Leading a delegation of foreign diplomats from around the world, Enterprise Greece this month showcased the growing role of Thessaloniki – the capital of the Region of Central Macedonia and Greece’s northern capital – as a regional innovation hub, marking the relaunch of the agency’s highly regarded Synergassia Program.

Over the course of a two-day trip, the delegation visited major multinationals that have set up R&D centers in the city region, including Cisco, Accenture, Deloitte, and Pfizer, where they heard directly from senior executives about their experiences in Thessaloniki. The trip also encompassed a visit to Technopolis Thessaloniki, the first hi-tech business park in Greece, and briefings from officials at the Alexander Innovation Zone, the entity responsible for the management and development of the Thessaloniki innovation zone, and the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), one of Greece’s leading public research centers. Enterprise Greece cooperated closely with the Regional Authority of Central Macedonia for the success of the mission, also within the frame of the Authority’s investment attraction mandate.

The mission included diplomats from Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Estonia, France, Indonesia, Ireland, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Poland, Portugal, and the U.S.

The Synergassia Program – which means ‘collaboration’ in Greek − is a flagship initiative of Enterprise Greece that has been recognized as an example of best international practice for investment promotion by the OECD. In cooperation with local authorities and businesses, the program seeks to highlight the comparative advantages of Greece’s various regions by inviting foreign representatives on missions around the country. This month’s mission marks the return and redesign of the program to better highlight regions as investment destinations, as well as their relative strengths.