Greek Innovation Plan Gains Laurels

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   During a special ceremony of the Hellenic Parliament on January 20, the Speaker of Parliament Dimitrios Sioufas bestowed honours to Antonios Platanios – winner of the 2008 Microsoft Innovation Days (Greece)- for his pioneer project on home energy saving. The sixteen-year old high school student won first place in 2008 Imagine Cup Finals of Microsoft Innovation Days, an annual event attended by academics and entrepreneurs who exchange views on Greece’s competitiveness and ability to promote entrepreneurship at both an individual and corporate level.   Platanios’ project “Protasis” focuses on the environment and aims at reducing power consumption. With this project application for ‘the future home,’ Antonios Platanios represented Greece at the world Finals of 2008 Imagine Cup competition in Paris.  Imagine Cup 2009: Registration  Special Secretariat for Digital Planning: A strategic agreement with Microsoft; Microsoft: Innovation Centre Greece

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Computer Seminars for Immigrants in Athens

(GREEK NEWS AGENDA)   An “Unlimited Potential” centre, which began operating in October in Athens, offers free certified computer literacy seminar series for up to 150 immigrants. The centre was set up by the City of Athens Centre for Employment and Entrepreneurship and Microsoft Hellas.  The programme aims to improve immigrants’ access to the job market. The Hellenic Professional Informatics Society has taken on the organisation of the programme, while Hellas ECDL is offering accreditation exams for free. The seminars have already begun in Igoumenitsa, Epirus and are being planned for other cities, including Thessaloniki and Patras.  Athens Plus: Free computer science seminars for immigrants (p. 17)  Microsoft Unlimited Potential: Helping Create a Positive Future for Migrants in Greece  &  Press Release – Gains Without Frontiers – Microsoft’s Unlimited Potential in Central and Eastern Europe (10.11.2008)  

Digital Greece

Three programmes addressed to pupils and students are being sponsored by the ministries of the economy and education within the framework of the “Digital Greece” initiative. 
Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis and Education Minister Evripidis Stylianidis presented the “Un-Blog” programme yesterday, addressed to primary and secondary education schoolchildren. The project promotes new media and blogs. Applications must be submitted between February 11 and May 16. (Information: www.kseblogare.gr, in Greek).  A second initiative, the “Portable personal computers (PCs) for all schoolchildren” programme, p

Digital Greece

The Greek Information Society has made a significant progress over the last few years thanks to the implementation of the Digital Strategy 2006-2013 and the increase of competition in the broadband market. The Digital Strategy 2006-2013 is compatible with the “Growth and Jobs” Lisbon Strategy and the i2010 policy. It utilizes more effectively existing financing instruments, such as the Operational Programme for “Information Society” in the context of the 3rd Community Support Framework, and the Operational Programme “Digital Convergence” which lies within the framework of the National Strategic Reference Framework 2007-2013.

PM Karamanlis, Gates inaugurate Microsoft Centre

Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, Microsoft Corp. founder and chairman Bill Gates, and Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis on Monday inaugurated the Microsoft Innovation Centre in Athens.Karamanlis noted that “a society develops and progresses to the degree that it gives its members the opportunity, the tools and the liberty to open up new roads of progress themselves, in accordance with their own dreams, abilities and ambitions”, and stressed that “this principle of a people-centered economy of knowledge and innovation is embodied and served by Bill Gates, with his business, as well as his multi-faceted humanistic activity”.