Much of the world is not paying much attention to Greece at this time. That can be a mistake. Better known for its impressive islands, cities soaked in sun and deep historical roots, Greece has been silently sitting the basis of somewhat less expected, a modern and resistant technological economy.
While the International Care Center often loses it, something real is happening in the field, since this editor discovered this week through diseases of conversations in Athens. The country that was once in the precipice of economic collapse has not been renamed simply as a “nation of innovation.” It is turning intelligent marketing into reality, with policy changes, investor interest and a renewed sense of purpose around technology and entrepreneurship.
In fact, in a sitting on Thursday night with the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, presented the case of TechCrunch that Greece not only updates but surprise. “There is significant space to grow,” he admitted, but “the stars are aligned.”
It did not happen effortlessly. He explained that Greece, Mitsotakis, made a “conscious decision” half boxes to expand beyond its traditional economic strengths such as tourism and hospitality. “Technology could 10% of our economy. This is perfectly feasible,” he said, citing the growing starting formation, the increase in capital flows and an energized and growing base of founders and VC in the ecosystem. Based on his own background in the risk capital, he founded the first incubator of Greece in 2001, spoke with a fluidity that was not heard of the heads of state.
While Greece can be late for the technological party of Europe, that time could be a real advantage. ? With a relatively clean slate, the country moves quickly to place ITIIFF in the prostheses of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence.
Thanks to the AI, in fact, the prime minister sees the opportunity to skip potentially. “We want to use the technology to jump,” he said. “Not only to catch up, but also to do better than many European countries.” He pointed out Greece’s success in the digitalization of public services that, by calculating, had far exceeded even Germany in some aspects, and pilot programs such as a Microsoft -backed system that reduced the revision times of the government contract of hours to minutes.
This double strategy of promoting new companies while modernizing the government forms the backbone of the ambitions of Greece. Mitsotakis imagines Greece as a laboratory for responsible innovation, partly in areas such as health, civil protection and defense. “We are not only talking about what the starting community is doing. We are the clients of technologies. And we want to have more starting mentality as a government.”
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A critical ingredient of this transformation is talent. Greece is working to reverse the brain escape that saw thousands of qualified workers leave the financial crisis. “Fiscal exemptions are there: a 50% discount on income tax for seven years,” he said. But well, he also acknowledged that “people will not come just for a tax exemption. They will come if they have a good job opportunity, if they feel they can do something to do, they can grow their businesses in Greece.”
To that end, in our conversation, we recently touched the changes recently in the “Golden Visa” program of Greece that now grants a residence permit to third -party citizens who invest a minimum of € 250,000 in a new Greek company recorded in the National Greek beginning registry; We also talk about two new programs introduced last year designed to bring qualified foreign workers and entrepreneurs to the country. (While the latest initiatives are still in process, they seem to reflect a broader commitment to the opening). “This is a global war for talent,” Mitsotakis said. “We need to facilitate Greek talent to return or people who can live anywhere to choose from working here.”
Mitsotakis also emphasized the importance of expanding technology beyond Athens, with centers that emerge in Bessaloniki, Heraklion and other university cities. “This should also be a story about regional development.”
Even so, the prime minister recognized challenges, including the rhythm of legal reform, the need for more capital in late stage and the complexities of doing business throughout the European market. But what he believes that Greece is now sacrificed, unlike dragging the depths of the crisis, is the predictability, stability and impulse. “Is this country moving in the right direction?” Hello, asked rhetorically. “The answer is yes.”
For Mitsotakis, the ultimate goal is to make Greece’s progress “irreversible.” While Legacy Building is not his approach, he said, both Mitsotakis and the approximately 300 investors and founders who gathered for our seasons of which Greece has been happily moved since the bay because Tondon and the other and the country’s progress continue below.
“We can’t [perform] Miracles, “says Mitsotakis.” We cannot invent land in a couple of years. But I think we have left the vicious circle of the past, and I see technology as a great opportunity, both for the private and government sector. “
You can see our full interview with Mitsotakis below.
