In October 2020, three stakeholder events were organized in Prilep, Bitola and Ohrid, as part of the iCBA project.The goal of the events was to provide information to local stakeholders on the opportunities provided by the project in order to improve the overall economic situation in the area, using the ICT potential and highly skilled workforce, providing incentives for employment and reducing brain drain, as a permanent an innovative solution, forming a model that will be attractive to all parties involved and will enable sustainability even after the project is completed.
The events were attended by 32 key stakeholders, local representatives of the Chamber of commerce, Business Confederation, Chamber of Commerce, local government representatives, as well as local young entrepreneurs, who contribute towards economic development of the region and work towards supporting and developing entrepreneurship. After the presentation of the planned activities of the project and the opportunities for involvement of stakeholders in it, the participants shared their views, challenges and good practices to support entrepreneurship. The following conclusions, which affect the development of entrepreneurship, were shared:
- Coordination and timely planning of entrepreneurship supporting measures (by the government)
- To take into account the needs of local entrepreneurs when creating measures for supporting entrepreneurship
- Entrepreneurship subsidies need to be adapted to the “dual vocational education” reforms
- It is necessary to equip the secondary vocational schools with machines and tools, appropriate to the vocational education, in order to generate qualified professionals
- It is necessary to coordinate secondary vocational education programs with local entrepreneurs
- A campaign should be organized to motivate young people to learn old crafts and their profiling in the field of handicrafts
- Subsidies are required for the purchase of machines and tools for artisan entrepreneurs
- It is necessary to support rural entrepreneurs in order to stimulate their growth and development
- Stronger coordination is needed between higher education institutions and local entrepreneurs
These events were crucial for coordinating and initiating communication among different institutions and organizations, in order to improve the conditions for the development of entrepreneurship in the cross-border region.