Business and Education

US Senator Paul Sarbanes on Greece

An initiative of the Hellenic Center for Investment (ELKE) is the Athens Business Club 2004.  The focus of the Athens Business Club event launched by the Athens Stock Exchange (ASE) on August 19 were the perpectives of Greek capital markets.  The main speakers were Deputy Minister of Economy and Finance, Petros Doukas, President of the ASE Iakovos Georganas, and U.S. Senator Paul S. Sarbanes. 

Senator Sarbanes emphasized Greece's role as a springboard for investors targeting Southeastern Europe, the middle East and North Africa: "Greece is the perfect entry point for those activities".  He also added that Greece offers "a stable political and economic environment, competitive human resources, access to markets both within and outside the EU...".

In a related matter, ELKE has made availabe some facts and figures regarding Greece's intellectual capital ("Greece's 'Intellectual Capital': A Strong National Asset"). The $150 billion economy of Greece has witnessed a shift; today roughly 60% of the workforce is involved in the service sector, 20% in agriculture, and 20% in industry. Training and education increasingly reflect the needs of today's globalized economy. "There are roughly 195,000 students enrolled in post-secondary educational institutions in Greece and of these, about 26,000 are in masters or doctoral programs." Greek students have traditionally shown a strong interest in medicine, the sciences, engineering and electronics.  

Greece's "intellectual capital" will continue to be a strong national asset and investors who are seeking special skills will have a host of competitive advantages when choosing Greece as an investment location.

Media Release (ELKE)...

Links to the Greek Economy...

Athens Business Club 2004