The experts of Enterprise Europe Network Hellas — a consortium of 15 organisations across Greece — showcased their experience and expertise in key areas for Greek SMEs. Through participation in panels, workshops, and meetings with European partners and European Commission officials, they supported the strategic guidance of Greek companies towards sustainable growth and expansion into new markets.

This year’s conference, titled “Driving innovation, decarbonisation and security for SMEs: a stronger Network in action,” marked the launch of the new 2025–2028 programming period, focusing on helping businesses transition to innovative, climate-neutral and resilient business models. The programme included interactive sessions, exhibition stands, and networking opportunities designed to strengthen collaboration within and beyond the Network.

Members of the Greek consortium contributed to panels on strengthening women’s entrepreneurship (“Boosting women entrepreneurs through skills and synergies”), financing tools for SMEs (“Innovation Finance Arena: navigating EU funding instruments to support SMEs”), and decarbonisation pathways (“EEN solutions for decarbonization to a net-zero client journey”).

The Greek delegation also included a representative of the Athens Chamber of Commerce & Industry (ACCI), an active member of the EEN Hellas consortium. ACCI’s participation brought multiple benefits, providing a valuable opportunity to exchange experiences and best practices with more than 700 participants from around the world, enhancing the Chamber’s ability to offer state-of-the-art services to its members. It also served as an important moment for alignment with the other Greek partners on the consortium’s next steps, in order to further support Greek businesses — especially those located in Attica, in relation to ACCI. Engagement with European Commission representatives and international experts further strengthened ACCI’s role as a key organisation promoting SME competitiveness and internationalisation at European level. The conference brought together all members of the Enterprise Europe Network, creating momentum for coordinated action to help SMEs move towards a more sustainable and resilient future.

As part of the 2025 Annual Conference, the Network Awards highlighted three outstanding SME success stories, with the French company Cilcare receiving the Inspiring Client Journey Award for its strategic expansion in Japan. Italian company CAEmate and Hacker School were also recognised, underscoring the Network’s role in driving innovation and international growth among SMEs.

The conference concluded in Aalborg with a strong spirit of collaboration, inspiring discussions and new cross-border partnerships, laying the foundations for an even more dynamic year ahead — with the 2026 Conference to be hosted in Ireland.

Visit the website of Enterprise Europe Network Hellas: een.gr
Visit the official website of the Enterprise Europe Network: een.ec.europa.eu
Find out how ACCI can support your business: acci.gr/enterprise-europe-network/

#EENCanHelp

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The consortium meeting marking the successful completion of the current project contract took place in Volos. The event was organized by the Association of Industries in Thessaly and Central Greece (AITCG) and the consortium coordinators PRAXI Network and the National Documentation Centre (EKT).

Greece recorded enhanced performance metrics in the Enterprise Europe Network for the 2022–2025 period. As announced at the Greek consortium event held in Volos on May 19–20, 2025, the Network — the largest support network for SMEs — is showing significant results in the country.

Institutional bodies, officials from the European Commission, and representatives of the Greek government attended the event.

The event was opened by the President of AITCG, Athanasios Syrianos. Among those who addressed the audience were:

• Deputy Minister of Digital Governance Christos Boukoros

• Former Deputy Minister of Education, Religious Affairs, and Sports Zetta Makri

• Regional Vice Governor for Digital Governance and Citizen Services Giannis Anastasiou

• President of the Regional Chamber Council of Thessaly and President of Trikala Chamber Konstantinos Papaefthymiou

• President of the Magnesia Chamber Aristotelis Basdanis

• President of the Larisa Chamber Christos Giakouvis

• Director of PRAXI Network Kostas Vavekis

• Director of the National Documentation Centre Kyriakos Tolias

European Commission officials Mariella Masselink (DG GROW) and Natalia Martínez Páramo (EISMEA) spoke about the EU’s innovation and SME policies, highlighting the collaborative spirit promoted by the Network and congratulating the Greek consortium on its achievements.

Project Adviser for EISMEA, Makis Tikfesis, also participated and presented metrics and qualitative data on the Network’s composition and performance.

AITCG’s Vice President Eleni Koliopoulou presented the host organization, and the event was moderated by Georgia Fragkou, Deputy Director of AITCG and head of its Enterprise Europe Network department.

The Secretary General for Gender Equality and Human Rights, Katerina Patsogianni, delivered a presentation on “Raising Business Awareness on Inclusion Issues.”

High Performance Metrics

The Greek consortium is setting the bar higher for the future with its strong contribution to the Enterprise Europe Network:

• 6,800 Greek businesses received services from the consortium between 2022–2025.

