- Greek Exports – Greek exports registered a strong start to 2025, surpassing prior year levels for the first two months of the year. According to the preliminary data released by the Hellenic Statistical Authority, the total value of merchandise exports for the first two months of 2025 reached €8.2 billion, marking a 1.6% increase compared to the same period in 2024. Excluding petroleum products, exports grew 7.8% over the same period, highlighting the growing demand for Greek products including manufactures and food & beverage exports.
- Greek Debt – Greece will pay off loans granted under the first of three debt-crisis bailouts by 2031 – 10 years ahead of schedule, according to a report by the Reuters news agency. Greece will tap a €37 billion cash buffer, proceeds from higher-than-projected primary surpluses and new bond issues to fund the repayments, the report said, citing two government officials.
- Credit Upgrade – International ratings agency Standard & Poor’s upgraded Greece’s sovereign credit rating one notch to BBB from BBB- with a stable outlook, moving Greece further into investment-grade territory. In a statement, the agency cited the government’s policy of fiscal discipline projecting that Greece will maintain high primary surpluses equal to 2.7% of GDP until 2028, while economic growth will remain at an average rate of 2.4%. S&P first restored Greece to investment grade in October 2023.
- Defense Program – The Greek government introduced to parliament a 12-year, €25 billion defense modernization program based on two key pillars: the integration of advanced defense technologies and the active participation of the Greek defense industry in all weapons programs. The centerpiece of the new defense architecture is to be a new, multilayer protective dome – dubbed Achilles Shield – that will be designed to stop threats on five levels: anti-drone, anti-missile, anti-aircraft, anti-ship and anti-submarine. Separately, the government is looking to proceed with the purchase of a fourth, cutting-edge Belharra frigate from France in addition to the three now on order.
- Daedalus Supercomputer – Greece has signed the contract for the construction of the new Daedalus supercomputer near the town of Lavrio, east of Athens, marking a significant milestone in Greece’s development as a regional technology hub. The €41 million supercomputer will be the first in Greece and will be built by Hewlett Packard Enterprises. With its sophisticated architecture, Daedalus is expected to perform as one of the fastest systems in Europe.
- Data Centers I – U.S.-based data center operator Digital Realty has inaugurated its first data center in Heraklion, Crete, part of the company’s approximately €450 million investment program in Greece. In 2020, the company bought Greek data center operator Lamda Hellix and now has three data centers in operation near Athens with a fourth under construction and a fifth being planned.
- Data Centers II – Greek state-controlled utility Public Power Corporation has unveiled a €5.75 billion investment program in green energy and to build a mega data center in Western Macedonia. The data center, initially with a 300 MW capacity, will be located at a former PPC coal facility in the area and is part of a plan to help the region transition away from its dependence on fossil fuels. Under phase 2 of the project, the data center will be scaled up to 1,000 MW.
- Hotel Investments I – Investment spending on Greek hotels surpassed €1 billion last year, according to the annual survey conducted by the Institute for Tourism Research and Forecasts on behalf of the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels. The survey shows that €200 million – 19% of the total – was directed toward sustainability-related upgrades, reflecting the sector’s growing focus on responsible tourism. Compared to pre-pandemic 2019, when hotel investments reached €987 million, last year marks a significant rebound and reflects a move towards more four- and five-star hotel facilities.
- Hotel Investments II – Investment activity in Greek hotels jumped almost threefold last year, making it one of the ten most active markets in Europe. According to data from global real estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield, hotel transactions in Greece rose 294% in 2024 compared with a year earlier. That includes the €235 million acquisition of the Grand Hyatt Athens, one of the biggest hotel transactions in the world last year.
- Private Universities – The establishment and operation of international university branches in Greece could contribute more than €10 billion to the Greek economy and create 73,500 jobs over the next five years, according to a new Deloitte study for the Institute of Fiscal and Economic Studies. So far, twelve applications from foreign universities have been submitted under a new law that was passed last year. The establishment of the new branches is scheduled to commence from September 2025.
- EIB Survey – Greek businesses are more optimistic than their European Union peers, according to a new European Investment Bank survey, with investment levels 40% above pre-COVID levels and amid strong confidence in the economic climate, business prospects, availability of finance, and the political and regulatory environment. The survey also shows that Greek companies are more internationally engaged than their EU counterparts – 74% versus 63% – and are more active in fighting climate change, 60% versus 48% on average across the EU.