OpenAI for Greece is a new partnership between OpenAI, the Government of the Hellenic Republic, the Onassis Foundation, and Endeavor Greece, to expand access to high-quality AI tools in secondary education and accelerate innovation across Greece’s start-up ecosystem. This partnership establishes Greece as one of the first countries globally to collaborate with OpenAI on such a comprehensive national initiative.

In the context of the AI boom of the recent years, the Greek government has taken steps to formulate a national policy for leveraging the potential of AI, establishing a High Level Advisory Committee on Artificial Intelligence under the Prime Minister, and coordinated by the Special Secretariat of Foresight, already in November 2023. Its mission is to help the country seize the opportunity, spanning innovation and entrepreneurship, education and research, and AI integration into public sector services.

In order to bring this mission to life, the ‘OpenAI for Greece’ Memorandum of Understanding was signed at the Hellenic Expo -which took place in Thessaloniki in September 2025- by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and ministers of the Hellenic Republic, alongside Anthony S. Papadimitriou, President of the Onassis Foundation, Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer at OpenAI and Kevin Mills, Head of Education and Government GTM at OpenAI.

AI for Education

Greece will be among the first countries to pioneer the use of ChatGPT Edu, a version of ChatGPT for academic institutions. Built for large-scale use in education, ChatGPT Edu offers access to OpenAI’s latest models and supports GDPR compliance with enterprise-grade security and controls.

Greece will launch a pilot this academic year, starting with teachers from upper-secondary schools selected to reflect regional and socio-economic diversity. The first phase focuses on building AI literacy, helping teachers boost productivity and integrate AI responsibly into their work.

The Onassis Foundation will lead implementation along with local partners—including The Tipping Point—coordinating teacher onboarding, and managing day-to-day delivery in collaboration with OpenAI and the Greek government. OpenAI will co-design teacher training, provide technical support, and share best practices for safe, effective classroom use.

A joint task force, including representatives from the Prime Minister’s Office, the Ministry of Education, and the Onassis Foundation, will oversee the pilot. Following successful outcomes, the program is expected to expand across Greece’s education system.

This deployment comes as OpenAI works to improve how ChatGPT supports learning, with features like study mode, in light of both the opportunities and the challenges of integrating AI into education. Students worldwide are already embracing the technology, and ChatGPT Edu is seeing early adoption at leading institutions, including Harvard University and Oxford University.

AI for Innovation

The other branch of this two-fold approach is the Greek AI Startup Accelerator, a three-month program led by Endeavor Greece and developed in collaboration with OpenAI and the Greek Government, to support early-stage founders developing AI-native solutions with the ambition and potential to scale globally.

Its aim is to support AI-first founders who are building innovative, impactful products and want to pilot their ideas locally while scaling globally, providing a unique opportunity for ambitious Greek teams to gain access to the tools, mentorship, and network needed to compete at a global level. Greece has one of the highest percentages of STEM graduates in Europe, providing a strong educational foundation for AI skills and careers, and the program aims to create more opportunities right here in Greece and combat brain-drain.

Selected startups will benefit from a powerful combination of technology access, mentorship, and international visibility:

  • Access to OpenAI Technology (including in OpenAI API credits, personalized technical mentorship, and exclusive group sessions with OpenAI engineers)
  • AI Safety & Compliance Support (workshops on the EU AI Act, GDPR alignment, and safety-by-design practices)
  • Global Exposure & Investor Access (connections to leading investors, partners, and fellow innovators, and the opportunity to participate in major global events)
  • Endeavor Network & Mentorship (direct access to the Endeavor Network – connecting them with successful entrepreneurs, investors, and global mentors)

Together, these resources are designed to accelerate both technical progress and business growth, setting a strong foundation for the next generation of world-class Greek companies. The accelerator will prioritize start-ups developing AI solutions in sectors aligned with Greece’s national priorities—including education, public services, healthcare, and climate.

TAGS: EDUCATION | INNOVATION | SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY