EcoZani Project_Municipality of Kozani

Kozani

EcoZani - EcoZani: Creative, innovative and inclusive ecosystems towards just work transition in Kozani

Harnessing talent in shrinking cities

Ongoing

Back
Kozani

EcoZani aims to facilitate a just work transition in Kozani, a city in Western Macedonia,  Greece, one of Europe’s most carbon intensive regions in transition. During its decarbonisation phase, Kozani aims to empower the city’s social capital and preserve its socio-cultural identity, addressing unemployment, outmigration, and under-skilling among young people. Its innovative strategy uses the popular local annual carnival as a platform to activate and retain local talent by transforming the event into the first Zero-waste, Zero-emission, and Zero-exclusion (3Z) carnival in Greece and Europe, focusing on three key ecosystems: Talent, Technology and Tolerance.

Our main challenges...

  • The coal industry contributes 45% of Western Macedonia's national Gross Domestic Product (GDP), making the transition away from coal a major economic challenge.

  • Mine closures will affect 16,000 jobs directly and another 11,000 indirectly, increasing already high unemployment rates.

  • Western Macedonia faces the highest youth unemployment in Greece, with 60% among those aged 15-24.

and proposed solutions

  • The “Talent” ecosystem supports youth entrepreneurship through business plan competitions, a mentorship programme and start-up incubation.

  • The “Technology” ecosystem focuses on creating and applying 3Z products via upcycling in the Municipal Inclusive Circu-Tech Hub.

  • The “Tolerance” ecosystem promotes inclusivity through training programmes and city-wide public consultations for sustainable urban interventions.

Key figures

60%
youth unemployment (ages 15-24) - the highest in Greece
1
Municipal Inclusive Circu-Tech Hub: the embodiment of the 3Z vision
1
Integrated participatory Ecozani legacy roadmap used to inform municipal strategies

Milestones

Business plan contest & mentorship Programme
Dec 2025
Municipal Inclusive Circu-Tech Hub (MICTH) renovation planning
Dec 2025
3Z Kozani carnival showcase
Dec 2026
Citywide application of 3Z principles
Dec 2026
New business launches and growth
Dec 2027
3Z prototype & EcoZani strategy finalisation
Dec 2027
1. Business plan contest & mentorship Programme
01 - 31 Dec 2025

Groundwork for incubation to boost awareness and engagement around sustainable entrepreneurship

2. Municipal Inclusive Circu-Tech Hub (MICTH) renovation planning
01 - 31 Dec 2025

Completion of the designs and renovation plan for the MICTH

3. 3Z Kozani carnival showcase
01 - 31 Dec 2026

Highlighting sustainability, inclusivity & community engagement and testing project initiatives

4. Citywide application of 3Z principles
01 - 31 Dec 2026

Urban acupuncture projects, incorporating 3Z principles into city-level interventions

5. New business launches and growth
01 - 31 Dec 2027

Support and assess the scaling up of new businesses incubated through the project

6. 3Z prototype & EcoZani strategy finalisation
01 - 31 Dec 2027

Development and initial market testing for 3Z prototypes; complete the EcoZani legacy roadmap

Related projects on the same topic