Digital transformation and the Greek aspirations for the Space
During the 8th Delphi Economic Forum NEMO chaired two very interesting discussions about the digital transformation and about how Greece can take advantage of the opportunities presented in the world of satellite communications.
In detail, as the term digital transformation has become ubiquitous, every private and public organization relies more and more on technology, aiming for a more efficient and competitive operation. Fanouris Drakakis, editor-in-chief of NEMO’s 2045.gr chaired a multidisciplinary panel where participants outlined the challenges and opportunities posed by digital transformation to the Greek public sector and the country’s enterprises. Information Society General Director of Directorate General of Projects Dimitris Giantsis noted that the company currently manages 400 projects worth EUR 4.9 billion and underlined that the successful implementation is of utmost importance.
Hellenic Development Bank Executive Vice-President Pantelis Tzortzakis noted that Greece needs an extrovert economy supported by competitiveness and innovation, while Yodiwo CEO Alexandros Maniatopoulos stressed that Greek companies tend to have slightly more reservations towards digital transformation when compared to their European peers. KPMG Greece Partner Dionysis Diamantopoulos said that customer experience and the deployment of an agile operating model are two common characteristics in digital transformation implementations, while Masoutis COO Theodoros Gerostergioudis noted the importance of digital transformation in food safety and in ensuring inclusion, referring to the first supermarket of the company for people with visual impairment.
The discussion on the challenges of digital communication showed that Greece is pursuing its own national strategy. As the Secretary General for Telecommunications and Posts, Thanasis Staveris-Polykalas, pointed out, Greece is currently using the Economic Recovery and Reconstruction Facility and has allocated 200 million euros for the implementation of the micro-satellite programme.
Greek companies will participate by manufacturing 65% of the ground infrastructure and 35% of the space-related equipment. Hellas Sat President and CEO Christodoulos Protopapapas stressed that every euro invested in space technologies and services brings up to 12 euros to the economy and that satellite communications are essential for effective and secure quantum communications.