Greek Deputy Minister of Development Stavros Kalafatis has detailed plans to turn Thessaloniki into a major regional innovation hub as research spending rises. Speaking in an interview with the newspaper Today Press, Kalafatis said Greece is building a technology bridge to move scientific research out of laboratories and into commercial production. Thessaloniki, located in northern Greece, serves as the country's second largest city and a major port.
Kalafatis, who is responsible for research and innovation, stated that total research and development investment in Greece grew by 68 percent over seven years. Funding rose from 2.2 billion euros in 2018 to 3.66 billion euros at the end of 2024, representing 1.54 percent of gross domestic product.
He noted that the increase places Greece fourth in Europe for state funding allocated to research and development. He added that the national plan for 2030 treats knowledge as the country's most valuable renewable resource and marks a permanent shift away from a low expectation model.
National reforms and spin-off incentives
The deputy minister highlighted several government initiatives designed to help researchers transform intellectual property into international commercial products. These include a new institutional framework for spin-offs and the national startup platform Elevate Greece.
Kalafatis said new Technology Transfer Offices are connecting patented inventions directly to commercial market demands. State programs such as Research and Innovate and Smart Manufacturing are providing funds for partnerships between private companies and universities to integrate artificial intelligence and robotics into industrial manufacturing.
He also outlined collaborative projects changing the sector, including the HERON Robotics Center, the Semiconductor Center, the Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation, and small business programs managed by the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas.
To unite these efforts, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced plans to establish a standalone Ministry of Research, Higher Education and Innovation. Kalafatis said the new ministry is scheduled to be created starting in the next parliamentary term.
Artificial intelligence infrastructure and startup incentives
On national artificial intelligence policy, Kalafatis stated that Greece is among the first European nations to establish a dedicated National Plan while implementing the European Union AI Act.
Greece is constructing major computing infrastructure, including the Daedalus national supercomputer and the Pharos artificial intelligence factory. Pharos is one of the first seven designated artificial intelligence factories in Europe.
Kalafatis reported that the government has secured partnerships with global tech firms including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, and Mistral AI. The country has also established the Greek AI Startup Accelerator and created a Golden Visa pathway specifically for investors funding Greek startups. Greece's Golden Visa program offers residency to non-European investors.
He cited data showing that Greek companies incorporating artificial intelligence have quadrupled their productivity, with systematic artificial intelligence usage increasing by 55 percent in a single year.
Furthermore, Kalafatis emphasized that these measures have created more than 20,000 highly skilled jobs, helping to reverse Greece's long-standing brain drain. Eurostat statistics confirm a steady rise in scientists returning to the country, while 86 percent of new doctoral graduates now choose to remain in Greece.
Thessaloniki technology park and regional investment
Kalafatis pointed to Thessaloniki as the emerging digital port of Southeastern Europe. He said the transformation is driven by a 30-project master plan for Thessaloniki 2030, which he previously coordinated under the direction of the prime minister during his tenure at the Ministry of Interior's Macedonia and Thrace sector.
Central to the master plan is Thess INTEC, a fourth-generation technology park that has secured 30.33 million euros in public funding through the 2026-2030 Sectoral Development Program. The project is expected to attract 500 million euros in total private and public investment and create more than 7,000 jobs.
Additional regional infrastructure includes Centre for Research and Technology Hellas projects such as the AI Nucleus, valued at more than 2 million euros, new facility expansions in Thermi, and The Factory in Lakkoma. Public Power Corporation is also planning a mega data center project in Kozani worth more than 2 billion euros.
In Thessaloniki, the number of technology companies has tripled and specialized workers have grown tenfold to exceed 7,000. Local entities have established 44 spin-off companies with 17 more planned, generating economic activity exceeding 700 million euros to boost local gross domestic product.
Kalafatis concluded that this growth, combined with Thessaloniki's three higher education institutions, major international firms including Pfizer, Deloitte, Accenture, and Deutsche Telekom, and institutions like NOESIS and the Alexander Innovation Zone, is establishing the city as a permanent regional technology hub to create well-paid jobs.
