U.S.-Greece Science and Technology Agreement

The U.S.-Greece Science and Technology Agreement was signed by U.S. Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Greece’s Minister of Development and Investments Adonis Georgiadis, accompanied by U.S. Chief Technology Officer Michael Kratsios and Deputy Minister of Development and Investments Christos Dimas at a ceremony in Thessaloniki, Greece, on September 28, 2020.

Science and Technology Agreement:

The new Science and Technology Agreement (STA) replaces a previous, more generalized agreement from 1980 and includes additional provisions that will protect the intellectual property rights of our scientists and researchers.

This STA paves the way for closer science and technology ties between the United States and Greece and will create opportunities that help counter potential malign influence in the Greek science and technology sector.

A stand-alone STA, based on updated provisions, will be beneficial for resolving any potential issues related to liability, intellectual property (IP), and dispute resolution.

STAs enable the U.S. government to enhance U.S. research, enhance IP protection, gain access to international scientific materials, knowledge, and facilities and better understand regional research and innovation trends.

By supporting whole-of-government engagement on science and technology cooperation, a new STA will continue to improve Greece’s investment climate and advance positive models for research integrity, transparency, and merit-based systems of science.

U.S.-Greece Science and Technology Cooperation:

Science and technology engagement in Greece supports a strong bilateral relationship with an EU partner and NATO Ally, ensures U.S. access to international expertise and facilities, and helps our two countries compete with malign influences in the Eastern Mediterranean.

Thessaloniki, the international gateway to the western Balkans, a market of 30 million people, is emerging as a regional science and technology hub.

Engaging in scientific and technological sectors of mutual interest not only advances U.S. national security goals but ensures a secure future for a NATO Ally and helps Greece continue to meet the NATO target of 2 per cent of GDP spent on defense.

The American private sector has been strongly committed to partnering with Greece in science and technology.

As a result of U.S. initiatives going back to the 2018 Thessaloniki International Fair, American companies like Pfizer and Cisco are expanding their footprint in Thessaloniki.

Pfizer plans to make its new office in Thessaloniki a global hub focused on artificial intelligence and big data analytics. The company hopes to increase its staff to 200 by this Fall.

Cisco is investing 10-12 million euros on a digital hub that will develop technologies for smart cities and applications for agriculture.

Prestigious U.S. companies are acquiring Greek science and technology startups: Microsoft acquired SoftoMotive in Athens, and Applied Materials acquired Think Silicon in Patras. ANSYS has made an acquisition in Greece that leverages the expertise they have found in software and engineering.

U.S. companies like Tesla and Blink Charging are entering the electric vehicles market.

Tesla has a new research and development centre in Athens focused on drive trains.

Blink Charging has deployed a network of electric vehicle charging stations throughout Greece.

In February 2020, Amazon Web Services signed an MOU with Greece to drive innovation across the economy through cooperation in digital governance, digital infrastructure, and cloud skills education.

Greek engineers at Nokia collaborate daily with their American counterparts to develop next-generation solutions to telecommunications infrastructure.

Technology companies like Google, Cisco, Microsoft, Apple, Abbott, and Palantir helped to augment Greece’s COVID-19 response.