Entrepreneurship and Growth: The Future Perspective
Business Partners | May-Jun, 2025

On April 28, AmCham Greece celebrated 10 years of its highly regarded Startup Toolkit initiative with a special event that highlighted key efforts to empower aspiring entrepreneurs and the opportunities that digital transformation is opening up for the country’s younger generations.

The American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce celebrated entrepreneurship, innovation, and a decade of its impactful Startup Toolkit with a special event that took place on April 28, 2025, at the historic Megaro Mela in the center of Athens. Held under the title “Entrepreneurship and Growth: The Future Perspective,” the event was spearheaded by AmCham Greece’s Education, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship (EIE) Committee and organized in collaboration with the National Bank of Greece.

Distinguished guests and stakeholders from across the fields of entrepreneurship, innovation, and technology joined top academics, government representatives and public officials, and members of the country’s younger generations, including students and future entrepreneurs, for an evening that celebrated Greek startup entrepreneurship and showcased the contribution of AmCham Greece’s Startup Toolkit in the ten years since its launch.

Welcoming guests to the event, Ernestos Panayotou, General Manager of Transformation, Strategy and International Activities at the National Bank of Greece, noted that the Toolkit, which has been presented and taught at numerous educational institutions, has already contributed to the education of a first generation of entrepreneurs, while Elias Spirtounias, Executive Director of AmCham Greece, pointed out that the Toolkit itself is a successful example of a startup initiative with tangible and quantifiable results.

The Startup Toolkit was designed to offer practical advice and tools to new entrepreneurs, bridging what one must do and how one must do it, in a society in which innovation is no longer a choice but a necessity.

– Nikolaos Bakatselos, President of AmCham Greece

Following brief keynote addresses by Nikolaos Bakatselos, President of AmCham Greece, and Stavros Kalafatis, Deputy Minister for Research and Innovation at the Ministry of Development, the event featured a series of engaging panel discussions, with key themes including the considerable opportunities arising from digital transformation and globalization as well as the strategic importance of investing in human capital and the younger generations while promoting innovation, creativity, and sustainable business practices.

The first panel, led by EIE Committee Chair Litsa Panayotopoulos, focused on the Startup Toolkit initiative, its history and its impact on the Greek startup ecosystem. Spyros Arsenis, Head of the Business Innovation Development Unit of the National Bank of Greece and Director of ΝΒG’s Business Seeds program, hailed the Toolkit as an important initiative with a considerable impact, noting that “It’s something everyone can have in their library and refer to when they have questions about the relevant legal framework and the innovation ecosystem.” Professor Pananyotis Ketikidis, President of Alexander Innovation Zone in Thessaloniki, said that “When it was launched ten years ago, the Toolkit was a real gamechanger, and today, three editions later, it continues to be highly relevant and essential,” while Sonia Mousavere, Head of Communications and PGA at Bayer Hellas, pointed to the role of startups in driving and accelerating business innovation, underlining the considerable potential of partnering with startups.

I’ve followed the Startup Toolkit initiative closely and can attest to the added value of this endeavor that first and foremost brought together the private and public sectors to promote innovation.

– Niki Kerameus, Minister of Labor and Social Security.

A second panel discussion looked at entrepreneurship as a key component of Greece’s new growth model. Michael G. Arghyrou, Head of the PM’s Economic Affairs Office, spoke about the impact of AI on entrepreneurship, saying that “AI is a huge artificial shock to productivity—but it’s a positive shock. What matters now is data and how we manage it.” Alexandros Costopoulos, Secretary General of AmCham Greece, underlined the importance of promoting the right skills and culture, pointing out that “It’s a matter of education—in its broadest and most fundamental sense” and going on to underline the need to focus on soft skills, which, he stressed, aren’t just relevant to entrepreneurs, but to all of us. Fay Makantasi, Research Director at diaNEOsis, noted the speed at which change is now taking place and identified the ability to adapt and evolve as critical to success. “The new era also necessitates digital skills—and when it comes to these, our country lags behind,” she added. “We must empower people to embrace these technologies.”

The primary need is to establish a new culture. If we are to solve the multifactorial equations that keep coming up, we must embrace innovation and healthy entrepreneurship.

– Stavros Kalafatis, Deputy Minister of Development

 

What tool would be useful for a team endeavoring to develop its business idea? Without a doubt, a comprehensive guide with answers on the Greek startup ecosystem, forming a business, and intellectual property rights. In all of this, the Startup Toolkit is an indispensable assistant for anyone who wants to put their idea into practice. We know this firsthand as we have used it with all the teams we have supported over the last 10 years.

