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At the highly engaging two-day EmTech Europe conference, organized for the second consecutive year by MIT Technology Review and Kathimerini, Professor Yiannis Emiris, President of the Athena Research Center, was invited as a speaker.

 

The creation of a strong deep tech ecosystem in Greece was at the center of discussion in one of the panels on the first day of the conference. Moderated by EuroNews journalist Symela Touchtidou, the panel featured Kostas Ligris, CEO and Founder of Stavvy and Lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, as well as Ismini Papakyrillou, CEO of the Hellenic Development Bank. During the discussion, Mr. Emiris emphasized that the development of Greece’s deep tech ecosystem requires a targeted strategy, extroversion, and infrastructure reinforcement. As he stated, "we can take an optimistic view, but there is still a lot of work ahead of us," while noting that turning towards the European market could offer greater funding opportunities.

 

At the same time, Mr. Emiris stressed that "Institutions must operate with a realistic approach," highlighting the need for specialization in a specific research field, as other countries have done—referring to Israel as an example. He also underscored the importance of collaboration with foreign companies. The attraction of talent and favorable legislative measures, such as the ability for researchers involved in startups to retain their positions, are crucial steps in strengthening innovation in Greece.