The project concerns the formulation of a long-term plan for the improvement and rationalization of the process of cultivation, processing and commercial exploitation of mastic with benefits for all parties involved (mastic producers and the local community, Chios Mastic Producers Association, etc.). More specifically, the project includes: a) the precise identification of the activities that constitute the value chain of mastic production and commercial exploitation, as well as the interconnections between them, b) the investigation of the opportunities that exist for improving the operation of each stage of the value chain, and c) the implementation of appropriate interventions and actions in this direction, with the aim of enhancing its competitive advantage.

The project produced a study on “Mapping the Value Chain of Mastic Cultivation, Production and Marketing” and the “Guide to Mastic Cultivation, Harvesting and Cleaning”, which is based on the codification of the available knowledge and identification of best practices through 17 in-depth interviews and a workshop with mastic producers. In addition, the upgrading of the mastic purity measurement system was carried out, utilizing a multi-color photogrammetry setup of mastic samples and image analysis with appropriate software that allows for quantitative quality assessment.

The primary objective of the research project is to document and assess the direct and indirect impact of IKY funding on young researchers, the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of scholarships and fellows from 2005 to 2018. This specific evaluation is part of the effort of the State Scholarships Foundation (IKY) to capture the role of scholarships over time in connecting its fellows with the international and Greek labor market.

The research produced indicators that relate to the characteristics of fellows for their education and professional career and development, the characteristics of the scholarships and research fields, and the general profile of IKY fellows. In particular, all the indicators listed are presented in the following sections:

• The profile of scholarships over time
• General characteristics (profile) of IKY scholars
• Educational profile of IKY scholars
• Professional career (work) profile
• Characteristics of the field (area) of research

In conclusion, the scholars appear to have a strong research and academic profile and to have broadened their professional horizons and skills such as methodical work style and time management. Furthermore, their current professional employment is reflected in large research and academic institutions in Greece and abroad, while low levels of unemployment appear among them.

In conclusion, this research focused its conclusions on 5 main axes and more specifically studied the basic characteristics of IKY scholarships and fellows, the education that IKY fellows receive before, after and during the support, the professional career with the completion of IKY funding support and the completion of their educational process and the field of research and activity of the fellows.

The project aims to study the Greek environment of cooperation between higher education institutions and businesses in the context of postgraduate and doctoral studies. Among other things, the development of postgraduate and doctoral studies in Greece over time will be analyzed, with emphasis on their interaction with Greek industry and the country’s business environment, as well as their connection with corresponding European initiatives and actions. The project will result in a mapping of the current situation regarding the cooperation between higher education institutions and businesses in the context of postgraduate and doctoral studies, as well as drawing conclusions regarding the actions that should be adopted to improve and expand this cooperation in this specific field.

The project scope includes the following deliverables:

Deliverable 1: The Greek environment of higher education and business cooperation in the context of Postgraduate Studies Programs.

• Key figures and the diachronic evolution of the Postgraduate Studies Program with particular emphasis on scientific fields directly related to industry (Industry 4.0)
• Institutional framework of cooperation, recent reforms, strengths and weaknesses, future challenges and expected developments
• Linking the Greek environment with European policies, actions and initiatives for the development and expansion of higher education and business cooperation in the context of Postgraduate Studies
• Case studies – examples of cooperation practices from the Greek environment
• Key conclusions on the Greek environment of higher education and business cooperation in the context of Postgraduate Studies (the importance of cooperation, critical factors for the development or limitation of cooperation, etc.) and proposals for the improvement/expansion of cooperation in this specific field.

Deliverable 2: The environment for undertaking and preparing a Doctoral Thesis in Greece: Institutional framework and basic figures with emphasis on the cooperation of universities and businesses in this direction.

• Brief historical review, diachronic development of doctoral studies in Greece with particular emphasis on the scientific fields most directly related to business activity and the challenges of Industry 4.0
• Existing institutional framework in general for doctoral studies and in particular for doctorates in collaboration or on request of a business
• Doctoral theses in collaboration with a business: current situation, problems, institutional/social obstacles, strengths and weaknesses, future challenges

Deliverable 3: The Greek environment for preparing Theses in collaboration with businesses: the case of the Industrial Doctorate of the Hellenic National Council for the Study of Industrial Economics and Business “Demokritos” and similar initiatives from the Greek environment.

