The final event attracted a large audience of residents and a significant number of local professionals from the technical sector. The discussion that followed addressed practical and technical questions and provided clarification on participation requirements, the application process and the programme’s basic technical requirements.

The five information events in Ptolemaida, Grevena, Kozani, Kastoria and Florina attracted residents and sector professionals from across Western Macedonia, highlighting the need for reliable information about replacing heating systems and the opportunities offered by the programme.

The Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia thanks the Technical Chamber of Greece – Western Macedonia Section for jointly organising the events, as well as all the organisations that hosted them — the Ptolemaida Chamber, the Municipality of Grevena, the Technical Chamber in Kozani, the Kastoria Aquarium and the Florina Chamber — for their contribution to the successful delivery of the series.

Residents interested in joining the programme can find detailed information about the application process on the Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia website.

Information: Stavros Sapalidis | Tel.: 24613 50995 | E-mail: ssapalidis@pta.pdm.gr

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Attendees included the Deputy Regional Governor of Kastoria, Dimitris Savvopoulos; Deputy Regional Governor responsible for fur industry matters, Olga Trasia; Regional Councillor responsible for mountain affairs and mountainous areas, Paschalis Charoumenos; President of the Steering Committee of the Technical Chamber of Greece – Western Macedonia Section, Stergios Kianas; President of its Kastoria Prefectural Committee, Stella Psomiadou; President of the Kastoria Municipal Community Council, Theodoros Malegkanos, and other Municipal Community presidents; President of the Kastoria Chamber of Commerce, Charalambos Karataglidis; and presidents of other organisations.

The participation requirements, application procedure and key technical requirements were presented, together with other aspects of programme implementation.

A productive discussion with attendees followed. All questions from citizens, engineers and technicians were answered, and clarifications were provided on practical and technical matters.

The Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia warmly thanks the Kastoria Aquarium for hosting and supporting the event, the Technical Chamber of Greece – Western Macedonia Section for jointly organising it, and the institutional representatives and everyone who participated. The large turnout highlighted the strong interest in the programme.

Information: Stavros Sapalidis | Tel.: 24613 50995 | Email: ssapalidis@pta.pdm.gr

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The Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia and the Technical Chamber of Greece – Western Macedonia Section invite you to the information event on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, on the “Installation of Heat Pumps for Heating / Cooling in Western Macedonia” programme. The programme, with a total budget of €12,135,000.00, is funded by the European Union through the Just Transition Fund and by national resources under the “Just Development Transition” Operational Programme. It supports the installation of heat pumps in the residential sector to meet home heating and cooling needs. Beneficiaries may also undertake additional optional measures for home insulation and/or electricity generation from photovoltaic systems, with self-generation and the possibility of storage. The event aims to inform citizens and potential beneficiaries about the participation requirements, application procedure and benefits of the programme.

The events series continues on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, in Florina, at the Florina Chamber of Commerce events hall (15 Megarovou Street, ground floor), from 19:00 to 21:00.

Information:
Stavros Sapalidis | Tel.: 24613 50995 | Email: ssapalidis@pta.pdm.gr

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The Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia and the Technical Chamber of Greece – Western Macedonia Section invite you to the information event on Monday, 28 September 2026, on the “Installation of Heat Pumps for Heating / Cooling in Western Macedonia” programme.

The programme, with a total budget of €12,135,000.00, is funded by the European Union through the Just Transition Fund and by national resources under the “Just Development Transition” Operational Programme. It supports the installation of heat pumps in the residential sector to meet home heating and cooling needs. Beneficiaries may also undertake additional optional measures for home insulation and/or electricity generation from photovoltaic systems, with self-generation and the possibility of storage.

The event aims to inform citizens and potential beneficiaries about the participation requirements, application procedure and benefits of the programme.

The events series continues on Monday, 28 September 2026, in Kastoria, at the Kastoria Aquarium, at 19:00.

Information: Stavros Sapalidis | Tel.: 24613 50995 | Email: ssapalidis@pta.pdm.gr

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Engineers, technicians and industry professionals attended, together with citizens interested in the programme’s opportunities and requirements. Welcoming remarks were delivered by the Regional Governor of Western Macedonia, Mr Giorgos Amanatidis, and the President of the Steering Committee of the Technical Chamber of Greece – Western Macedonia Section, Mr Stergios Kianas.

The discussion that followed was particularly active. Numerous questions were asked both by those in the hall and by people watching the live stream online. Topics included the Programme Guide, technical specifications for heat pumps, the installation licensing procedure and compatibility with photovoltaic self-generation systems.

During the event, all questions were answered and the necessary clarifications were provided on implementing the programme and the technical requirements of the measures.

The Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia thanks the Technical Chamber of Greece – Western Macedonia Section for jointly organising and hosting the event, and everyone who participated in person or online.

Information: Stavros Sapalidis | Tel.: 24613 50995 | Email: ssapalidis@pta.pdm.gr

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The Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia and the Technical Chamber of Greece – Western Macedonia Section invite you to tomorrow’s information event on the “Installation of Heat Pumps for Heating / Cooling in Western Macedonia” programme.

The programme, with a total budget of €12,135,000.00, is funded by the European Union through the Just Transition Fund and by national resources under the “Just Development Transition” Operational Programme. It supports the installation of heat pumps in the residential sector to meet home heating and cooling needs. Beneficiaries may also undertake additional optional measures for home insulation and/or electricity generation from photovoltaic systems, with self-generation and the possibility of storage.

The event aims to inform citizens and potential beneficiaries about the participation requirements, application procedure and benefits of the programme.

