BIOGRAPHY
Ioanna-Annita Mavromichalis received her Degree in Law from the Athens University Law at the Sorbonne University, Paris, France. Ms. Mavromichalis is the Head of the Department of Economic and Commercial Affairs for the Embassy of Greece, Washington DC. Prior to this appointment, she was the Head of the Department of Economic and Commercial Affairs for the Embassy of Greece in Bern, Switzerland; Instanbul, Turkey; Lisbon, Portugal; Warsaw, Poland; Copenhagen, Denmark; and Belgrade, Yugoslavia. She is a Member of the Athens Bar Association and speaks Greek, English and French fluently.
PRESENTATION
“Technology Incentives and Legislative Framework in Hellas”GENERAL OVERVIEW
Greece’s Science and Technology Policy in the last decade has had a triple objective:
1. to develop new research resources, both human and material
2. to improve the interconnection of research and production, and
3. to further integrate the Greek Science and Technology activity into the international research community.
The new vision for the country’s technological development transforms the lessons and experience gained so far, and reflects the strengths and weaknesses of the Greek scientific community and the country’s general needs. Furthermore, it aims at mobilizing and activating all development forces in order to resolve significant problems in the Greek Science and Technology system.
In response to the challenges of today, Science and Technology policy for the next five years promotes actions and programs that look to the country’s financial development and the welfare of the Greek citizens. For this reason, Greece intends to increase funding for technological development from 0.7% of the GDP (in 1999) to 1.5% (in 2010).
In that context, Greece’s priorities with regard to Research and Technology aim at eliminating the innovation deficit in relation to other developed countries, and at the same time connect the development of technology to the country’s production process.
Moreover, Greece is opening up to the international scientific community and increasingly participates in international scientific and technological organizations. The close co-operation between Greek research teams and similar scientific teams from other countries makes their research activities more productive and competitive under the criteria of today’s globalized economy.
Greece is also developing her infrastructure to accommodate the rapid evolution in science and technology. In that context, Greece is constantly modernizing the electronic networks, databases and knowledge banks. Moreover Greece is upgrading the system for granting patents and other intellectual property rights to researchers, and allows easier access to information pertaining to intellectual property.
LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK
The last years have been characterized by significant institutional intervention, which facilitates the procedures for participation and funding of bodies and businesses in the Research and Technology sector. The following laws and decrees have been voted in:
1. Law 2919/2001on the “Connection of research and technology to production” This law aims at connecting research and technology to production. It attempts to re-orient the aims and operations of research bodies and promotes the unification of independent institutes with larger research centers. It also introduces the systematic evaluation of institutes (every four years) in order to increase their competitiveness and performance.
2. Presidential Decree 17/2001 “On the financial support of new knowledge-intensive spin-off businesses” This decree facilitates the participation of Greek training and research institutes in business activities aiming at the maximum utilization of the research results.
3. Presidential Decree 274/2000 which improved the terms, conditions and funding process for projects submitted by industrial or other units of production.
The tax measures voted in 2002 to encourage research in business (Law 2992/2002) are also an important change in Greece’s technology policy, as they offer tax exemptions of up to 50% for the relevant expenditure in the period 2002-2004.
Along with the legislative interventions, additional incentives are introduced to promote the development of science and technology. Some of them consist of:
1. Actions aiming at developing in Greece a sector of financial activity that will include businesses and organizations providing scientific and technological services, with significant exporting activities
2. Encouraging researchers and universities to create new business initiatives in co-operation with financial institutions
3. Granting all foreign investment organizations the same incentives like the ones given to local organizations, to establish themselves in Greece and use the human resources and the existing infrastructure
4. Mobilization of regional and local economic and social development bodies in order for them to participate in the creation of innovation centers, such as technology parks