The Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, Dimitris Papastergiou, highlighted the development prospects and opportunities created by strategic investments in Artificial Intelligence, both for the Greek technology ecosystem and for the country as a whole, at Pavilion 12 of the Ministry of Digital Governance and AI at the 89th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF).
The event was attended by the CEO of Growthfund, the National Fund of Greece, Yannis Papachristou, the Chairman of the National Infrastructures for Research and Technology (GRNET S.A.), Stefanos Kollias, the Managing Director of Endeavor Greece, Panagiotis Karampinis, and the Engineering Manager of Mysten Labs, Theodoros Chaikalis. The discussion was moderated by the President of the Athens–Macedonian Press Agency (ANA-MPA), Aimilios Perdikaris.
The event focused on the importance of leveraging AI as a driver of innovation, growth and investment attraction, strengthening the competitiveness of the Greek economy and creating new opportunities for businesses and human capital.
The Greek Minister of Digital Governance and AI, Dimitris Papastergiou, stated:
“At the heart of Pavilion 12 of the Ministry of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence at the 89th TIF, we are showcasing, amongst other things, two flagship projects: the supercomputer HPC DAEDALUS and the PHAROS AI Factory, which form the foundation upon which we are building the future of the domestic AI ecosystem. With projects like these, our country is being established as more than just a consumer of technology, as a producer of solutions. Today, two Greeces collide: the Greece of dysfunctions, bureaucracy, and guild mentalities versus the Greece of gov.gr, the Greece represented by Demis Hassabis, the Cypriot-born Nobel laureate neuroscientist and AI pioneer, who met with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday, September 12, at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus. The Greece of gov.gr is that of innovation, science, and extroversion. This is the Greece we choose and serve: a country progressing beyond past dysfunctions and investing in technological solutions with a social footprint—for better services, more opportunities, less bureaucracy, an improved daily life for all citizens, and a more effective state.”
Growthfund CEO Yannis Papachristou, said:
“The launch of the first AI Factory offers a great opportunity to transition to a new, long-term sustainable production model that will not rely exclusively on tourism and real estate. Greece can evolve from a mere technology consumer into a producer, establish itself on the international AI map, and ensure that there will be an AI language model for Greek. At the same time, PHAROS will act as an accelerator for the development of AI applications connecting academic research with the real economy and supporting SMEs and startups in harnessing innovative technologies. In this national endeavor, Growthfund will guarantee sound corporate governance and that investments deliver real value for stakeholders. Facing the AI revolution, the next generations will not only need basic technological education but also examples of critical thinking that strengthen the ethical dimension of technology.”
GRNET S.A. Chairman Stefanos Kollias, stated:
“GRNET, one of the largest public sector technology companies in Greece, operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Digital Governance and AI, coordinates the PHAROS project – for the creation of the national AI Factory. There are challenges ahead but also great opportunities. We are focusing on three pillars: health, language and culture, and sustainability. We are developing predictive health models, the Greek large language model (LLM), and the use of Greek satellite data, producing personalized services for citizens and businesses with ethical use of data. Our goal is to enable Greece to leverage artificial intelligence to become more effective, innovative, and more citizen centered.”
Endeavor Greece, Managing Director Panagiotis Karampinis, said:
“As a country, we have an impressive number of internationally renowned Greek researchers, and especially in artificial intelligence, we hold a significant competitive advantage. The next challenge is to create more startups and channel this research into competitive tech companies with global reach. That is why initiatives such as PHAROS, DAEDALUS, and the AI for Greece collaboration are extremely important. It is impressive that within just one week, the Prime Minister meets two of the most important personalities in the AI world: Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, as part of the AI for Greece collaboration where Endeavor is the partner for the AI Startup Accelerator, and Demis Hassabis, CEO and Co-Founder of Google DeepMind, at the Athens Innovation Summit by Endeavor.”
Mysten Labs, Engineering Manager Theodoros Chaikalis, said:
“It is important that the initiatives of the Greek Government and State to support Artificial Intelligence and to create the necessary research infrastructure are highlighted and strengthened. These foundations provide opportunities for the development of innovative products and services for the benefit of society and the economy. At Mysten Labs, we believe that blockchain offers essential features of security, reliability, and transparency in the development of AI models, ensuring reliable and tamper-proof training as well as the necessary attribution to the creator, enhancing transparency and traceability at every stage.”
