With the central theme “BEYOND FRACTURES. Where Innovation Meets the Real Market,” BEYOND 2026 is set to open its doors from June 17 to 19 at the Metropolitan Expo, aiming to be, for yet another year, the most important meeting point for technology, entrepreneurship, and innovation in Southeast Europe. During today’s press conference, representatives of the government and the organizers highlighted the exhibition’s strategic role in shaping the country’s digital future, as well as in connecting technology with the real needs of the economy and society.
The Minister of Digital Governance and Artificial Intelligence, Dimitris Papastergiou, referred to his long-standing relationship with the event, emphasizing that BEYOND has now become a mature institution that evolves in tandem with the Greek technology and innovation ecosystem. As he noted, Greece is playing an increasingly significant role in the European and international artificial intelligence landscape, leveraging its geopolitical stability, investments in critical digital infrastructure, and the dynamic growth of its technology ecosystem.
Special mention was made of the significant investments being made in the country in the data center sector, as well as the contribution of the Recovery and Resilience Facility to the creation of new digital infrastructure. The minister also highlighted the initiatives being developed in the space sector and the opportunities opening up for the country through national and European cutting-edge technology programs.
At the same time, he noted that BEYOND serves as a reference point for tracking technological developments, as well as a venue for presenting the strategies that will shape the country’s future. In this context, special mention was made of the “DAIDALOS” project and the broader effort to develop a robust artificial intelligence ecosystem in Greece.
Mr. Papastergiou further emphasized that the real challenge lies not only in developing the technology but also in disseminating knowledge to businesses, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises. As he noted, artificial intelligence must be understood as a tool for productivity and growth, and BEYOND can serve as a catalyst in this process of information and education.
For his part, Michalis Stagos, co-founder of Industry Disruptors – Game Changers, presented the thematic identity of this year’s event, explaining that BEYOND 2026 will focus on the “fissures” created by the rapid development of artificial intelligence in the economy, society, and everyday life. As he noted, BEYOND was one of the first events in the wider region to place artificial intelligence at the center of public discourse and continues to pioneer by opening up the discussion around the opportunities, as well as the challenges, it creates.
This year’s event significantly broadens its scope, incorporating new industries and application areas. The focus will be on the pharmaceutical industry, data centers, smart building technologies, local government, water resource management, education, and the social dimension of technology.
Mr. Stagos also highlighted the importance of human creativity, emphasizing that, despite the spectacular progress of algorithms, creative thinking remains one of humanity’s key competitive advantages.
The Beyond Tomorrow Start Up Village will play a significant role in the exhibition’s program, through which ten startups will compete for international funding opportunities. One of them will participate in the grand final of the Startup WorldCup 2026 in San Francisco to compete for an investment prize of up to $1 million, while two others will represent Greece at the Creative Business Cup Final 2026 international competition in Copenhagen.
At the same time, BEYOND 2026 will host a series of special themed events and collaborations. These include Netflix’s participation in an initiative that will highlight creativity in audiovisual production, while separate sessions will be held on fake news and misinformation, as well as the impact of artificial intelligence on the digital environment.
The program also includes initiatives focused on leveraging artificial intelligence in local government, the use of technologies to improve water management in collaboration with EYDAP, as well as discussions on the transformation of education and access to information in the new digital era.
Particular emphasis is also placed on business partnerships through an expanded program of B2B meetings, which will bring together investors, startups, research institutions, companies, and institutional representatives. At the same time, a special Leadership Forum will be held featuring international figures from the fields of technology and entrepreneurship, as well as high-level closed-door events in collaboration with leading organizations and companies.
Evangelos Charalambous, managing director of Be-Best, stated that the main goal of this year’s event is to provide substantive knowledge and practical tools to businesses seeking to accelerate their digital transformation. As he emphasized, BEYOND was created with the aim of contributing to the dissemination of technology across the country’s entire manufacturing base and helping businesses leverage the opportunities offered by the new digital era.
