Prospects of the ICT sector in Greece

Study of the ICT sector in Greece: Current Situation and Future Trends
Deliverable 14: Prospects of the ICT sector in Greece-policy implications
Increase of R&D funding
The increase of R&D funding is a crucial commitment on behalf of Greece towards the
implementation of the Lisbon Strategy and a basic axis of i-2010 strategy. All relevant
indicators rank Greece among the lowest in EU-25. Therefore, it is necessary: a) to provide
additional motives for R&D investments, b) to strengthen the corresponding programs, c) to
create more favorable regulations for those firms that actually conduct research activity and
try to transfer research output into the market with commercially available products /
services, d) to enhance the collaboration with universities, and e) finally to pinpoint the
excellent, so that examples of fine entrepreneurial behaviour are promoted and thus could
motivate other firms to move towards the same direction.
Market needs aligned with higher education programs
Universities provide an adequate level of education in terms of content and syllabus.
However, it should be noted that there is still room for graduates to adjust better to the what
firms need. New graduates should be more adequately prepared concerning not only the
technological content of their specialization, but also the additional skills required and also
their familiarization with market rules. Firms and universities should interact more intensively
not only as far as the R&D sector is concerned – in the past, efforts have been made in order
to enforce this relation – but also regarding the enrichment of the educational process.
Seminars and lectures held in the universities by executives in order for the students to
acquire a broader view of the market, collaborations in the form of training within the
enterprises and any kind of additional initiatives that extend the interaction between firms
and academia must be supported by public policies.
Effective allocation and management of the 4th Programming period
resources
The experience gained by the Public Administration in the management of the 3 rd CSF, the
problems and the erroneous practices applied, but also the effective mechanisms that
emerged, must be utilized in the management of the 4 th Programming period resources. The
powerful regional character of the planned actions constitutes a powerful political
commitment; however the decentralised management might turn out ineffective. The inflow
of Community funds in Greece will be limited in the future, which means that the resources
should be used more efficiently.
A stable and simpler tax environment.
The non competitive tax framework remains one of the highest problems that firms in Greece
face. Apart the issue of decreasing the tax rates, that has been already initiated, there are
still problems regarding their application. The processes of controls, the constantly repeated
audits and the occasionally announced financial regulations, create an environment of
October 2006
Observatory for the Greek IS 49