Greece sets out its investment roadmap for the next decade

The strategy was presented by Minister of National Economy and Finance Kyriakos Pierrakakis at the opening of the 9th Athens Investment Forum, where he announced the launch of the InvestAhead initiative.

The new initiative aims to serve as an investment roadmap for the coming decade, identifying approximately 30 specific investment opportunities across strategic sectors of the economy. According to the minister, their potential impact could reach €20 billion, creating a framework for targeted capital attraction and the development of new productive activities.

The sectors covered by the initiative include agrifood, manufacturing, energy, infrastructure, high-tech services and the blue economy. Specific reference was also made to desalination plants on the Greek islands and the development of shipyards specialising in luxury vessels.

“Greece is moving beyond simply presenting the competitive advantages of its economy and is creating an investment guide for the next decade,” Mr Pierrakakis stated, describing the transition from a recovery-driven economy to one based on productive expansion as the initiative’s central objective.

The Investment Challenge and the GDP Target

A key element of the strategy is the further increase of investment as a percentage of GDP. According to the minister, investments accounted for approximately 11% of GDP in 2019, compared with a European average of 21%. For 2026, the corresponding figure is projected to reach 17.7%, reflecting significant progress in closing the gap, although full convergence has yet to be achieved.

The next target is to raise the investment-to-GDP ratio above 20% by the end of the decade, a prerequisite for strengthening productive capacity and improving the competitiveness of the Greek economy.

In this context, the government is also preparing for the period following the completion of the Recovery and Resilience Facility, with plans to make use of the Hellenic Development Bank and available European financing instruments.

Of particular importance is the announcement of a new loan and guarantee programme, which will be backed by €1.5 billion in public funding and is expected to mobilise total financing of €5 billion.

The initiative aims to facilitate businesses’ access to capital at a time when the conclusion of the Recovery Fund creates the need for new financing channels.

Sectors Seeking Investment Capital

The InvestAhead initiative seeks to connect Greece’s competitive advantages with specific investment projects. Its agenda encompasses both traditional export-oriented industries and emerging activities linked to technology, the energy transition and infrastructure.

The minister highlighted Greece’s geoeconomic position, the institutional security provided by its membership of the European Union and the eurozone, as well as the expertise developed in sectors such as shipping, tourism and exports.

He also underlined the importance of the country’s human capital and its potential to serve as a strategic gateway connecting Europe, the Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.

As he noted, the reconfiguration of trade routes, energy uncertainty and the need for more secure supply chains are creating new conditions for the global economy, in which Greece has the potential to play an enhanced role.

The Message to Investors

In his speech, Mr Pierrakakis identified investor confidence as a fundamental prerequisite for attracting investment. He noted that investors primarily assess a country’s ability to meet its obligations and maintain a consistent long-term strategy.

In this context, he referred to the European Commission’s 2026 assessment that Greece no longer faces macroeconomic imbalances, describing it as significant recognition of the progress achieved.

He also highlighted the tax and administrative reforms implemented in recent years, particularly the reduction of the corporate income tax rate from 28% to 22%, cuts in dividend taxation and social security contributions, as well as the gradual reduction of the advance corporate tax payment from 80% to 50%.

An equally important role has been attributed to the digital transformation of the state through Gov.gr, the digitalisation of transactions, the interoperability of public registries and electronic invoicing, which he described as a profound economic reform.

Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises at the Centre of the Strategy

Particular emphasis was placed on small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as the minister argued that Greece’s productive transformation cannot rely exclusively on large-scale investments and international business groups.

The objective is to enable thousands of Greek businesses to expand, collaborate, innovate and strengthen their export activities.

This approach is also aligned with the European agenda for deeper capital markets integration, banking union and the mobilisation of European savings towards productive investments.

Mr Pierrakakis, in his capacity as President of the Eurogroup, referred to the need to reduce financial fragmentation and strengthen the international role of the euro, stressing that Europe’s financial architecture is a critical factor in funding strategic industries.

From Economic Recovery to a Knowledge-Based Economy

Concluding his speech, the minister linked the new investment strategy to the need to establish a different productive model for Greece.

Referring to the country’s post-war economic miracle, he argued that the great opportunity of the 21st century does not lie in repeating the industrialisation model of the past, but in transitioning towards a high-productivity, knowledge-based and innovation-driven economy.

InvestAhead seeks to give concrete substance to this transition by identifying investment opportunities and establishing a framework for attracting capital over the next decade.

“The previous decade was the decade of return. The next must become the decade of creation and great opportunities,” the minister concluded.