8th AIF: Banks, public assets, and production as key levers for Greece’s economic growth and competitiveness

The 8th Athens Investment Forum, held at the Megaron Concert Hall in Athens, returned with renewed energy this year, placing the spotlight on the need for strategic and coordinated action in the Greek economy during a time of global realignment.

Under the title “Greece in the Age of Global Realignment: Opportunities and Challenges in the New Environment”, the forum brought together top banking and government executives, including:

• Kyriakos Pierrakakis, Minister of National Economy and Finance
• Edward Carrer, Chairman & CEO of Vertical Solutions
• Fokion Karavias, CEO of EUROBANK
• Vassilis E. Psaltis, CEO of Alpha Bank

Key Topics and Interventions

1. Kyriakos Pierrakakis: Strategic 3+1 Axis Plan

The Minister announced that the government will soon submit legislation to Parliament for the management of real estate assets of charitable foundations, aiming to unlock dormant assets.

The strategic 3+1 axis plan includes:

• Creation of “national champions” via European mergers and acquisitions to enhance global competitiveness.
• Utilization of public assets to attract strategic investors.
• Removal of national barriers and acceleration of digitalization of 2,200 services.
• +1 axis: Strengthening internationalization and competitiveness.

“The criterion now is speed of decision-making and implementation […] we need to run fast and run very fast,” said Pierrakakis.

Emphasis was placed on productivity through artificial intelligence and on improving investment-to-GDP and export-to-GDP ratios to align with the European average.

2. Fokion Karavias (EUROBANK): Banks and Transparency

The CEO of EUROBANK highlighted the crucial role of banks in absorbing Recovery Fund resources:

• Statistics: €8 billion in loans, €17.5 billion in investments, 531 projects, 30% digital transformation.
• Loan absorption forecast: 75% with potential for higher uptake.

“Without the private sector, this effort could not have been completed without any suspicion of wrongdoing,” Karavias emphasized.

The intervention highlighted the importance of transparency and credibility in managing European funds and the banks’ contribution to the real economy.

3. Vassilis Psaltis (Alpha Bank): Greece–Europe Bridge

Psaltis stressed Alpha Bank’s role as a pan-European bridge to strengthen Greek companies’ internationalization.

• Greece has an opportunity to leverage the global AI realignment to boost productivity and foreign direct investment.
• Effective public administration, particularly the judiciary, is a prerequisite for a truly investment-friendly environment.

“We bring Greek entrepreneurship closer to Europe,” Psaltis stated.

4. Edward Carrer (Vertical Solutions): Production Base and Growth

Carrer emphasized the need for productive investments to offset the shift of European funds toward defense and energy:“It is essential to strengthen our production base,” he said, pointing to bureaucratic obstacles and a not entirely investment-friendly public sector.

According to Carrer, national mobilization of resources and investments is key for Greece to remain competitive in the new global landscape.

The 8th Athens Investment Forum underscored the importance of:

• Banks as growth engines and guarantors of transparency in European funds.
• Public assets and strategic investors for a strong production base.
• Speed, internationalization, and digitalization as new criteria for growth.

Greece, as highlighted by the forum, is in a strategic position to leverage European and global opportunities—provided it combines productive policy, fast implementation, and geopolitical strategy.