ANKO DYTIKIS MAKEDONIAS A.E. - ANAPTYXIAKOS ORGANISMOS TOPIKIS AFTODIIKISIS

Their core work

ANKO Western Macedonia is a regional development agency serving the Western Macedonia region of Greece, centered in Kozani. Their core EU-funded work revolves around delivering Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) services — helping Greek SMEs access EU innovation support instruments like the SME Instrument, Fast Track to Innovation, and FET-Open calls. They act as a local intermediary that bridges small businesses with EU funding opportunities and innovation management practices. Additionally, they have participated in smart city initiatives through the STARDUST project, reflecting their broader regional development mandate.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2015-2017), ANKO focused narrowly on core EEN functions: building innovation management capacity and providing Key Account Management services to local SMEs. From 2019 onward, their Enhancement projects expanded to cover a wider portfolio of EU instruments — adding Fast Track to Innovation and FET-Open advisory alongside the original SME Instrument focus. This suggests growing sophistication in navigating the full EU innovation funding landscape, though their fundamental role as a regional intermediary has remained consistent.

ANKO is deepening its EU funding advisory capabilities across more instruments, positioning itself as a comprehensive regional gateway for SMEs seeking EU innovation support.

How they like to work

ANKO consistently operates as a participant rather than a consortium leader — zero coordinator roles across all five projects. Their 57 unique partners across 9 countries reflect the large, distributed nature of EEN Coordination and Support Actions rather than deep bilateral partnerships. They are best understood as a reliable regional node in pan-European support networks, contributing local reach and SME relationships rather than technical research capacity.

ANKO has worked with 57 unique partners across 9 countries, though this broad network is largely inherited from the multi-partner structure of EEN Coordination and Support Actions rather than built through diverse project-by-project collaboration.

What sets them apart

ANKO's value lies in its position as the primary development agency for Western Macedonia — a Greek region undergoing significant economic transition away from lignite mining. For consortium builders, they offer direct access to the SME ecosystem in an underserved region of Greece, along with years of hands-on experience guiding companies through EU funding applications. They are not a research or technology organization but a practical intermediary with deep local networks.

Highlights from their portfolio

• STARDUST
  Their only non-EEN project — a large-scale smart cities initiative (2017-2024) where they served as a third party, suggesting involvement in urban planning or regional pilot activities.
• Enhancement SGA4
  The most recent and mature iteration of their core EEN work (2020-2021), covering the widest range of EU innovation instruments including SME Instrument, FTI, and FET-Open.