2nd Athens Innovation Festival

Athens Innovation Festival takes place for the second consecutive year, following the enthusiastic response to its first successful edition in 2017. The event is held at the Zappeion Hall on 12-14 November, organised by the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI-EBEA) and the Athens Startup Business Incubator (ThEA), with the intent to bring attention and support to innovative enterprises, researchers and technology actors in Greece.

Athens Innovation Festival (AIF) was launched last year in order to serve as a forum for innovative businesses and to provide a hub for Greece’s startup ecosystem. Its second edition will once more gather representatives of businesses, universities, research centres, business support structures, large corporations, venture capital companies, angel investors, private equity firms, state agencies and non-governmental organisations, to present major trends and best practices in the field, share knowledge and create productive partnerships in order to expand their activities and to jointly strengthen the ecosystem.

The three-day festival will feature a trade fair with business booths, workshops and multiple events, aimed at both established and emerging enterprises, giving participants the opportunity to meet potential partners, examine possibilities for future cooperations and exchange experiences, ideas and opinions. Bilateral meetings (B2B) will also be held between the representatives of the startups and the businesses-member of the ACCI-EBEA.

AIF 2018 is expected to draw a significant number of startups, scale ups, large companies, research and educational institutions, production organizations and representatives of the government and the local administration. The startups participating in are active in the following areas: audiovisual services, information and communications technology, tourism, agro tech, health tech and creative Industries.

AIF is held under the aegis of the President of the Hellenic Republic, and supported by the Region of Attica and the Regional Development Fund of Attica. The NGO Industry Disruptors-Game Changers is also a strategic partner. This year’s events are also supported by the Athens Authentic Marathon, organised the Hellenic Athletics Federation (SEGAS) which takes place on Sunday 11 November, the day before AIF’s inauguration. AIF is “inspired by the challenge of the Marathon” and its emphasis on the value of persistence, and will therefore welcome and honour the protagonists of the 36th Athens Authentic Marathon.

Click here for the full programme (in Greek)

N.M.