– Emeritus Professor Nikolaos Milonas, Academic Advisor at the Archimedes Center of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)

 

Being honored for my contribution to the Startup Toolkit underscores the importance of connecting academic knowledge with real-world entrepreneurship. The Toolkit has consistently bridged this gap, equipping young innovators with the tools to thrive. As a university professor, I see it as a vital platform that promotes education-driven growth, creativity, and an entrepreneurial mindset.

– Professor Aristeidis Samitas, Vice Rector of Finance at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA)

 

The event’s third and last panel discussion focused on how innovation shapes, and takes shape in, the future of entrepreneurship. Professor Georgios Doukidis, founder of the ELTRUN Research Group at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB), stressed the need to minimize risk for startups; “In terms of funding, we are at about EU average,” he said. “Our main problem, however, is that we lack the appropriate tools for those first, critical stages of a startup’s development. So while our research is outstanding, leveraging it remains limited.” Michalis Kassimiotis, Managing Director for Greece and Cyprus at Hewlett Packard Enterprise, underlined the importance of emerging technologies, noting that “Innovation today means AI,” while Nikos Maniatis, Partner and Head of Technology and Innovation at KPMG in Greece, highlighted the need to nurture entrepreneurial mindsets and noted the Startup Toolkit’s contribution in this direction: “Innovation cannot be imposed,” he pointed out. “It has to come freely from each individual’s willingness and genuine commitment.” Meanwhile, Ismini Papakirillou, CEO of the Hellenic Development Bank, discussed the opportunities and support available today to aspiring entrepreneurs and startupers in Greece. “There is now an extensive range of tools that support the financing of innovation as well as other entrepreneurial activities, such as educational programs focused on developing and promoting innovation,” she said, adding that these tools open up new possibilities for entrepreneurs and boost innovative development.

The use of AmCham’s Startup Toolkit in higher education has had a meaningful impact by promoting practical, real-world learning. It equips students and educators with valuable resources that bridge academic knowledge with business practices, fostering critical thinking, innovation, and professional readiness. By integrating industry-relevant tools into the curriculum, the Toolkit enhances the educational experience and better prepares graduates for the demands of a global economy.

– Professor Spyros Kintzios, Rector of the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA)

 

The panel discussions were followed by a special awards ceremony during which the organizers recognized the distinguished members of the academic community and the authors who have significantly contributed to the development and continued impact of the Startup Toolkit over the years.

The event’s Grand Sponsors were Bayer and National Bank of Greece – Business Seeds, and its Sponsors were Cisco, Evia Intelligent Performance, Google, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and KPMG.

 

 

 

Thank You Note from the Chair of the EIE Committee

On behalf of the Education, Innovation & Entrepreneurship (EIE) Committee of AmCham Greece, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all those who contributed to the success of the Toolkit. Your presence, insights, and support reaffirm the power of collaboration in nurturing innovation and empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs. We are proud to continue shaping a vibrant ecosystem where education meets opportunity, and ideas are transformed into impact.

– Litsa Panayotopoulos

 

For the past ten years, the Startup Toolkit has been a valuable resource in fostering an entrepreneurial culture, offering practical guidance that helps young entrepreneurs turn their ideas into sustainable businesses.

The Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) places great emphasis on promoting entrepreneurship by actively supporting the initiatives of the Athens Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (ACEin), including entrepreneurial skills training, technology transfer activities, the creation of spin-offs, business acceleration, and educational seminars for students and entrepreneurs.

We would like to thank the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce for this award, which provides us with strong motivation to continue advancing and evolving Greek entrepreneurship.

– Vasilios Vasdekis, Rector of the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB)

 

Startup Toolkit

An initiative of AmCham Greece’s Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship (EIE) Committee, the Startup Toolkit was originally initiated in 2014 with the aim of developing the business skills of the country’s budding startup community. Full of valuable tips and insights, the Startup Toolkit is a practical guide that empowers aspiring entrepreneurs, offering direction, sparking innovative thinking, and strengthening the vital link between entrepreneurship and the real economy.

The much anticipated third edition, Startup Toolkit 3.0, was published in April 2024, with the support of the National Bank of Greece–NBG Business Seeds and Bayer. Revised and enhanced, it is designed to guide and support entrepreneurs at every step of their journey, from developing and showcasing business ideas to launching a new company and growing a business.

Startup Toolkit 3.0 is available to download at www.amcham.gr/publications/.