The selection of the Urbact Local Group of 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 make Heraklion an attractive destination for digital nomads.
After consultation, it was decided that the Urbact Local Group should be composed of a variety of private and public sector actors. From the public sector, the Municipality of Heraklion, which is also the partner in the Remote-IT project, is represented in the Urbact Local Group both at strategic level (e.g. Planning Directorate) and at the level of relevant services (e.g. IT Directorate) or spatial representatives (e.g. representatives of municipal areas). Additional partners with a public character are the Region of Crete, local universities, public organisations related to transport in the city, 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, nongovernmental organisations promoting entrepreneurship, tourism operators, etc. It was also considered necessary to involve in the Urbact Local Group experts in the field of communication, which is considered crucial for the promotion and promotion of Heraklion through digital channels to become one of the popular candidate cities chosen by digital nomads.
Finally, the Urbact Local Group of Heraklion consists of about 34 members, plus the representatives of the municipal districts. The Directorate of Planning, Organisation and Information Technology of the Municipality of Heraklion has entrusted the coordination of the Urbact Local Group to a team from the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Business Administration of the Hellenic Mediterranean University (local university). Several meetings of the Heraklion Urbact Local Group have now been held, which is shaping the parameters of the Integrated Action Plan with the ultimate aim of preparing the city for remote working and new forms of hybrid work, as well as for attracting ‘remote’ workers internationally.
The Program is implemented by the Planning Directorate of the Municipality of Heraklion with its competent Department of European Programs.
