On June 20, in Thessaloniki, the Deputy Regional Authority for Digital Governance of the Region of Central Macedonia, in collaboration with the Hellenic Association of Information and Communication Technologies Companies (SEPE), organized a special one-day event titled “Artificial Intelligence as an Accelerator of Digital Transformation in the Public Sector and Businesses.”
The event was moderated by Nikolaos Tzollas, Deputy Regional Governor for Digital Governance of the Region of Central Macedonia. He noted that over the past two years the Region has allocated more than €500 million to universities, research organizations, and small and medium-sized enterprises for digital transformation.
“In addition to our most recent program, which allocates €200 million for start-ups and existing businesses,” the Deputy Regional Governor added.
Among the speakers at the event was Dimitris Kouvelas, Member of Parliament for Thessaloniki A’ (New Democracy), who stated: “We still have many steps to take in digital literacy across the public sector, businesses, universities, and other critical institutions, sectors, and stakeholders who will inevitably be called upon to participate in the next day.”
Panagiotis Bamidis, Professor of Medical Physics and Informatics at the Medical School of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, highlighted the need for digital literacy among physicians. As he stated: “New skills are emerging in relation to rapidly evolving technology. We are therefore called upon to address this challenge. Support in terms of infrastructure is needed, so that relevant initiatives can be funded at their initial stage and be able to evolve.” He also added that “the business sector is extremely important in the field of health.”
Dr. Panagiotis Ketikidis, Chairman of the Board of the Thessaloniki Innovation Zone, stressed that: “Artificial intelligence can solve practical problems of everyday life, provided that we are able to use it in the right way.”
At the same time, according to the Minister of Digital Governance, Dimitris Papastergiou: “We need to examine how artificial intelligence can finally make a reality what we have failed to achieve for many years to the extent we would like—namely, technology and development applied equally across the entire country.”
European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) Health Hub Brings Solutions
The event also featured the participation of Dr. Dimitris Vlahakis, Associate Professor of Genetics at the Department of Biotechnology of the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA). AUA is one of the 24 partners of the European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) Health Hub, which supports digital transformation in the fields of health and pharmaceuticals. Based in Thessaly, Health Hub is also active in the Ionian Islands, the Aegean, Attica, Western Greece, and Crete.
- Targeted networking to foster new collaborations.
- Training in new digital skills with fast access to knowledge and infrastructures.
- Support for testing technologies before investment in order to save resources.
- Assessment of beneficiaries’ digital readiness levels along with practical guidance for their digital transformation.
In addition, with regard to training health professionals in new technologies, Maria Pournari, Chief Operations Officer of Health Hub, stated to the press that on June 30, in Ioannina, the Hub will organise its second seminar focused on digital literacy for patients with cardiovascular diseases and their caregivers.
The aim of the seminar is to explain the possibilities offered by new technologies and the ways in which they can be used to support the everyday lives of patients and their caregivers,” Ms Pournari explained.
The event is co-organised with JOIST Innovation Park, the CardioSchool – School for Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases, the Laboratory of Medical Physics and Digital Innovation of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, and the 2nd Cardiology Clinic of the University Hospital of Ioannina.
As Mr Vlahakis emphasised, “the Hub is open and already collaborates with dozens of organisations across Greece.” He added: “Whether you are a small business, a large public organisation, or a health-related startup, we can work with you. We can test technologies, train your staff, and connect you with innovation. We invite all interested parties to make use of our capabilities.”
About Health Hub
The European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) Health Hub is a one-stop shop that provides digital transformation services to startups, SMEs, and public-sector organisations in the fields of health and pharmaceuticals. Health Hub supports beneficiaries in increasing their impact, accuracy, innovation capacity, and networking activities. EDIH Health Hub is co-funded by the European Union through the Competitiveness Programme (NSRF 2021–2027). More information is available on the Hub’s website: www.healthhub-edih.eu
Health Hub is coordinated by the Institute of Entrepreneurship Development (iED), whose mission is to empower organisations and businesses to achieve their innovation goals by offering specialised guidance, securing European funding, and strengthening a dynamic ecosystem for sustainable growth. You can learn more here.