A Greek delegation of seven high profile members led by Deputy Minister of Development, Dr. Stavros Kalafatis held discussions on potential collaboration between Greece and Dubai Internet City, the largest managed ICT cluster in the Middle East and North Africa and a member of TECOM Investments.

[L-R]: EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DUBAI INTERNET CITY, PROF. JACOB VASALOS – PRESIDENT OF THESSOLONIKI INNOVATION ZONE., PROF. TSIOTRAS, SECRETARY GENERAL OF CENTRAL MACEDONIA REGION., MR. STAVROS KALAFATIS, DEPUTY MINISTER OF DEVELOPMENT., PROF. LOUKAS ANANIKAS, SECRETARY GENERAL OF MINISTRY OF MACEDONIA AND THRACE

The delegation, which included Professor Loukas Ananikas, Secretary General of the Ministry of Northern Greece, Professor George Tsiotras, Secretary General of Central Macedonia Region,Professor Jacob Vasalos, President of Thessoloniki Innovation Zone and Dr. Paris Kokorotsikos of Euroconsultants, Advisor to the Innovation Zone, was received by Malek Sultan Al Malek, Executive Director of Dubai Internet City and Faisal Hammoud, Regional Sales Manager. The delegation was given an overview of the ICT cluster’s concept and related business operations of its parent company TECOM Investments.

The Greek delegation and the DIC management team exchanged views on ways to build upon a knowledge-based economy in Greece, while promoting innovation. Greece is currently implementing a euro 4 billion competitiveness programme, based on innovation and entrepreneurship. The country is also setting up an Innovation Zone in N.Greece that includes a Technology Park, Research Institutes, Science and Technology Incubators and a 150,000 sqm IT Park.

The Greek delegation members also agreed that it was the right time to drive its investment opportunities in the Middle East against the setting of its flourishing technology sector, and vice versa for the utilization of the favourable position of Thessoloniki as a gateway to S.E.Europe for GCC based enterprises.