In the coming period, we will support with new incentives the extroverted industry and manufacturing, which will integrate research, innovation and technology and will be interconnected with universities and research centers and laboratories. This was noted by the Minister of Development Kostas Skrekas, speaking at the conference of the Hellenic American Chamber GES2023.

The minister underlined that “there is still a lot to be done in the circular economy sector” and added that Greece’s industry is important for economic growth that will bring jobs and prosperity.

As he said, “it is a myth that Greece does not produce. It produces, maybe not in large quantities, but it produces everything and we aim to enter with emphasis on the production of raw materials, equipment and machinery to become independent from imports».

The minister also noted: “We are very optimistic about Greece, as it has become an example to follow from a black sheep, but we are still not satisfied. We need many years of strong growth.”

In addition, he emphasized that following and integrating a company, the ESG rules, this makes it more competitive, as the consumer is willing to buy from companies that respect the environment and people.

For his part, the vice-president of the Board of Directors and managing director of BARBA STATHIS, Nikitas Pothoulakis, underlined the importance the company attaches to ESG criteria, but also to the part of primary production, with the support and training of farmers.

ESG criteria, i.e. sustainable development, along with the empathy of the industries themselves, are at the core of their actions that make them come close to the consumer, as he noted.

For his part, Dr. Panagiotis Mourgos, managing director of the company TEXAN ABEE, gave credit to the government and the minister because, as he said, an important institutional investment framework for recycling has been created in our country. He underlined that the circular economy offers many business opportunities of well-paying green jobs and recalled that Texan Envipco’s commitment to create 1,000 new green jobs by 2026 is already being implemented.

Finally, the managing director at Kleemann Hellas SA, Konstantinos Koukountzos, referred to the importance that a company should attach to the adoption of ESG criteria and how these are combined with a targeted expansion of production capacity and equipment.