• 165 international business partnerships were formed with its support.

• Five Greeks hold leadership roles in thematic working groups or advisory bodies, and 60 Greek advisors participate in the Network’s Sector and Thematic Groups.

• The Greek consortium ranked first in know-how transfer initiatives and second in submissions for the energy efficiency project EENergy with 126 proposals.

• Very positive service quality feedback: in the latest Impact Survey, Greek businesses reported a 35.5% revenue increase, with 9 out of 10 stating the Network met their needs “extremely well” or “very well.”

• Sixteen “success stories” were submitted by the Greek consortium, some featured on the international EEN website — one in ten published stories come from Greece.

• High Network recognition in Greece: Eurobarometer ranks the country third with a 21% recognition rate among SMEs.

EEN Hellas Moves Forward with Higher Expectations

The Enterprise Europe Network continues in Greece for 2025–2028. The funding proposal submitted to the European Commission was approved with a top score of 95/100. “The quality of collaboration among organizations led to this outcome. We continue with greater ambitions in line with dynamic SMEs aiming to go beyond national borders with innovative services and products,” said consortium coordinator Achilleas Barlas.

Angelos Angelidis, project team coordinator at EKT, presented the structure and features of the new project “EEN Hellas 2028.”

Business Panel Discussion

Four innovative businesses from Thessaly and Northern Greece shared their journeys with the Enterprise Europe Network:

• Dionysis Bochtis (FarmB)

• Dimitris Karagounis (Indeex)

• Aristidis Iakovou (Analysis)

• Dimitris Alexandrou (Centaur Technologies)

They participated in a panel moderated by Panagiotis Frantzis (EKT), engaging in an honest discussion about opportunities and challenges in today’s economic environment and responded to questions from EU officials.

The first day concluded with a technical workshop on the EEN2EIC program led by Dr. Ioannis Kortidis (PRAXI Network).

About Enterprise Europe Network Hellas

The 2022–2025 Greek consortium included 16 innovation and business support organizations:

• PRAXI Network – Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH)

• National Documentation Centre (EKT)

• Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI)

• Athens Chamber of Small and Medium Industries (ACSMI)

• Association of Industries in Thessaly and Central Greece (AITCG)

• ANKO Western Macedonia S.A. – Local Development Organization

• Arcadia Chamber of Commerce

• Ioannina Chamber of Commerce

• Kavala Chamber of Commerce

• Heraklion Chamber of Commerce

• Hellenic Development Bank of Investments S.A. (HDBI, formerly TANEO)

• Small Enterprises Institute of GSEVEE (IME GSEVEE)

• MIRTEC S.A. (Industrial Research and Technology Development Company)

• Hellenic Association of Industries (SEV)

• Federation of Industries of Greece (SBE)

• Federation of Enterprises & Industries of Peloponnese and Western Greece (SEVPEDE)

Visit the Greek consortium’s website: een.gr
Visit the international website of the Enterprise Europe Network: een.ec.europa.eu

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The magnificent event hall located in the building on Amerikis Street, which houses the ‘Konstantinos Michalos’ Entrepreneurship Centre of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, warmly welcomed representatives from the business world, the EU, and institutions participating in the Enterprise Europe Network on Wednesday, November 29, 2023.

During the event, the speakers emphasized the vast possibilities and opportunities provided by the Single Market, as well as the significant milestones achieved by the Network over its fifteen-year journey, both internationally and in Greece. They also highlighted the crucial role played by the Enterprise Europe Network in knowledge transfer, innovation facilitation, and the promotion of sustainability, resilience, green and digital transitions.

One of the key factors contributing to the success of the event was its focus on the experiences of the businesses themselves and the collaborative and complementary efforts of the Network members, with a constant emphasis on the client journey. Companies that have achieved notable successes shared their insights on how the Network operates, engaging in meaningful discussions with both their peers and Network consultants.

Empowering the extroverted, innovative Greece

Sofia Kounenaki-Efraimoglou, the President of ACCI, highlighted the remarkable achievements of the Network, stating, “With over 4 million SMEs supported to date, the Enterprise Europe Network is a true success story for Europe. It is a valuable ally that can make a tangible difference. It is no coincidence that the network’s customer satisfaction rate is close to 90% worldwide. In our country, specifically, nine out of ten customers/businesses have reported finding assistance to improve their performance and increase their turnover.”

