The selection of the Urbact Local Action Group for the city of Heraklion was not an easy task. The members had to cover a wide range of project needs in order to contribute in the best possible way to making Heraklion an attractive destination for digital nomads.
After consultation, it was decided that the Local Action Group should consist of a variety of private and public sector actors. From the public sector, the Municipality of Heraklion, which is also a partner in the Remote-IT project, is represented in the Urbact Local Group both at a strategic level by the Planning, Organisation and IT Department and at the level of interdepartmental services or spatial representatives (e.g. representatives of municipal areas). Additional public partners include the Region of Crete, local universities, public organizations related to urban transport, etc.
From the private sector, the Heraklion Urbact Local Group has invited and involved the business community, such as chambers of commerce, innovation promotion companies, non-governmental organizations that promote entrepreneurship, tourism agencies, etc. It was also deemed necessary to involve experts in the field of communication in the Urbact Local Group, which is considered crucial for promoting and marketing Heraklion through digital channels, so that it becomes one of the popular candidate cities chosen by digital nomads.
Finally, the Local Action Group Urbact Heraklion consists of approximately 34 members, plus representatives from the municipal districts. The Remote IT project is being implemented by the Planning, Organisation and Information Technology of the Municipality of Heraklion through its European Programmes Department. The coordination of the Urbact Local Action Group has been assigned to a team from the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management of the Hellenic Mediterranean University.
Several meetings have been held by the Heraklion Local Urbact Group, which is shaping the parameters of the Integrated Action Plan with the ultimate goal of preparing the city for teleworking and new forms of hybrid work, as well as attracting “remote” workers internationally.