The events series continues on Tuesday, 22 September 2026 in Kozani, at the Technical Chamber of Greece hall, at 19:00, where you can watch the live stream at:

https://youtube.com/live/2z5S8e2KrZk?feature=share

Information: Stavros Sapalidis | Tel.: 24613 50995 | Email: ssapalidis@pta.pdm.gr

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The event received a particularly warm response from the local community, with citizens, professionals and local government representatives attending and actively participating in the discussion following the presentation.

Technical professionals in the area showed particular interest, with a significant presence of electricians and installers. They received detailed information about the programme’s technical specifications and the opportunities for cooperation arising from its implementation.

The events series continues on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, in Kozani, at the Technical Chamber of Greece hall, at 19:00. You can watch the live stream at:
https://youtube.com/live/2z5S8e2KrZk?feature=share

The Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia thanks the Municipality of Grevena for hosting the event.

Information: Stavros Sapalidis | Tel.: 24613 50995 | Email: ssapalidis@pta.pdm.gr

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The first information event organised by the Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia, jointly with the Technical Chamber of Greece – Western Macedonia Section, on the “Installation of Heat Pumps for Heating / Cooling in Western Macedonia” programme was held on the evening of Tuesday, 15 September 2026, at the Ptolemaida Chamber of Commerce hall, with a large turnout of citizens.

Professionals and citizens attended the event, most of them homeowners with conventional heating systems. They asked numerous questions about eligibility requirements, the level of funding and the application procedure. The evening was highly interactive, with Fund staff answering every question from the audience in detail.

Representatives of local technical companies and installers also attended and expressed their interest in the role they will play in implementing the installations.

This first stop in the information events series set a high standard, demonstrating the strong local interest in the programme. The series continues on Friday, 18 September 2026, in Grevena, at the Grevena Municipal Council hall, at 19:00.

The Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia thanks the Ptolemaida Chamber of Commerce for hosting the event and everyone who attended for their interest.

Information: Stavros Sapalidis | Tel.: 24613 50995 | Email: ssapalidis@pta.pdm.gr

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The Regional Development Fund of Western Macedonia, jointly with the Technical Chamber of Greece – Western Macedonia Section, is launching a series of information events across the region for the programme “Installation of Heat Pumps for Heating / Cooling in Western Macedonia”, starting in Ptolemaida.

The programme has a total budget of €12,135,000 and is financed by the European Union through the Just Transition Fund and by national resources, under the “Just Transition” Operational Programme.

It supports the installation of heat pumps in the residential sector for heating and cooling, with the option of additional thermal-insulation interventions and photovoltaic systems for self-generation and storage.

Information event schedule

• Tuesday 15/09/2026 — Ptolemaida, Ptolemaida Chamber, at 19:00
• Friday 18/09/2026 — Grevena, Grevena Municipal Council Hall, at 19:00
• Tuesday 22/09/2026 — Kozani, Technical Chamber premises in Kozani, at 19:00 (with live streaming available)
• Monday 28/09/2026 — Kastoria, Kastoria Aquarium, at 19:00
• Wednesday, 30 September 2026 — Florina, Florina Chamber of Commerce hall, at 19:00

The events aim to inform citizens and potential beneficiaries about the participation requirements, application procedure and benefits of the programme.

Information: Stavros Sapalidis, 24613 50995, ssapalidis@pta.pdm.gr

Source: Region of Western Macedonia

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The proposal submission period is opening for the “WestBeyond” Innovation Competition, a joint initiative of the Regional Development Fund (RDF) of Western Macedonia and the University of Western Macedonia through its Technology Transfer and Innovation Unit. This flagship action is the culmination of the Two-Day Innovation & Entrepreneurship Event to be held on 10 and 11 December 2026 in the Main Auditorium of the University of Western Macedonia in Kozani.

The Competition is aimed at students, researchers, young entrepreneurs, teams and businesses in the region and covers seven thematic areas: Green Energy, Agri-food, Digital Technologies, Environment – Circular Economy, Alternative Tourism, Smart Materials & Construction, and Fur. It aims to showcase innovative ideas, connect research with the market and strengthen Western Macedonia’s local business ecosystem.

Proposals are submitted online until 1 November 2026. The ten leading teams take part in a mentoring programme and present their ideas live to a judging panel during the two-day event, competing for cash prizes of €4,000, €3,000 and €2,000, as well as additional commendations and special awards. Information and participation conditions: westbeyond.uowm.gr.

The competition concludes with the Two-Day Innovation & Entrepreneurship Event. On the first day (10 December), experts deliver lectures and talks on innovation, entrepreneurship and technology transfer. On the second day (11 December), the ten finalists pitch their ideas live to the judging panel, followed by the award ceremony and announcement of the winners.

“Western Macedonia is turning a new page. The WestBeyond Innovation Competition shows that our region’s future is built on its people’s ideas — and the Region stands alongside every such effort,”

said the Governor of Western Macedonia, Mr Georgios Amanatidis.

“The University of Western Macedonia actively supports innovation by connecting research and knowledge with society and the market. The competition gives our young people the opportunity to put their ideas into practice here, in their own region,”

said the Rector of the University of Western Macedonia.

The event is delivered with operational support from the Western Macedonia Business Incubator, the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), and Metamind Innovations. It forms part of the activities of the RDF’s RIS Structure and of the SPIERA+ project “Technology Transfer Offices Network – SPIERA+”, MIS code 6018819.

Information – Contact

Website: westbeyond.uowm.gr · Email: westbeyond2026@gmail.com

Tel.: 2461 350995 · 2461 056496 · 2461 056434-5

The full Press Release (Greek original)

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