Concluding Remarks

Marco Veremis, Co-Chair of SEV’s Innovation Committee concluding remarks at the Innovative Greeks’s inaugural event pointed to the bright future that lies ahead for Greek entrepreneurship. He also called upon those abroad to take the next steps towards entering the Greek tech ecosystem by joining WorkInTech.gr to match with a local startup and promised many new initiatives and events to continue building off of the energy and idea sharing that was evident throughout the two-day event.

As a Greek startupper with two decades of experience, he noted his amazement at where the country's tech space stands today with a market cap of €4 billion and a workforce of over 5,000 people. Reaching the €10 billion mark and 50.000 jobs within 5 years is an ambitious but achievable aim. Other encouraging signs are triple-digit exits and capital raises, with examples of maturing startups across an array of sectors. Although the future is yet to be written for Greek tech domestically, Veremis suggested that attendees look to the achievements accomplished by Greeks abroad, as proof of what the unleashed potential can mean for the country. A roadmap is needed though and should include signposts for closer partnerships between university researchers and the private sector, greater collaboration and networking across the diaspora. The Innovative Greeks’ community can be an effective enabler and aims to do so through further initiatives and events to continue building off of the energy and ideas that was evident throughout the event.