However, "soft" structures have not followed the general improvement of heavy infrastructures, a situation that has to be remedied, in order to achieve an overall higher economic development of the Region.

The telecommunication network has dramatically improved over the last decade, providing the regional population with adequate services and modern facilities.

It is the only Greek region without sea coast, but there are a lot of lakes, mountains, villages and two big ski centers in Florina (Vigla) and Grevena (Vasilitsa) and one other under construction in Kozani (Velvendos).

[citation needed] The administrative building of Western Macedonia region is located in Zone of Alternate Urban Planning (ZEP) in the city of Kozani.

In the absence of a working budget the administrative regions however remained unable to fulfill even their limited responsibilities, until in 1994 they assumed the prefectures' competences in regard to tax collection, European structural funding and treasury.

[8] Resulting from the 2010 Kallikratis Programme, prefectures were abolished and instead, the regions became self-governing bodies in their own right with powers and authority being redefined and largely extended.

Miltiades Hatzopoulos and other scholars suggest that the Argead Macedonians wandered from Orestis to Lower Macedonia where they founded the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon.

[11] Three of the most important Hellenistic dynasties originated from Upper Macedonia: the Lagids from Eordaea, the Seleucids from Orestis and the Antigonids from Elimiotis.

The Technological Educational Institute of Western Macedonia (TEIWM) provides undergraduate degrees in Engineering, Business and Finance, Agriculture, Health and Welfare.