Dissemination > Programme Information > Greece

Greece - National Programme Information

National policies

The horizontal (general or trans-sectored) component of the national RTD policy is much stronger than the vertical (sectored or industry and discipline specific) one. Increase in both public and private funding, establishment of sustainable linkages between research and industry and enhancement of excellence are some fundamental concerns of the policy makers.

The increase of the spending for RTD from 0,6% of the GDP to 1,5% by 2010 has been adopted and included in the National Reform Programme of Greece. In the frame of these general goals, the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT) prepared the “research and innovation” component of the Operational Programme for Competitiveness 2000-2006. The GSRT has also led the Greek Presidencies of EUREKA 2001-02 and of the European Union in the first semester 2003, and applied for membership in the European Space Agency (member since 2004). The GSRT is supporting the participation of public researchers into the Framework Programme of the EU with matching funds.

Priority areas

The General Secretariat for Research and Technology, as the main competent body for RTD policy, summarises the priorities since 2001 as follows:

Growth of the demand for new knowledge and for RTD results
Reorganisation of the research system
Further opening to the international cooperation
Development of research and technological infrastructures
Focusing of the RTD effort on private-public collaboration and on areas of public interest

In practice, these priorities are translated into emphasising industrial RTD, demonstration, innovation and exploitation of research results, which could enhance the demand for research services both in firms and the civil service. There is also an increasing need to improve the impact of RTD on the socio-economic development, which leads to merging efforts and activities of the very small research units into larger cooperative projects.

Funding organisations

The funding system in Greece does not provide for intermediary organisations for the allocation of funds. The GSRT of the Ministry of Development and the Ministry of Education are funding directly institutions and projects by the “ordinary” and “investments” budgets. Limited funds to private firms are also provided by the Ministry of Economy and Finance as subsidies to investors in research laboratories and similar facilities.

Programme information

The General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT) of the Ministry, of Development has co-funded the project "Development of an integrated methodology for the design of RoRo-passenger ships and application to the design of a feeder RoRo-passenger ship for the needs of the Greek short sea shipping" (Concerted Program, code SP-MET 04) together with the E.C. under the Operational Program "COMPETITIVENESS". Participating Structural Fund is the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The ministries of defence and development in 2001 inaugurated a cooperative effort for maritime research via the "Posidon" system, used by the National Center of Maritime Research (EKTHE).

Defence Minister Akis Tsohatzopoulos and Development Minister Nikos Christodoulakis jointly inaugurated the program, which would allow the defence ministry to use the "Posidon" system for research in sea-surface, below surface and measurement research that is conducted by the research vessel "Aegean" and the bathyscaph "Thetis".

Contact Point

Ministry of Development, Secretariat General for Research and Technology
General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT),
14-18 Mesogeion Av.,
115 27 Athens,
Tel: +3 210 7458000

Contact: Dimitris Poutoukis
Email: dpoutoukis@gsrt.gr

Contact: Poly Sakellariou

Email: psak@gsrt.gr
Programmes and PAVE
URL: www.gsrt.gr

back