Access to financing, the development of agro-food, tourism, and linking research with local production dominated the discussion.
The cycle of events in Kalampaka continued on Thursday, October 15, 2026. RIS3 Innovation Cafés, With the realization of the local meeting at Café Aérino, as part of the activities of the Regional RIS3 Mechanism of Thessaly.
The goal of the RIS3 Innovation Cafés is to document the needs of entrepreneurs operating in the regional municipalities of Thessaly, so that the next calls of the «Thessaly» Program, with a total budget of 3.5 million euros, can be designed taking into account the real needs of local entrepreneurship.
During the meeting, important challenges facing the businesses of Kalampaka and the wider Meteora region were highlighted, with emphasis on access to financial instruments, diversifying the local economy, and effectively utilizing knowledge and innovation.
Difficulties in the participation of small businesses in financial programs
One of the key issues discussed was the limited participation of businesses from smaller municipalities in the funding calls of the Thessaly Region.
Special mention was made of the lack of available consultants to prepare investment proposals in areas outside the major urban centers, as well as the complexity of the submission procedures and information systems.
At the same time, the need for better adaptation of the financial instruments to the specific characteristics and capabilities of small businesses was highlighted, as was the importance of avoiding overlaps between different aid programs.
Tourism and the need to diversify the local economy
An important part of the discussion focused on the intense concentration of tourism activity in Kalampaka and Kastrakí, in contrast to other areas of the Municipality of Meteora, where agricultural production and other economic activities predominate.
The participants expressed concerns regarding the continuous growth of tourist accommodation, the seasonality of demand, and the need to explore the long-term prospects of the tourism sector.
At the same time, the importance of strengthening other productive activities was emphasized so that the local economy can utilize more development opportunities and not depend solely on tourism.
Strengthening agricultural food production and promoting local products
Special emphasis was placed on the development potential of the primary sector and the processing of agri-food products in the wider region.
The discussion highlighted the need to create a stronger local identity for agricultural products, leveraging the recognition of the Meteora region beyond the tourism sector.
The difficulties faced by small producers were also highlighted, as well as the possibilities for better linking local production with hospitality and catering businesses.
Strengthening cooperation between producers, processing companies and the tourism sector has emerged as an important field for developing new business opportunities and better utilizing local products.
The investigation must reach the businesses and producers
A separate point of interest was the discussion about transferring knowledge and research results from universities to local businesses.
As noted, despite the significant research activity being developed in the Thessaly Region, there is still a gap between the results of the research and their utilization by small businesses and producers.
In this context, the adoption of more targeted and practical forms of information and networking was proposed, with small groups of interested parties, personal communication, presentations of specific applications, and organized visits to research laboratories.
A characteristic example was mentioned as a previous initiative to inform beekeepers and have them visit a university laboratory, where they had the opportunity to get acquainted closely with research applications related to their activity.
This approach has emerged as a practical way to strengthen trust between the research and production communities and facilitate the adoption of innovative solutions.
From dialogue to meaningful collaborations
During the discussion, the need to strengthen cooperation between small businesses, producers and professional organizations was also highlighted, as were the difficulties that collective business initiatives often face.
Special importance was attached to the development of collaborations with practical objectives and clear benefits for the participants, so that they can be maintained after the completion of individual actions or funding programs.
The issues highlighted in Kalampaka provide a useful basis for further specializing the actions of the Regional RIS3 Thessaly Mechanism and for a more effective approach to the local business community.
The RIS3 Innovation Cafés continue throughout Thessaly, creating an open channel of communication with local communities, aiming to document needs, challenges and proposals and better connect them with the regional innovation ecosystem.
We listen. We connect. We innovate. We move forward.
RIS3 Innovation Cafés – a dialogue that travels throughout Thessaly.
