Greece to establish 12 competence centres worth over EUR 22 million

They will support innovation and technology transfer in 5 key fields

In a world that is constantly changing and evolving, research and innovation are seen as valuable tools which promote the growth and development of countries and economies. Knowing the importance of these tools, the Greek government has revealed that 12 competence centres will soon be established.

The Ministry of Development and Investment announced that the new centres will support innovation and technology transfer in 5 fields: Information and Communication Technologies (4), Materials and Constructions (3), Health and Medicine (2), Agriculture (2), Energy (1).

What is the purpose of the 12 establishments?

First and foremost, the competence centres seek to support innovation in the aforementioned sectors, all of which are key to the Greek economy. The 12 establishments will be tasked with the provision of specialised and innovative services and products. What is more, they will be responsible for the transfer of technology to other companies, primarily small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

194 public and private sector bodies will be involved in the establishment and operation of the new competence centres. Taking this further, 25 will be research organisations such as universities and 169 will be companies of all sizes from various countries.

According to the government, the approved total expenditure for the 12 centres is EUR 22,046,640.42. EUR 13,050,963.60 of this amount will be public expenditure while the rest will be private.

Connecting research and innovation with entrepreneurship

The Deputy Minister of Development and Investment Christos Dimas commented on the significance of the competence centres: “It is very important that 12 competence centres have been evaluated and are being created for the development of innovative entrepreneurship, mainly for the small and medium enterprises of the country.

We look forward to many of the contributors to these new structures and believe that together with the action of Innovation Clusters, S&T Business and Research Partnerships and Technology Transfer Offices, another decisive step is being taken to more effectively link research and innovation with entrepreneurship.”

With the creation of the 12 establishments, Greece exhibits its commitment to local businesses and the development of the economy.