Digital transformation processes are accelerated by Greek Post Office (ELTA) in order to reduce service time and improve the performance of the state-owned company. In this direction, tomorrow Friday ELTA will open the second digital sorting center in the country, namely in the Oriokastro sorting center, Thessaloniki. The facility includes 45 mini-robotic systems that have been installed in the sorting center and will be fully operational during the Thessaloniki International Fair. The robotic systems are capable of handling 3,000 parcels per hour and are powered by artificial intelligence technology, which is the first of its kind in Europe. They also have the ability to transport from a simple envelope to a 10kg package, automatically weigh them and send them with absolute accuracy to the recipient’s bag for immediate dispatch, simultaneously serving 120 postcodes.

The launch of the new ELTA robotic system comes about a year after the opening in September 2021 of the robotic and fully digital item sorting equipment installation at the sorting center in Kryoneri. The company is expected to continue launching other digital sorting centers.

The installation at the sorting center in Oreokastro includes 45 mini-robots.

To further digitize its processes, ELTA is launching two new services: digital postman and smart lockers. Through the digital post office, ELTA will allow its customers to carry out contactless transactions, payments, collection and comparison of orders and invoices. In addition, users will be able to receive real-time updates on their order progress and receipt notifications tagged with the distributor that serves them. In addition, smart lockers will allow customers to leave and collect their belongings or mail 24 hours a day throughout the year.

These new services will be showcased at the ELTA booth at TIF, which will also feature drone mission planning, a project launched jointly with the Ministry of Digital Governance. The company is expected to launch a pilot program using drones in the coming months. In 2021, ELTA posted a consolidated turnover of €299.5 million, which was down 6% compared to FY 2020 due to a drop in letters from large customers as a result of the transition to digital mail. The group showed pre-tax losses, financial and investment results and depreciation of €115 million and a net loss of €131.5 million, but showed adjusted earnings (Adjusted Ebitda) of €7.3 million against a loss of €8.76 million euros in 2020. In 2021, equity was negative, rising to EUR 76.7 million, mainly due to the implementation of the voluntary redundancy program for 1,976 employees, which had a significant impact on ELTA’s results.