Artificial intelligence can be a powerful catalyst for any industry, as highlighted by the speakers at yesterday’s Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) event, “AI in Action for Greek Businesses.”
According to a press release, the president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI), Yannis Bratakos, emphasized in his opening remarks that artificial intelligence is a catalyst for productivity and noted that “for the Greek economy, this development cannot be approached with either fear or uncritical enthusiasm. It requires seriousness, planning, knowledge, and preparation. We need to view Artificial Intelligence not as a threat, but as a tool; not as a luxury for the few, but as an opportunity that must be made accessible to as many businesses as possible.”
Referring to the transition to a new production model, he noted that artificial intelligence can become a powerful catalyst for every industry, helping everything from a small business to better organize its processes, to a medium-sized business to leverage its data and reduce costs or improve customer service, and to an industrial facility to enhance the quality and efficiency of its production. “But technology alone is not enough. The critical issue is adaptability. It’s about skills. It’s about managerial maturity. It’s about access to knowledge,” emphasized Mr. Bratakos.
In this context, the president of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) highlighted the chamber’s role as a bridge between the market and technology, prioritizing the dissemination of knowledge across the entire business spectrum. “At the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, we believe that technological progress must be linked to the real economy. It must reach businesses that produce, export, invest, employ workers, and take risks. Artificial Intelligence must also become a priority for small and medium-sized enterprises. The challenge before us is clear: to transform knowledge into application and technological capability into productive results,” said Mr. Bratakos.
The event’s first panel discussed strategies for integrating AI into business structures. Participants included Dr. Fotis Filippopoulos of KPMG, Andreas Botsikas of PwC, Ioannis Larios of Deloitte, and Dr. George Matsopoulos of the National Technical University of Athens.
The second panel focused on practical case studies, legal frameworks, and data governance. Participants included Vasilis Toulias, AKTOR Group; Dr. Ioannis Koimtzoglou, Athens University of Economics and Business; Konstantinos Tsolis, Accenture; Ilias Vyzás, EY Greece; and Panagiotis Garantziotis, Kiefer SA.