Innovation is the key to Greece's economic development and competitiveness, while it is also the driving force of business activity, education evolution and improvement of living quality, that was one conclusion of an event organised by Microsoft Hellas on the Innovation Day on Wednesday.

Development Minister Dimitris Sioufas, addressing the event, said the government was expected soon to announce a package of strong incentives to boost innovation.

"Research and innovation mean growth advantage. They mean progress advantage. We want and we are able to conquer all these advantages together," Sioufas said, adding that a government commitment was to raise state contribution to basic research and efforts to boost private contribution on research. The draft legislation envisages drafting of a long-term national policy and the creation of new institutional agencies, such as the National Organisation for Research and Technology.

Development Deputy Minister Yiannis Papathanasiou, in his address, noted the need to link the country's research resources with the demands and needs of the market.

Spyros Efstathopoulos, special secretary for competitiveness, said the percentage of private investments in research totaled 28.2 percent in Greece, compared with 54.6 pct in the Eurozone and 54.3 pct in the EU-25, while Ioannis Fessas, vice-president in the Federation of Hellenic Industries and Enterprises, noted that Greece ranked 47th in the world competitiveness list, while it ranked 45th in the list of innovation contribution to competitiveness

Source: Athens News Agency

^
top

print this page   send this page