For Greek people and businesses to truly embrace the capabilities of new technologies like artificial intelligence, they first need to experience how they can have a meaningful and positive impact on their lives, Digital Governance Minister Dimitris Papastergiou told the EmTech Europe 2025 conference in Athens on Thursday, outlining how the government is investing in building this trust.
“Trust is not given for free. We must first change ourselves before we ask for it from citizens, by providing them with digital solutions that improve their daily lives,” he said in a discussion about Greece’s role in the new era of AI on the last of a two-day conference by the MIT Technology Review, organized in cooperation with Kathimerini.
He said that Greece is among the seven European countries set to host one of the continent’s first AI factories, while work is also under way on the Daedalus supercomputer, which will support big data management for public administration.
Other important initiatives include 13 low-orbit microsatellites that Greece is expected to acquire within the year and which are expected to contribute to cybersecurity, wildfire prevention, civil protection, agricultural development and other critical areas.
Efforts to modernize the public administration and slash red tape have resulted in some 2,200 services now being available via a digital assistant, while AI has also been tapped to great effect for the completion of the country’s land register, the minister said.
Papastergiou went on to introduce a new initiative called Pharos (after the Greek word for “lighthouse”), which, he said, is designed to attract startups developing solutions for both the public and private sectors. Key focus areas for Pharos include healthcare, large language models (LLMs), civil protection and public safety.
Addressing other technological advancements in Greece, the discussion’s moderator, Kathimerini journalist Margarita Pournara, made reference to the innovations implemented in the city of Trikala, where Papastergiou previously served as mayor. The first smart city infrastructure projects began in 2002 and since 2014, technology has become more accessible to citizens through initiatives such as telemedicine, unmanned vehicles, and free Wi-Fi hotspots.
“We don’t want technology for the sake of technology – we need to identify the problem and move towards a solution,” the minister said.
When asked about the brain drain and the challenge of recruiting specialized scientists for the public sector, he acknowledged that “the public sector job market is bleeding, as the private sector absorbs a large share of highly skilled workers,” while also underscoring the importance of continuous training for public employees to keep up with AI and cybersecurity advancements.
Responding to a question about the 2023 Tempe rail disaster, Papastergiou admitted that he felt “defeated, both as a public servant and as an engineer,” acknowledging that Greece has paid a heavy price for inadequate infrastructure.
“We must keep pushing forward to create safe infrastructure,” he said.