic. 

This workshop will be implemented in Greek with citizens and other local stakeholders from Thessaloniki.

What will Europe look like in 2040? How will we travel, how will our society be organised, how will our schools function and what kind of jobs will people have? These are just some of the questions we have been asking Europeans to reflect on as part of the #OurFutures project launched by the EU Policy Lab. Through it, we collect EU citizens' images through a narrative inquiry method.

We recently did this in Greece, in close collaboration with foresight experts in the Greek government by reaching out to Greek citizens to gain insights into how people in this part of Europe would like the future to look like.

We have spoken to Epaminondas Christophilopoulos (UNESCO chair on Futures research at the Foundation for Research and Technology) and Vivian Efthimiopoulou (communication expert), focusing on some of their findings which demonstrate the value of citizen-generated future images for developing people-centric policies at both national and EU level.