Evi Sachini, the Director of the National Documentation Centre (EKT), emphasized that innovation is a key objective of the Enterprise Europe Network. She noted that the country now has a significant strategy for digital transformation and highlighted the encouraging trend of innovation among businesses in Greece. “Last year, we witnessed the highest rate of innovation growth in Europe, which indicates that we have achieved positive results that we can build upon,” she said.

Konstantinos Vavekis, the Director of PRAXI Network, discussed the Network’s initiatives aimed at enhancing business competition. He stated, “Our vision is for the Greek market to have viable and resilient businesses, with a focus on extroversion, innovation, and the necessary tools and strategies to enhance the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises.”

Lina Ioannou, Director of International Relations and Institutional Networking of Enterprise Greece, underscored the organization’s role in promoting the international presence of Greek SMEs. She specifically mentioned the upcoming signing of a memorandum of cooperation between Enterprise Europe Network Hellas and Enterprise Greece, with the primary objective of promoting Greek innovative products and services abroad.

Anna Athanasopoulou, Head of Unit ‘Proximity, Social Economy, Creative Industries’ at the European Commission, emphasized that “competitiveness in Europe must be achieved through the green digital transition.” In her address, she analyzed the challenges faced by small and medium-sized enterprises in the modern environment and highlighted the continued opportunities and tools for growth offered by the single market.

Evi Georgitsis, Communication Officer of the European Commission’s Representation in Greece, discussed the significant opportunities that the Single Market provides to European citizens, emphasizing the free movement of goods, services, capital, and people within the Union’s internal market.

Achilleas Barlas, Coordinator of the consortium (PRAXI Network), and Angelos Angelidis (EKT) presented the contributions of their respective organizations in establishing and strengthening the Network within the country.

Achilleas Barlas discussed the new mission of Enterprise Europe Network Hellas, which aims to support innovation, as well as the green and digital transition of Greek SMEs, through the collaboration with entrepreneurship support bodies. He also highlighted the recent evaluation results that demonstrate the Network’s significant contribution to job creation, job retention, and the international expansion of Greek businesses.

Angelos Angelidis provided insights into the evolution of the Network in Greece and shared notable success stories. He emphasized the commitment to continue providing high-quality services and supporting the country’s businesses and capabilities in the international ecosystem in the best possible way.

Immediacy, quality, efficiency

During the second half of the event, three representatives from small, new, and innovative businesses engaged in a discussion with each other and the audience, sharing their journey towards success and the type of services they received from the Network.

Georgia Kalantzi spoke about the valuable contribution of PRAXI Network and Enterprise Europe Network in establishing AlongRoute, a company that utilizes artificial intelligence to optimize weather routing at sea, with the aim of revolutionizing the shipping industry. She emphasized the significance of the services provided by the Network, stating, “The services we currently receive are incredibly important, and if we were to seek them in the market, they would be very expensive.”

Spyros Frangos, the founder of Pepper Vally, shared his initial skepticism about the existence and services of the Network. He said, “When we first learned about the Network and its services, we didn’t believe it.” Pepper Vally, headquartered in Acharnes, specializes in producing innovative textile products and receives strong support from ACSMI and PRAXI Network. Frangos continued, “Since 2018, we have been experimenting with smart fabrics, resulting in the development of biometric sensors embedded in the fabric that receive signals from the human body.”

Kozell Williams, Communications Manager at TRYGONS, expressed her enthusiasm for the Enterprise Europe Network and its executives in Greece. She stated, “For us, the Network is perfect. We had no doubts or suggestions about how things could be done differently. The immediacy, quality, and courtesy are all at 100%. Currently, we are implementing the sixth consecutive program that introduces artificial intelligence applications into our production process. Through the mediation of EKT, we have found an excellent partner from Europe.”

Marianthi Frangopoulou from HERADO, a company specializing in radiation measurement systems, shared her experience with the Network in Greece. She mentioned the challenges of finding international partners in demanding fields and expressed gratitude for the support provided by the Network executives from EKT, PRAXI Network, and ACSMI. Frangopoulou stated, “It may seem unusual for our country, but we have managed to reach space and have many more applications. The Network made it feel like a game at times.”

Panagiotis Frantzis, the Communications Manager of the Greek consortium (EKT), who co-facilitated the discussion with Alexandra Palivakou (PRAXI Network), emphasized the importance of collaboration within the Enterprise Europe Network. He expressed, “The individuals who receive support from the Network inspire us. We gather ideas and insights from their stories, which enable us to enhance how we showcase the Network’s services.”

See here how ACCI can help you.

Watch the video:

https://youtu.be/mTY33NZNPus

Learn more:

https://een.ec.europa.eu/

https://een.gr

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