Several global tech companies, including Pfizer, Orfium, Ansys, and many others have selected Greece to set up shop in of late.
A Zoom meeting to be held on May 26, organized by the the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce (HACC), with the Hellenic Innovation Network and MIT Enterprise Forum Greece, delves into Greece’s attractiveness for foreign direct investment.
Experts will discuss what attracted these companies to Greece, what their experiences have been so far, and their plans for the future.
As the HACC notes, until recently, foreign investment in Greece has focused primarily on real estate, tourism, logistics, and renewable energy.
Over the past few years, however, interest has also increased in other areas such as technology, from artificial intelligence and computer science to chip design and digital health.
In December 2020, Pfizer Chairman and CEO Albert Bourla announced that the pharmaceutical giant is to establish a second hub in Thessaloniki, employing 350 people.
The Thessaloniki-born CEO referred to the work currently being done at the already functioning digital hub in his home town and said that “Despite the pandemic that delayed us, we will be having 200 people working there by the end of the year.”
Bourla added that Pfizer is “extremely satisfied” with the quality of talent assembled and revealed that between 15%-20% of the applicants were Greeks living abroad.
“The success we had in Greece with the digital hub has encouraged us to make the decision to open a second hub in Thessaloniki for internal professional services — financial services, human resource services and call centers,” he announced. He stressed that the second hub will employ another 350 people.
Participants in the discussion on tech companies and Greece
Participants in the discussion will include Dr. Konstantinos Koutras, Consul General of Greece in New York; Nico Gariboldi, the senior director of Pfizer; Marina Hatsopoulos, the Chairwoman at the Hellenic Innovation Network; Entrepreneur, Investor, and Author Yorgos Koutsoyannopoulos; and the Vice President of Engineering at ANSYS, Drew Delis, Co-Founder and COO of Orfium.
The moderator will be John Metaxas, the anchor of WCBS News.
The discussion will be held in May 26, 2021, at 12 pm EDT. To join the discussion, please click on the link here.
Strengthening economic and cultural ties between US and Greece
The HACC was formed over 70 years ago for the purpose of promoting and strengthening the economic and cultural ties between the United States of America and Greece.
Since that time, the organization has grown and its scope has broadened beyond the express purpose of fostering and developing commercial and trade relations between Greece and the United States.
Beyond its traditional commercial role, the Chamber administered the “George E. Athans Scholarship Fund” (prior to entrusting it to the Office of Financial Aid at New York University), and continues to assist in the selection of its recipients.
The Chamber honorees for achievement have not been limited to commerce but have come from the arts and politics as well. The Chamber has co-sponsored investment seminars and hosted political leaders.
The Chamber today is a multifaceted organization that offers different things to different people and provides a network and forum for its members to meet, interact, and exchange ideas. It is a vehicle from which to gain an additional perspective.
Ultimately, it is the membership that has made the Chamber a successful organization and it welcomes the opportunity to meet with the public at its next event.
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