The 2026 Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) Awards ceremony took place yesterday at the Athens Concert Hall in a splendid ceremony, held under the auspices of the Presidency of the Republic. The event was honored by the presence and remarks of the President of the Republic, Mr. Konstantinos An. Tasoulas, before representatives of the country’s political, state, and business leadership.
According to the relevant press release, during a period of intense geopolitical and economic upheaval, the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) honored this year companies that represent the future of the Greek economy and confirm that business excellence is a fundamental prerequisite for sustainable development.
From historic industries to dynamic, emerging ventures, the distinguished companies respond with maturity, openness, and strategic insight to major contemporary challenges—such as the green and digital transition, artificial intelligence, and the restructuring of supply chains—proving that they can turn changes into opportunities for progress, support social cohesion, and create quality jobs
The event opened with a speech by the President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Yannis Bratakos, who emphasized“that this is not merely an awards ceremony, but an opportunity for the business community to assess its achievements and look ahead to the challenges of tomorrow.”
As he noted, Greece has regained its credibility and stabilized economically, but the key challenge for the coming decade is the country’s productive upgrade. This, as he explained, means an economy that will be based more on production, knowledge, technology, and outward-looking policies, creating better jobs, higher wages, and more opportunities for young people.
Mr. Bratakos also emphasized that a strong economy is a fundamental prerequisite for strengthening the country, noting that entrepreneurs today play a significant social and national role by investing in production, young scientists, and the development of the Greek economy.
To achieve this goal, he proposed a new national production pact between the State, businesses, and society, which would be based on five key pillars.
First, swift and consistent reforms are needed to shape a state that is an ally of creativity, with faster justice, stable rules, and less bureaucracy. The second pillar is investment in research and technology by linking universities and laboratories with industry, in order to create the right ecosystem that will keep young scientists in the country.
Third, Mr. Bratakos identified strong technical and vocational education as the foundation of a productive Greece, moving away from the stereotypes of the past and aligning with the market’s actual needs for specialized skills. A fourth pillar is the proper utilization of artificial intelligence, integrating it with rules and transparency as a tool that empowers people and increases productivity, particularly helping small and medium-sized enterprises.
Finally, the fifth pillar is the primary sector and agri-food, with the aim of transforming Greek land into a source of new wealth through certification, branding, smart agriculture, and strategic links with the food industry and tourism.
Concluding his speech, the President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry sent a resounding message of optimism and shared progress, emphasizing that the country’s next leap of confidence will be achieved by everyone together—the state, the market, universities, and workers. “The Greece that produces is the Greece that stands tall. The Greece that innovates is the Greece that moves forward. The Greece that believes in its people is the Greece that wins the future. It is this Greece we serve, and it is this Greece we honor tonight,” said Mr. Bratakos.
The 2026 EBE Awards were presented as follows:
- Sustainable Corporate Governance Award: METLEN Energy & Metals
- Extroversion Award: ELPEN
- Research and Innovation Award: UBITECH
- Young Entrepreneur Award: Dr. Konstantinos Kyriakopoulos, co-founder, CEO, and Managing Director of DeepSea Technologies
- Growing SME Award: Koukakis Farm
- Startup Entrepreneurship Award: PhosPrint S.A.
- Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership Award: Ioulia Tseti, Chairwoman and CEO of the Tseti Pharmaceutical Group
- Digital Transformation Award: Qualco Group
- Industrial Production Award: Palaplast
- Business Tradition and Progress Award: VIANEX Group
Furthermore, the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) awarded an Honorary Distinction for Overall Contribution to the Economy to Mr. Yannis Stournaras, for his long-standing contribution to economic science, the formulation of economic policy, and the safeguarding of financial stability at the national and European levels.
The 2026 EBE Awards were presented by: The Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Kostis Hatzidakis, the Sustainable Corporate Governance Award, the Minister of National Defense, Mr. Nikos Dendias, the Women’s Entrepreneurship & Leadership Award, the Minister of Development, Mr. Takis Theodorikakos, the Extroversion Award, Professor of E-Business at the Athens University of Economics and Business, Mr. George Doukidis, the Research & Innovation Award, the Founding Partner of Eos Global Investors and President of the Hellenic Venture Capital Association, Mr. Yannis Papadopoulos, the Young Entrepreneur Award, the President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Yannis Bratakos, the Business Tradition and Progress Award, Managing Director of MINDVIEW Strategy & Research, Ms. Lina Nikolopoulou, the Growing SME Award, the First Vice President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Ms. Sofia Kounenaki Efremoglou, the Digital Transformation Award, the Deputy Minister of National Economy and Finance, Mr. George Kotsiras, the Start-up Entrepreneurship Award, the CEO of the Hellenic Development Bank of Investments S.A., Ms. Antigone Lyberopoulou, and the Managing Partner of Halcyon Equity Partners, Ms. Eleni Bathianaki, the Industrial Production Award, the President of the Republic, Mr. Konstantinos An. Tasoulas, and the President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr. Yannis Bratakos, the Honorary Award for Overall Contribution to the Economy.