Voices Shaping Greece’s Economic Future
By Alexandra Loli, PhD | Business Partners, Jan-Feb, 2026

For years, the debate around AI in education has been dominated by control. When generative tools entered the classroom, the conversation quickly narrowed to detection, restrictions, and how to prevent students from cheating. For a time, detection software offered comfort: a way to preserve familiar habits without rethinking the system itself.

That comfort has faded. In a world where text can be drafted, translated, expanded, or rewritten in seconds, independent authorship has become fluid. Policing it at scale does not reinforce integrity; it undermines trust. The real risk is not mass misconduct, but an education system stuck in a defensive posture, unable to reimagine its purpose.

The more important question is no longer how to defend yesterday’s methods, but how boldly we can design tomorrow’s learning

The more important question is no longer how to defend yesterday’s methods, but how boldly we can design tomorrow’s learning. Used thoughtfully, AI does not diminish human capability—it amplifies it. It dramatically lowers the cost of personalized feedback. It allows students to ask questions without fear, revisit concepts at their own pace, and engage in their own language or learning style. For educators, it can support lesson design, differentiation, assessment, and reduce administrative burden—not as a replacement for teaching, but as leverage for it.

This shift demands a new educational contract. One where understanding is demonstrated through application, problemsolving, creation, and dialogue, not inferred from polished prose alone. One where responsible AI use is explicitly taught as a core skill. And one where access to intelligent guidance is treated as a foundation, not a privilege.

The danger is not that AI provides answers. It is that education fails to teach students how to question them. The conversation we need now is not whether AI belongs in education, but how courageously we reshape learning to match the world students are already entering.

Healthcare innovation is not only a strategic health priority but also a strategic driver of resilience, productivity, and Europe’s competitiveness. If Greece wants to align with the government’s ambition for a more strategically sovereign Europe, it must position itself as a credible destination for investment in healthcare innovation, including clinical research.

The 21 member companies of AmCham Greece’s Pharmaceutical Companies Committee collectively represent approximately 80% of global biopharmaceutical R&D. We are ready to increase investment and deepen partnerships in Greece. To do so, we need a policy environment that supports longterm decisions and rewards value.

Progress will not come from intent alone, but from practical reforms

Yet the current financing model remains a major constraint. The automatic clawback mechanism, introduced as an exceptional measure, has gradually become structural. Its scale and unpredictability make sustainable planning difficult and weaken Greece’s attractiveness as an investment destination. Predictability is not a privilege; it is a minimum condition for any responsible commitment.

Clinical research highlights both Greece’s strengths and what is still missing. The country has highly capable researchers and strong infrastructure, yet it continues to underperform as a clinical trial destination. Progress will not come from intent alone, but from practical reforms: the introduction of clear incentives, efficient and consistent procedures, and most importantly, a reliable pathway from evidence to patient access. No pharmaceutical company will expand clinical trials where proven therapies face uncertainty in reaching patients.

Greece now has an opportunity to strengthen its health technology assessment (HTA) and access framework through value-based decisionmaking, outcomes, and real-world evidence. In parallel, digital health capabilities, e-prescription, interoperable records, and real-world data can support smarter policy and more effective agreements.

A multi-year roadmap built on transparency, shared accountability, and investment confidence is essential in order to unlock healthcare innovation for patients and the economy.

In an era marked by uncertainty, rapid transformation, and geopolitical realignments, manufacturing has proven to be a pillar of stability, providing the resilient foundations needed for sustainable development and longterm prosperity. Our country’s recent experience is strong proof of what the manufacturing sector and its people can offer to the economy and society, even under multiple, consecutive crises.

Greece has emerged from a decade of economic turbulence, followed by the Covid-19 crisis, stronger and more competitive. We all learned how to adapt, to innovate, and to become more resilient. In a world of growing uncertainty, Greece has become a beacon of stability, attracting investment, generating growth, and improving the everyday lives of its people.

In a world of growing uncertainty, Greece has become a beacon of stability

Yet, the economic and political landscape is once again in relative flux, while the AI revolution is promising to lead—if not already leading—a global economic and social transformation. The great artificial intelligence revolution might have empowered us with new capabilities, but real progress derives its meaning from the people it serves. Technology alone does not create prosperity, and that is why continued investment in human capabilities remains essential.

How are we as corporations and as leaders supposed to stand against these new challenges? How can we continue creating shared value in a world that changes so rapidly? Still, within this complexity lie profound opportunities for countries and companies willing to adapt, invest, and lead with clarity and purpose. At Papastratos, with experience deriving from our 95 years of operations, we see human capital as the decisive differentiator in this new era.

In a world driven by technology and artificial intelligence, it is, still, human potential and human intelligence that ultimately define success. Technology, including the transformative rise of artificial intelligence, expands our capabilities, but people give those capabilities meaning. The future of work will reward—and require—continuous learning, adaptability, and a culture that empowers individuals to grow. For companies and institutions alike, cultivating skills and trust is not simply an internal priority; it is a national economic and social imperative.

The discussions at the 2025 Greek Economic Summit underscored a fundamental shift in Greece’s growth narrative: Investment, innovation, and sustainability can no longer be pursued as parallel goals. They must function as a single integrated strategy, one that strengthens longterm economic resilience while delivering tangible social value.

Over the past decade, Greek businesses have operated amid successive financial, geopolitical, and public-health crises. This prolonged period of uncertainty has fostered adaptability, discipline, and strategic maturity across the private sector. Crucially, it has also revealed that crises can serve as catalysts for transformation—provided there is a clear vision and effective collaboration between private enterprises and public institutions.

Today, Greece is increasingly viewed as a credible and attractive investment destination, supported by political stability, an improving institutional framework, competitive taxation, and a highly skilled talent base.

