Greece’s Development Ministry will launch a new €150 million funding program aimed at helping small and medium-sized businesses integrate artificial intelligence into their operations, Development Minister Takis Theodorikakos announced on Friday.
The initiative, expected to be introduced in September under the country’s Development Law framework, is designed to bring AI technologies into the wider economy by supporting business training, consultancy services and technological equipment upgrades.
Speaking during a panel discussion on artificial intelligence and innovation at the ruling New Democracy party’s 16th congress, Theodorikakos said the government’s priority is to ensure that AI adoption boosts productivity and competitiveness without deepening social or economic inequalities.
“Artificial intelligence is bringing enormous changes to the way we work, communicate and produce,” the minister said, adding that Greece has already developed a national strategy for AI.
According to the minister, one in three businesses in Greece already uses AI-related technologies, while around half of the startups registered on the country’s Elevate Greece innovation platform are active in AI-focused sectors.
The new support scheme will specifically target small and medium-sized enterprises, which the government sees as needing additional assistance to adopt emerging technologies. The program will fund employee training, expert consulting services and the purchase of equipment capable of supporting AI applications.
Theodorikakos also highlighted a separate €340 million investment involving gallium production, describing it as strategically important for the AI sector. Gallium compounds are considered a critical raw material used in semiconductor and microchip manufacturing.
He said the planned Greek production capacity would reach 50 tons annually, noting that gallium plays an increasingly important role in global technology and artificial intelligence supply chains.
The minister also stressed the importance of maintaining human oversight over artificial intelligence, saying AI should remain “a technological tool in human hands” rather than dominate decision-making processes.
