Visit of the Secretary General for Research and Innovation, Dr. Anastasios Gaitanis, to Corallia
02-04-2025
On Tuesday, March 31, 2025, the General Secretary for Research and Innovation, Dr. Anastasios Gaitanis, visited the premises of the Corallia Unit of the Athena Research Center in Maroussi. The purpose of the visit was to receive updates on the progress of the Corallia ecosystem, to meet innovative technology companies, and to discuss challenges and opportunities for improvement in the field of research and innovation.
The event took place at the Corallia Unit facilities from 09:30 to 11:00. Mr. Gaitanis was welcomed by Dr. Jorge Sanchez, Corallia co-founder and Chairman of the si-Cluster, and Dr. Nikos Vogiatzis, Corallia co-founder and gi-Cluster non-executive Chairman, who gave the initial greetings. This was followed by an address from the General Secretary. Next, the President of the Board and General Director of the Athena Research Center, Professor Ioannis Emiris, delivered a speech presenting the role and strategy of the Research Center in matters of innovation and technology transfer.
As part of the meeting, a review of the Corallia ecosystem's activities was conducted. Subsequently, Mr. Gaitanis had the opportunity to attend presentations of innovative companies and technological projects, as well as to visit their laboratories. Specifically:
Planetek – Presentation and visit to the geospatial observation laboratory.
Lancom – Presentation and visit to the company’s data center.
Tamasenco / gi-NexT – Presentation of the collaborative project " Next-Generation Creative and Entertainment Technologies, Platforms and Applications (gi-NexT)" on behalf of the partnership of 11 Greek innovative companies and 2 academic-research institutions from gi-Cluster. The gi-NexT project was implemented during 2022-2023 in the framework of the NSRF 2014-2020 and the action "Innovation Clusters" of the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation, and was co-financed by National and EU funds through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)..
The visit concluded with constructive discussions on opportunities to enhance innovation and entrepreneurship in the technology sector in Greece. The General Secretary expressed his support for the initiatives of the Corallia Unit and the Athena Research Center as a whole, recognizing their contribution to the growth of the domestic technology ecosystem.
At the end of the visit, Dr. Sanchez stated: "We were delighted to welcome the General Secretary for Research and Innovation, Dr. Anastasios Gaitanis, to Corallia at the Athena Research Center today. His visit is a significant recognition of our contribution to the development of the Greek innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem. We had the opportunity to discuss our initiatives, growth prospects, and strategies that enhance the competitiveness of Greek startups on an international level. The support of the State, and in particular the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation, is crucial for strengthening innovation, technological advancement, and high-value entrepreneurship. We look forward to the announcement of targeted initiatives from the Secretariat that will provide the necessary incentives for the development of ecosystems in areas where we have gained a competitive advantage, such as Space."
At the same time, Dr Vogiatzis emphasized: "We had a great opportunity to meet with the General Secretary for Research and Innovation, Dr. Anastasios Gaitanis, and discuss key issues regarding the challenges faced by startups and other small and medium-sized enterprises in Greece. With the participation of business representatives from the country’s leading innovation ecosystems, such as the Creative and Entertainment Technologies & Applications Cluster (gi-Cluster), the significant contribution of the General Secretariat to the design and implementation of collaborative R&D initiatives was highlighted, and the foundations were set for similar future initiatives."
From his side, Professor Emiris underlined: "We were very pleased to welcome the General Secretary for Research and Innovation, Dr. Anastasios Gaitanis, to Corallia, which represents the cutting edge of the Athena Research Center in terms of collaborative clusters and business acceleration. During the strategic discussion, we explored the choices that have established Corallia as a leading business incubator and a pioneering force in the creation and expansion of industry clusters. We visited some dynamic tech startups hosted in our facilities and examined possibilities for the institutional reinforcement of innovation activities in the country’s Research Centers."
The General Secretary for Research and Innovation, Mr. Tasos Gaitanis, congratulated all Corallia staff for their contribution to promoting innovation and stated: "The role of Corallia is particularly important in the effort to support entrepreneurship in general, as well as in linking research with industry. The creation of clusters is of decisive importance in the modern era. The General Secretariat for Research and Innovation consistently supports the Greek innovation ecosystem and invests in the human capital that, with its vision, fosters innovation in the country."
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