EY Greece’s new survey points to cautious optimism alongside real concern over the challenges shaping the country’s business environment.
Entrepreneurs say they’re ready to increase hiring and investment, with a focus on digital transformation and artificial intelligence, but they still face major obstacles: bureaucracy, a shortage of skilled staff, and rising labor costs.
More Hiring and Investment, but Cautious Steps
Greek businesses appear to be entering a phase of more active moves aimed at growth and stronger competitiveness. According to the second edition of the EY Entrepreneurship Barometer Greece 2026, 53% of entrepreneurs say they plan to hire more full time staff.
At the same time, investment intentions look stronger than the average across the countries surveyed, with businesses focusing mainly on moves that can have a direct impact on their operations.
The top priority is digital transformation, with 63% of entrepreneurs saying they plan to invest in IT system upgrades, new applications, and software.
AI Enters the Workplace, but Investment Stays Limited
Artificial intelligence has become a core part of the business agenda, as Greek companies show a growing willingness to adopt new technologies.
83% of respondents say they’ve increased their use of AI and machine learning over the past 12 months, above the survey’s international average of 76%.
Even so, this shift hasn’t yet come with big budgets. 39% of entrepreneurs say that over the past three years they’ve invested up to 25,000 euros in AI technologies and digital tools, while 20% made no related investment at all.
Still, there’s a notable rise in bigger investments. The share of businesses investing between 100,001 and 250,000 euros rose to 8%, up from 5% in 2025, while those investing more than 250,000 euros doubled, reaching 10%.
At the same time, 69% of entrepreneurs believe their company’s digital maturity has improved over the past year.
Red Tape Remains the Biggest Obstacle
Despite the positive outlook on growth, entrepreneurs still see major difficulties in Greece’s business environment.
The most significant problem, according to the survey, is bureaucracy and the complexity of the regulatory framework, cited by 78% of participants.
Even though digitization of the public sector has moved forward in recent years, businesses still feel that regulatory instability and complicated procedures limit how quickly they can carry out their investment plans.
Greek entrepreneurs also appear less optimistic than last year about the overall direction of the business environment. Even so, their optimism remains higher than the average across the countries surveyed.
Businesses Rely Mainly on Their Own Capital for Investment
One notable finding is that funding for what comes next relies mainly on businesses’ own resources.
66% of entrepreneurs say they’ll finance their investments through reinvested profits and equity.
This points to a more conservative approach, with businesses pursuing growth without significantly increasing their exposure to outside financing.
Lack of Skilled Staff Becomes a Core Problem
Despite plans for new hires, the labor market remains one of the biggest headaches for businesses.
69% of respondents report difficulty finding workers with the required skills, which limits companies’ ability to develop new products, services, and technological applications.
At the same time, labor costs and the need to offer competitive pay and benefits stand out as the top challenge in workforce management for 2026, cited by 52%, up from 45% in 2025.
Beyond full time hiring, interest in working with outside contractors is also rising, reaching 20%, up from 14% the previous year.
EY: Moving From Plans to Execution Is the Next Challenge
Commenting on the findings, EY Greece CEO Giorgos Papadimitriou said entrepreneurs are now moving from intention to execution, as the new environment demands disciplined investment, greater operational efficiency, and turning strategic plans into concrete action.
Eftychia Kaselaki, EY Greece partner and head of EY Private in Greece, stressed that businesses need to invest in both artificial intelligence and human intelligence, building more flexible structures that strengthen innovation and long term resilience.
The survey’s overall message is that Greek entrepreneurship looks more ready to move toward growth, but success in the next phase will depend on tackling its longstanding obstacles: bureaucracy, skills shortages, and operating costs.
