Enterprise Greece is the official investment and trade promotion agency of Greece operating under the supervision of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs aiming to attract foreign investment in Greece and to promote internationally the export of Greek products and services. Enterprise Greece assists foreign investors and enterprises, who wish to do business in Greece by providing key investment and business information regarding investment opportunities in the country but also concerning Greece’s tax, legal and financial framework. At the same time Enterprise Greece promotes Greek products and services in foreign markets by organizing business missions abroad, as well as Greek participation in major international trade fairs, helping Greek exporters to find new business partners and become more competitive.
Enterprise Greece has been recently placed under the supervision of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs and integrated in the new model of economic diplomacy of the country that aims to enhance Greek entrepreneurship’s openness, along with the country’s network of missions abroad and the network of Offices of Economic and Commercial Affairs. Through a National Strategic Openness Plan the country will put emphasis on the internationalization, competitiveness and openness of Greek enterprises, as well as on the attraction of investments contributing to the sustainable economic and social growth.
The Enterprise Greece Report for 2020
Despite the difficulties posed in 2020 by the pandemic regarding the global economic environment and investment decision making, a remarkable interest for Greece was registered proving the potential of the Greek economy and the investment opportunities it is offering. Enterprise Greece according to its Report for the year 2020 continued to offer its services to investors and exporters. What is remarkable is that Greece apart from its traditional strengths – tourism, shipping, F&B –is building entirely new industries based on its comparative and competitive advantages: in energy, in logistics, in the creative industries, in hi-tech, in life sciences and wellness.
According to the Report 2020, Enterprise Greece managed to do the following during the past year:
– Supported 47 investment projects expected to create at least 6,000 new jobs
– Evaluated 14 new strategic investment projects of a total budget of 2,8 billion euros that will create 2,057 new jobs
– Promoted Golden Visa program that counts more 8,000 residence permits since 2013 measuring a revenue of 2 billion euros
– Organized 7 virtual export events for 5 target markets (USA, Germany, Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia) in cooperation with 7 Offices of Economic and Commercial Affairs of Greek Embassies with the participation of 1,160 export organizations and company executives
– Organized 17 trade webinars in digital transformation covering issues such as E-commerce, Digital Marketing, International Sales, Strategies Penetration in Foreign Markets, addressed to more than 900 export organizations and company executives
– Promoted the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Greek Government and the Volkswagen Group in the project “Astypalaia, Smart & Sustainable island”
– Announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with the global e-commerce platform eBay providing a specialized training program, along with customized consulting and technical support, so that Greek enterprises develop the necessary skills and tools for a successful digital presence on global e-platforms.
Greek exports continued to show remarkable resilience, and even as world merchandise trade slumped last year, Greece’s non-oil exports rose 3.2% in 2020 to €24.05 billion, according to official data. Greek food and chemical exports, two of the country’s biggest export sectors, reached new highs, offsetting declines in other categories. Based on an analysis by the Greek Exporters Association, food exports rose 10.3% to €5.3 billion last year, and chemical exports were up 22.8% to €5.0 billion.
As we read in the latest newsletter of Enterprise Greece, according to the keynote message of George Filiopoulos, the CEO of the agency, the triptych of the economic reforms that have transformed the Greek economy is based on export, foreign investment and innovation. “The next stage in the country’s economic development will come from leveraging Greece’s extraordinary human resources and the advances of the Fourth Industrial Revolution” Mr Filiopoulos says.
(Source of photos & images: Enterprise Greece FB page)
Read also via GNA:
Greek olive oil: the history and the future of a multifaceted product
Greek Shipping: An important global actor in line with the Greek maritime spirit
“Fish from Greece”, a strong label for the dynamic fish farming sector
Greek yogurt: tradition exported
The “Smart Green Island” of Astypalea
Big technology investments to improve Greece’s innovation and digital footprint
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