• Connecting the Greek environment with European actions and initiatives for the development and expansion of cooperation between higher education and businesses in the context of doctoral studies
• The case of the Industrial Doctorate from the Hellenic National Research Council “Demokritos” and other examples of practical cooperation between higher education and businesses in the context of a doctoral thesis from the Greek environment
• Key conclusions on the Greek environment of cooperation between higher education and businesses in the context of the preparation of a doctoral thesis and proposals for the improvement/expansion of cooperation in this specific field.

The initial objective of the research process within the framework of the project under assignment is to capture the productive landscape of the domestic industry, in terms of productive ecosystems, as it has been shaped following the domestic fiscal crisis and the multi-year economic adjustment. This process is expected to highlight the current characteristics of the structure of the domestic industrial sector. The tool on which the recording of the current situation will be based is field research in ecosystem businesses in the industrial sector.

The quantitative indicators will include figures relating to production, employment, and exports. The performance to be evaluated will not be based on the most recent data, as, among other reasons, there is a risk of being affected by extreme values. The data that will be taken into account will concern a broader period, that since the outbreak of the domestic fiscal crisis in 2010 and during the years of the Economic Adjustment Programs, as for the most recent for which data is available. Ecosystems with a key role in Greek industry over time include, for example, Food – Beverages, Metallic and Non-Metallic Minerals, Pharmaceuticals and Health Products, Energy and the Environmental Industry. The purpose of this process is to highlight – select seven ecosystems from the industrial sector.

The project studies the following seven (7) ecosystems:

1. Metallic and Non-Metallic Minerals
2. Agri-Food Chain
3. Pharmaceuticals – Health
4. Energy – Environment
5. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)
6. Chemicals – Plastics
7. Creative Industries (Clothing, Footwear, Leather)

The aim of the research is to contribute to the formulation of a comprehensive package of prioritized and evidence-based proposals, focused on the exploitation of specific capabilities of the country in order to address specific problems and identified shortcomings of the domestic production and innovation system. These proposals are part of a development strategy of economic growth with innovation as the driving force (“innovation-led growth”) that can be implemented through an evidence-based system of policies for the combined promotion of research, innovation and knowledge-intensive entrepreneurship. In this way, this research aims to contribute to the general search for sources, activities and, above all, ways to launch a development trajectory of higher potential and higher quality content that will be based on innovation (innovation-based high potential growth) with the aim of strengthening the structural competitiveness of the Greek economy and upgrading the position of Greek production in the global division of labor. Thus, the country’s international competitiveness will not depend exclusively on the relatively low labor costs, but will be based mainly on the technological and organizational upgrading of the productive and business system, on the utilization of knowledge and the activation of a well-trained, educated and qualified human resource.

The proposed research, through its findings and conclusions, aspires to:

• To activate the necessary public debate and contribute to the awareness of the necessity for “a Greece that researches, innovates, creates and undertakes by utilizing knowledge, technology, innovation and, above all, by mobilizing and employing its qualified and well-educated human resources creatively and with decent living conditions”,
• To influence (to the extent possible) the design and implementation of a systemic, integrated and unifying strategy focused on innovation for growth strategy.

In order to be effective, such a choice must:

• Be linked in principle to the pursuit of an ambitious vision regarding the perspective and position of Greek production and, more broadly, the Greek economy in the evolving international division of labor and in the growing global competition,
• Be concentrated in a clear and persistent strategic direction that will implement the intended vision and will be specialized in clear medium-long-term and prioritized choices and priorities,
• Be resulted in a system of necessary, interconnected and documented public policies, and
• Be accompanied by a detailed road map of specific prioritized and coordinated measures, actions and interventions that can support knowledge-intensive Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Greece, as mutually complementary activities of high priority and corresponding upgraded level and quality.