The most interesting conversations about innovation are rarely just about technology.
They are about people, institutions and the choices that societies make when they decide whether scientific excellence will stay in the lab, or become part of their economic and social fabric.

On 27 May, NCSR Demokritos hosted the first meeting of the Swiss–Greek Innovation Board, co-organised with the Embassy of Switzerland in Greece. The Board brought together a deliberately diverse group: researchers, founders, investors, policymakers, diplomats and representatives from both countries’ innovation ecosystems. The central question was how countries can turn scientific excellence into innovation, entrepreneurship and long-term competitiveness.

For Demokritos, this question is closely tied to its own transformation. The Centre is evolving from a traditional research institution into a multidisciplinary innovation ecosystem, combining research excellence, technology transfer, entrepreneurship, education and international collaboration within a single campus that now brings together institutes, a technology park, dozens of startups and more than a thousand researchers and professionals.

The discussion made clear that Greece has come a long way. The venture capital landscape has expanded, new mechanisms for technology transfer have been created, and collaboration between universities, research centres and industry is becoming more structured. Yet participants stressed that funding and institutions, while necessary, are not sufficient. Innovation also depends on talent and culture: on whether societies reward experimentation, tolerate failure and encourage researchers to walk the often difficult path from publication to product.

Particular emphasis was placed on domain-specific AI solutions, where scientific expertise and high-quality data can generate value in areas such as cultural heritage, environmental monitoring, health and fundamental science. In this context, Europe’s wider AI‑for‑Science priorities were discussed as opportunities for Greece to connect its research strengths to pan‑European deep‑tech ecosystems.

One of the messages of the Board was that Greece and Switzerland, despite their different scale, face a similar challenge: how to convert scientific excellence into sustainable innovation and broad-based prosperity. Switzerland’s long experience in linking research, entrepreneurship and industry offers practical lessons; Greece’s dynamic research base, highly skilled workforce and emerging technology sectors create new ground for collaboration. The Board also focused on concrete next steps: researcher mobility schemes, joint research initiatives, innovation matchmaking and partnerships. Follow-up actions are already underway. The real test, however, will be whether the relationships and ideas forged during this first meeting translate into long-term structures that connect the two ecosystems more closely.

The first Swiss–Greek Innovation Board was a reminder that innovation policy cannot be designed in silos. It happens where research, industry, investment and public policy meet – and where science diplomacy turns political will and scientific potential into a shared agenda, a strategic choice about the future of economies. For Greece and Switzerland, the opportunity now is to move from dialogue to implementation, building a shared space where scientific talent, capital and ideas can flow more freely in both directions.

Participants of the 1st Swiss–Greek Innovation Board

The 1st Swiss–Greek Innovation Board was convened by NCSR Demokritos and the Embassy of Switzerland in Greece, with Georges Kotrotsios, Executive in Technology Innovation, playing a driving role in bringing the initiative to life.

The political and diplomatic framing came from Deputy Minister of Development and Investments Stavros Kalafatis, Ambassador of Switzerland to Greece Stefan Estermann, Maira Myrogianni, Secretary General for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy at the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Konstantinos Fountas, President of the CERN Council.

From research and innovation governance, the discussion drew on Vangelis Karkaletsis, Director and Chairman of the Board of NCSR Demokritos; George Nounesis, Chairman of the National Council for Research, Technology and Innovation and Partner at EY Greece; George Doukidis, Professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business, Partner at Corallia Ventures and Vice President of the National Council for Research, Technology and Innovation; and Panayiotis Ketikidis, Chairman of the Alexandria Innovation Zone in Thessaloniki, Chairman of the Greek Business Angel Association and National Representative to the European Innovation Council (EIC).

The Swiss delegation included Benoit Dubuis, Chairman of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences, former Dean of Life Sciences at EPFL and Partner at Eclosion VC; Robert Rudolph, Director of Innovaare Swiss Innovation Parks and former Vice President of Swissmem; Christian Schneider, Director for Innovation at the University of Basel; Marieke Hood of CERN’s CIO Office, former Executive Director of the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator (GESDA); and Martin Mueller, Executive Director of GESDA.

They were joined by Thanos Paraschos, Managing Director of Startup Initiative Greece; Markus Aicheler, Interim CTO of SolidWatts; Manolis Stratakis, Director of IESL at FORTH and EIC Ambassador for Greece; Maria-Cristina (Maritina) Grelloni, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Operations at Athens LifeTech Park; and Christos Markou, Director of the Institute of Nuclear and Particle Physics at NCSR Demokritos.