Mr. Charalambous highlighted the practical and developmental role of BEYOND, emphasizing that the event’s primary goal is to serve as a bridge between knowledge, innovation, and the real economy. As he noted, the exhibition’s main goal is to provide substantive information, expertise, and practical solutions to businesses seeking to advance their digital transformation.
Mr. Charalambous also emphasized that technology is evolving at an extremely rapid pace, and the challenge now is not only the development of new tools, but primarily the ability of businesses to understand and utilize them effectively. In this context, BEYOND aims to create the right conditions for information sharing, education, and networking, bringing together businesses, technology providers, research centers, investors, and public sector entities.
At the same time, he noted that the event was created out of the conviction that Greece has significant potential for growth in the technology sector, provided that innovative solutions reach a larger number of businesses and productive sectors. As he noted, the diffusion of technology throughout the economy is a key prerequisite for strengthening the competitiveness, productivity, and outward orientation of Greek businesses.
He emphasized that BEYOND is not merely a technology exhibition, but a platform for collaboration and business development that seeks to transform new technological trends into real business opportunities, actively contributing to the creation of a stronger and more sustainable digital ecosystem for the country.
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Sevi Kafka, project manager at TIF-HELEXPO, presented the key details of the event in detail, highlighting its international scope and its continuous growth trajectory. Specifically, Ms. Kafka noted that this year BEYOND will be hosted in Hall 3 of the Metropolitan Expo, bringing together all activities, events, and the exhibition component in a single space, enhancing interaction among participants, the flow of meetings, the targeted nature of business appointments, and the overall momentum of the event.
BEYOND 2026 has brought together over 230 exhibitors from 11 countries—Cyprus, Belgium, Slovakia, Hungary, Denmark, Germany, France, Portugal, Bulgaria, Tunisia, Hong Kong—and approximately 100 startups.
In light of bridging science and the market, the strong participation of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), the Technology Transfer Offices, as well as the academic and research community from Greece, Cyprus, and Slovakia.
The Greek Ministry of Digital Governance and the Cypriot Ministry of Energy and Trade are also participating in the exhibition, signaling the two countries’ commitment to the digital transition, while six regions of Greece will be represented, a strong indication that the new digital world cannot help but encompass the entire Greek territory. These are the Regions of Central Macedonia, Attica, Epirus, Crete, Western Macedonia, and Central Greece.
An integral and particularly important part of the exhibition are the business meetings that will take place in the specially designed B2B AREA, which is being organized in collaboration with the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SBE) and the Enterprise Europe Network, creating a structured environment for business meetings and networking, thereby fostering meaningful collaborations among exhibitors, visitors, startups, and investors.
BEYOND TV returns this year as a live interview channel from the exhibition, with continuous live coverage of exhibitors, speakers, and institutional representatives, offering a non-stop stream of technology content for journalists and the general public.
The BEYOND APP will also be available to visitors, serving as a digital guide for navigating the venue, accessing the program, scheduling B2B meetings, and following the event in real time.
Running concurrently with the exhibition is the AI FRACTURES FORUM, the leading conference on technology and digital innovation, which takes place over all three days of the exhibition and unfolds across three stages with over 120 speakers, cutting-edge thematic sessions, and keynote speeches by internationally recognized speakers. The Premier Sponsor is Constrat, and the Lead Sponsors of the conference are Deloitte, PPC, and Nova ICT.
On the first day of BEYOND, Stage 1 will also host a conference organized by KEDE, featuring over 300 mayors from across Greece, highlighting the role of local governments in the digital transition.
As part of BEYOND, a series of specialized workshops will be held by leading organizations and companies such as the General Secretariat for Digital Governance (GSDG), the Hellenic Institute of Information Technology (OBI), Microsoft, KPMG, the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), and the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE).
And of course, BEYOND, which has always served as a hub for the Greek and international startup ecosystem, is running the Beyond Tomorrow StartUp Village, an active networking hub for startups, investors, research centers, and universities, and will host special events focused on startup entrepreneurship, such as major startup awards, the Startup World Cup Pitching Competition, and the Hackathon by ACE-AUEB.