{"id":2568,"date":"2025-01-25T10:45:13","date_gmt":"2025-01-25T10:45:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/in-greece.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/25\/health-ai-and-the-private-sector-in-greece\/"},"modified":"2025-01-25T10:45:13","modified_gmt":"2025-01-25T10:45:13","slug":"health-ai-and-the-private-sector-in-greece","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/in-greece.com\/index.php\/2025\/01\/25\/health-ai-and-the-private-sector-in-greece\/","title":{"rendered":"Health, AI and the private sector in Greece"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Greece is poised to become a regional and European leader in the health and life sciences sector by the end of this decade. A key factor in unleashing this potential will be how the government engages with private industry over the next 12 to 18 months.<\/p>\n

Late last year, the government unveiled its long-awaited strategy for reorganizing Greece\u2019s cherished but somewhat dysfunctional National Health System (ESY). A few weeks later, Greece was named as one of seven countries to host the first European Union-backed artificial intelligence (AI) factories. The project, named Pharos, will have health as a major focus. Specifically, to leverage the digitized data collated through Greece\u2019s efforts to create a national Electronic Health Record for ESY patients. AI needs data, and the data pool of the Greek health system can become a major asset for the country, enabling researchers, entrepreneurs and life sciences companies to make groundbreaking advances in medicine. It would be an opportunity for Greece to surpass other countries that have already started down the path of AI development.<\/p>\n

Add to that Greece\u2019s already robust pharmaceutical industry. Greek pharma and life sciences have drawn significant foreign and domestic investment in the last five years, with more than 1 billion euros invested. US drug giant Pfizer has several research and development (R&D) hubs in Greece, and Johnson & Johnson recently announced a new clinical trials hub in the country.<\/p>\n

The addition of an AI factory focused on health has the potential to move Greece to the forefront of developing health solutions for the future; not just for Greece, but also for Europe and the world. AI has the potential to facilitate drug development, as well as improve healthcare access, disease prevention and the management of chronic diseases. To realize these benefits, robust and effective collaboration between the public and private sector will be crucial. At the 8th InvestGR Forum in July, we will provide a platform for industry leaders and policy makers to discuss how to achieve that. There\u2019s a lot riding on the outcome.<\/p>\n\n

Andreas Yannopoulos is founder of Public Affairs & Networks, which organizes the annual InvestGR Forum.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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