The thread, which will connect Greek startups with the rich networks offered by the innovation ecosystem in the US, snagged the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) global conference on global technology and start-up entrepreneurship at the end of March. first time in Hellas.

Marina expresses her optimism for the future of Greek entrepreneurship and innovation, emphasizing that the outlook is positive, but also the need to capitalize on the “gold mine (of human potential) that exists in Greece”, speaking to Dimitris Manolis for APE-MPE Hatsopoulos, Greek-American technology entrepreneur, angel investor, and MIT alumnus who appeared as a speaker in conference proceedings.

In fact, he describes the dynamics that have developed in Greece in the field of entrepreneurship. In particular, Marina Hatsopoulos reports that entrepreneurship is starting to gain momentum, emphasizing that “the current government has really destroyed many obstacles” in its path. That’s one of the reasons we’re seeing it start picking up momentum today, he notes, and appreciates there’s still room for growth.

In fact, in this direction, MIT’s 25th Global Startup Workshop in Athens highlights the importance for Greece. In particular, he notes that thanks to the two-day MIT event, Greek startups had the opportunity to present their ideas to a wide international audience, consisting of representatives of innovative companies, investors, suppliers, customers. They were also given the opportunity to network with the US innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

If only he were in Boston…

Analyzing the startup industry in Greece, Marina Hatzopoulos notes that Greek entrepreneurs operate in our country without the very rich networks that exist in the US. “Networks can be very powerful for the labor market, investors, customers, suppliers. And so any of these startups that we saw in Athens, if they were in Boston, could have access to this entire network, ”he said.

What opportunities does Greece provide for innovation and entrepreneurship? Greece has a rich human resource with talent, very well trained engineers, designers and programmers, which is a fundamental resource, the Greek-American entrepreneur replies.

In this context, the Israeli model is preferable for Greek startups. At the same time, innovative companies will have their headquarters and marketing and sales departments in the United States, and developers will be left at home. As he explains, it’s a way to use all the talented human resources that exist here in Greece and also use all the networks available in America so it’s mutually beneficial and at the same time he identifies himself as the end goal being to boost employment in Greece. .

Research work of universities

At the same time, the “great research project” carried out in Greek universities and research centers is outstanding. They patent, publish, but don’t market or have experience, he says, and encourages them to follow MIT’s lead. Marina Hatzopoulos, who grew up in Boston and earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, notes that developing new technologies takes much more time and investment, but over time, the payoff can be excellent.

He highlights the impact and prospects of global tech giants such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon investing in Greece. They are very important, he emphasizes and explains: “Each innovation hub is a cluster, which includes a university that provides new talent and research. This, in order to then become marketable, includes startups, a whole ecosystem of startups.” In fact, the presence of large technology companies in Greece, he assesses as very important, “because they become customers for start-ups, help finance them and provide an integrated ecosystem that attracts scientists who have left the country.”

Investment interest in Greece

Is there any investment interest in Greece? “Definitely, absolutely yes,” the Greek-American entrepreneur, who has already invested in many technology and health-related startups in our country, clearly states. In addition, she expresses her desire to expand investments in her parents’ homeland, saying that she has received a very positive response and her cooperation with Greek businessmen is very good.

More broadly, there is “a very strong interest in investing in Greece”.

Which areas of Greece should you invest in? Marina Hatsopoulos is engaged in tourism and shipping, but not in the sphere of her personal interests. In the field of shipping and tourism, Greece has historically had great strength. “There are a lot of opportunities for technology development in these areas, but there are many more beyond that,” he says, noting life science and data analytics, areas that he says don’t require huge investments.

In addition, he sees “tremendous prospects” in energy and logistics.

Why do Greeks succeed abroad? Entrepreneurship is innate among the Greeks, and they are very educated – “a characteristic of successful entrepreneurs,” he replies. However, at the same time, he believes that entrepreneurship is starting to flourish in Greece as well.

Tips for new startups

What advice would you give to a start-up business who has an idea and a desire to move forward? “The first thing she should do is do some research, pretend to be a customer, find one solution that is most likely, and then compare her solution with others and see if her solution is really better. Next, talk to customers. You don’t really know the market until you talk to customers and ideally create a prototype that is as close to the final product as possible. So he can introduce it to clients, get their feedback, and most importantly, the only way to know if a client is interested is not when they praise your idea, but when they bid you for it. If they are willing to give you money for a pre-order, then you know their interest, ”says Marina Hatsopoulos, who heads companies in Zurich and Boston and advises startups. To be an entrepreneur, you have to learn from failure, he stresses.

With regard to the MIT seminars held in Athens as part of the conference, this is confirmed by the participation and speeches of very successful Greek entrepreneurs, as well as five presentations of Greek startups that have expressed a desire to expand in the US.

Finally, he applauds the work of the MIT Enterprise Forum Greece in hosting this year’s Global Startup Workshop in Athens.

The conference offered more than 1500 attendees two days of inspiring speeches, discussions, workshops, networking and presentation of the latest startup trends, which further accelerated and developed the Greek ecosystem.

The MIT Enterprise Forum Greece will hold a press conference to celebrate the first time in Greece, the highly successful MIT Global Startup Workshop (MIT GSW) 2023, on Wednesday, April 19 at 12:00 pm, in Konstantinos Michalos Hall, EBEA.

MITEF Greece Vice President Vassilis Papakonstantinou and Executive Director Antigoni Molodanov will present the report on the conference, the results achieved and the way forward, as well as the new goals of the program.

Source: RES-IPE