Economic progress cannot endure without social cohesion

Sustainability, particularly within the circular economy, must be treated not as an abstract aspiration but as a measurable outcome. At Texan, our experience demonstrates how the combination of advanced international technologies with strong local expertise can generate innovation that addresses Greece’s structural realities, including energy autonomy, seasonality, and geographic dispersion. Greek engineers consistently translate global knowhow into locally designed, scalable solutions with growing export potential.

Equally vital is the social dimension of sustainable growth. Economic progress cannot endure without social cohesion. Businesses must contribute through stable, high-quality employment and meaningful corporate social responsibility initiatives. In this spirit, Texan has launched a one million euro CSR program focused on the environment, society, health, and local communities, recognizing that reinvesting in society reinforces the foundations of longterm economic performance.

As emphasized at GES 2025, the private sector has a decisive role in shaping a more diversified, resilient, and forward-looking productive model for Greece—one where growth is sustainable, inclusive, and futureproof.

Infrastructure constitutes a pillar of longterm economic growth and a catalyst for modern productive activity, high quality living conditions, and social wellbeing. Today, however, it faces a critical turning point. Urban population saturation, climate change, the green transition, and the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence and digital technologies are fundamentally reshaping people’s expectations of energy, transport, and water systems. As international studies demonstrate, the link between infrastructure and social progress is direct: The higher the quality, adequacy, and breadth of a country’s infrastructure, the higher its Human Development Index score, which reflects overall societal wellbeing.

The higher the quality, adequacy, and breadth of a country’s infrastructure, the higher its overall societal wellbeing

Greece’s prolonged economic crisis led to a contraction of its gross domestic product (GDP) by 25%. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, growth rates have averaged 2.5%. Of decisive importance for the economy’s trajectory in the coming years is not only the development strategy to be adopted after the end of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) at the end of 2026, but also the extent to which the country’s substantial investment needs are met.

It is estimated that over the next decade, investments of around €29 billion—approximately 12% of GDP—will be required for non-energy infrastructure alone, such as road and rail networks and ports, with the objective of creating an integrated and interconnected logistics and supply chain system.

With the investment gap visible and steadily widening, the GEK Terna Group has never ceased—even during the most challenging years—to undertake investments of high added value and strong social impact. Safeguarding critical state functions, improving citizens’ everyday lives, and strengthening the resilience of the economy and the country are integral components of our investment program.

Over the past decade, energy has shifted from a stable component of economic activity to a critical variable shaping policy choices, investment decisions, and geopolitical positioning across Europe. Recent global developments, with emphasis on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, have made it clear that secure and diversified energy supply is now synonymous with geopolitical independence and cannot be taken for granted.

Secure and diversified energy supply is now synonymous with geopolitical independence

Within this evolving landscape, Greece is emerging as a key energy player, extending its reach beyond national boundaries. Its geographic location, combined with political stability and consistent strategic investment in modern energy infrastructure and cross-border interconnections, allows the country to strengthen energy supply diversification for Southeast and Central Europe. Projects of strategic importance, such as the Alexandroupolis LNG Terminal, play a decisive role in reshaping the energy balance of the wider region, providing reliable and competitive alternative gas supply routes and reducing regional dependence on traditional energy sources. The terminal actively contributes to the European Union’s objectives, reinforcing regional energy security, accelerating Europe’s transition away from Russian gas, and supporting broader economic stability.

At the same time, Europe’s commitment to the energy transition remains unequivocal. Achieving climate objectives, however, requires a pragmatic and balanced approach. Flexible energy systems, resilient infrastructure, and transitional solutions will continue to be essential in ensuring adequacy and reliability throughout the transition toward lower-carbon energy sources. Security of supply and decarbonisation must advance in parallel, reinforcing rather than undermining one another.

For Greece, the key challenge lies in maintaining strategic coherence. A stable regulatory framework, alignment with European policy priorities and the mobilization of private investment are critical to sustaining momentum. When supported by institutional credibility and longterm planning, the energy sector can serve as a catalyst for growth, innovation, and regional cooperation.

In an era of heightened uncertainty, energy policy is no longer a sectoral issue but a defining component of economic strategy. Greece has the opportunity to strengthen its position as a reliable partner and a source of stability, contributing to a more resilient and interconnected European energy architecture.

We are witnessing radical shifts in the global geopolitical and geoeconomic environment marked by increased competition among major powers, supply chain disruptions, and heightened insecurity, in parallel with the expected disruptive effects of artificial intelligence. These changes have put pressure on the Greek as well as the broader EU economy, underscoring the importance of technological advancement and industrial strength in ensuring economic stability, growth, and social cohesion.

To achieve sustainable development and economic resilience, industrial investments have to be seen as a matter of absolute priority

While Greece has achieved fiscal stability, a significant reduction in unemployment to pre-crisis levels, and rising exports, the country still lags significantly behind in industrial growth and competitiveness compared to European averages. Key challenges include low per capita GDP, a manufacturing industry that remains below the EU average, and limited new industrial investments. Greece’s labor productivity remains the lowest among all EU countries, highlighting the need for a stronger and more dynamic industrial ecosystem. The manufacturing industry is the pre-eminent economic activity of high productivity and the highest growth multipliers.

To achieve sustainable development and economic resilience in today’s highly unstable and unpredictable global environment, industrial investments have to be seen as a matter of absolute priority. This is a broader EU priority reflected in the European Commission’s Clean Industrial Deal initiative, which strongly suggests to the EU member states to put all necessary tools and incentives in place to secure Europe’s industrial future. Among the highly recommended measures to support industrial investments figure accelerated depreciation schemes—in place in almost all EU countries, but still not in Greece.