StartupNow Forum 2021 – From the city of industry to the city of innovation and creative development

Deputy Mayor of Elefsina, Athanasios Mavrogiannis writes.

“Neither the strongest, nor the smartest is the one who survives. The one who adapts to change survives.” Adapting this timeless commentary of Darwin to the current global socio-economic conditions, the search and development of new innovative models to improve the standard of living and the functioning of a city is a one-way street. The climate crisis, the pandemics, the changes caused by digital work are issues that now completely change both our productive model and our daily lives.

Analyzing Europe’s strategy makes it clear that in order to overcome modern challenges we must create a smarter, greener city in which our prosperity will come from research, science and the development of new innovative models.

The Municipality of Elefsina in recent decades has supported its economic development in the operation of dozens of industrial and craft units which, like the rest, have faced both the economic crisis of recent years and global challenges. Will they continue to exist? Do they have the right human capital infrastructure and the right financial tools? And if not what will happen in a city with specific and established conditions? It is a given that the companies of Thriasio field will need automation in their production processes, development of models of transition to digital transformation and finding innovative minds and start-ups.

The answer to the above is directly related to the latest developments in our country in the field of research and innovation. Now Greece, through the “National Register of Start-ups” Elevate Greece “, has recorded all the start-ups that operate in our country, their fields, technologies and their size. In Greek universities we see one spin off one after the other, while private investors have tax incentives for the first time, while we see many innovation programs connected with both the central government and established companies.

In this direction, the Municipality of Elefsina will host on 05-06 October the StartupNow Forum 2021 one of the largest conferences on Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology at the Old Elefsina Oil Mill with the participation of hundreds of organizations and start-ups from the innovative ecosystem.

The aim of the conference is to network all the important actors of the Greek ecosystem as well as to highlight the latest market trends and new technologies. Start-ups, entrepreneurs, investors, organizations and the scientific community will meet live and online to close targeted B2B and B2G business deals.

The Municipality of Elefsina in the next period has planned the development of a series of innovation programs and wants to lay the foundations for the city of industry to become the city of innovation and creative development.