‘The most important investment we can make is in knowledge production; the expectation is that Greece will now export expertise’

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday cut the ribbon at the official inauguration of the new smart building housing the Institute of Informatics and Telecommunications (IIT) at the National Centre for Scientific Research ‘Demokritos’ in Agia Paraskevi, sending a message about reinforcing research and innovation.

“A highly ambitious plan is today becoming a reality,” Mitsotakis said as he inaugurated the new building, stressing that “reflects this new momentum of excellence and innovation in our country, as well as the very high expectations this government has for Greece in the age of Artificial Intelligence.”

He added that “in the emerging global landscape, the most important investment we can make is in knowledge production, the exploitation of our data and computing power, with Greece gaining a significant international presence thanks to Daedalus in Lavrio.”

The expectation is that Greece will now be able to export expertise

“The State and the public sector now have the opportunity to become not merely faster and more efficient, but also better prepared for the major challenges of tomorrow,” Mitsotakis said, noting that Greece was entering a new era of technological innovation.

“We are now leaving behind an era in which our country essentially relied on importing ready-made technological solutions. We are now coordinating our efforts with the aim of developing not only domestic expertise but also innovative applications across a range of cutting-edge fields, from public health – where artificial intelligence is indeed bringing about a revolution – to education,” the prime minister said, adding:
“My expectation is that Greece will now be able to export expertise. Technology must become a pillar of economic growth and collective prosperity. I would also say that, in an increasingly fluid geopolitical environment, it is taking on additional strategic significance.”

He also emphasised the message of optimism being conveyed: “Our country is not afraid of the future. Technological progress ultimately has meaning only if it delivers tangible benefits in some way to the everyday lives of every Greek woman and every Greek man.”

Development Minister announces 8th Demokritos institute

During the inauguration ceremony, Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos announced the establishment of Demokritos’ eighth institute, dedicated to Research Integrity, Security and Ethics. As he explained, it will be “an interdisciplinary institute for developing tools, knowledge and policies for responsible research.”

“Technological progress raises a very important question: it is not just what we can do with artificial intelligence and new technologies, but within what framework, under what rules and with what safeguards for human responsibility, ethics and safety we should do it. This is a major challenge,” Theodorikakos stressed. He added that “this will be an interdisciplinary institute that will contribute to the development of knowledge, tools and policies for trustworthy artificial intelligence, cyber security and responsible research.”

The announcement came just days after the development minister had announced plans to establish a seventh institute, dedicated to microelectronics, micromechanics and microsystems, during an event marking Demokritos’ 65th anniversary.

Deputy Minister of Development responsible for Research and Innovation, Stavros Kalafatis, stressed that “it is no coincidence that the Prime Minister just yesterday inaugurated the Daedalus supercomputer, which will host the PHAROS AI Factory. This is the result of a coherent plan being put into practice. At the Ministry of Development and within the government, we firmly believe that scientific knowledge acquires its true value when it is put into practice.”

He went on to add that “bringing researchers and businesses together creates synergies that generate innovative solutions. Demokritos’ new building strengthens this approach by turning knowledge into tangible social benefits.”

The Secretary-General for Research and Innovation, Dimitris Terzis, referred to the inauguration of the national Daedalus supercomputer, noting that “the building we are inaugurating today, together with its data centre, will soon be connected to the system and will serve not only Demokritos’ needs but also some of Daedalus’ requirements.”

He went on to point out that “the facility where we are gathered also symbolises a series of major investments the government has made in research, drawing on national and EU funding.”
Vangelis Karkaletsis, Director and Chair of the Board of Directors of Demokritos, emphasised that Demokritos is a multidisciplinary research centre whose institutes develop cutting-edge technologies and support applications in health, the environment, energy, culture and materials science.

“Today’s inauguration is a milestone for both Demokritos and Artificial Intelligence,” he said, adding that |”the real value lies primarily in what will be created inside this new building: the knowledge that will be produced, the ideas that will emerge and the partnerships that will develop.”

Karkaletsis also announced that, in 2027, Demokritos will co-organise two major pan-European conferences: the European Conference on Language Technology in March and the European Conference on Artificial Intelligence in October. An international meeting on AI solutions to address climate change, entitled the ‘AI for Climate Summit’, will also be held as part of Greece’s Presidency.

The construction of the IIT building forms part of a wider building development programme for Demokritos, funded by the European Investment Bank and the Public Investment Programme. The building itself had a budget of € 8.5 million.

The new building is a state-of-the-art research facility hosting cutting-edge research in artificial intelligence, next-generation networks and cyber security. It also houses Demokritos’ data centre and the offices of Pharos S.A., Greece’s AI Factory.

The blessing ceremony was conducted by Metropolitan Nikolaos of Mesogaia and Lavreotiki. Also in attendance were Deputy Development Minister Zoe Rapti and the Mayor of Agia Paraskevi, Giannis Mylonakis.

AMNA.GR