As the inaugural event of a new annual Business Breakfast series, aimed at fostering meaningful dialogue with high-level guest speakers, the Hellenic-Swedish Chamber of Commerce was honoured to welcome on February 10th, Mr. Nikos Vettas, General Director of the Foundation for Economical and Industrial Research – IOBE and Professor at the Athens University of Economics and Business, as the guest speaker of our first Business Breakfast on Progress & Reforms, hosted at the residence of H.E. the Ambassador of Sweden, Mr. Håkan Emsgård.
Mr. Vettas reflected on Greece’s economic journey since the early 2000s, highlighting both the resilience demonstrated over time and the challenges that continue to shape long-term growth prospects. Focusing on structural priorities and long-term choices and acknowledging the complexity of reform in a small open economy, he underlined the importance of productivity, investment and exports—emphasizing that sustainable growth depends not on scale alone, but on smart, targeted solutions where quality matters more than quantity.
Emphasis was placed on improving education and skills, early childhood development, fiscal and taxation priorities, public sector reform, strengthening innovation, and creating conditions that allow businesses to grow and compete internationally. Attention was also given to broadening labour-force participation, including greater inclusion of women, against the backdrop of an ageing population and adverse demographic trends. Supporting human capital and improving institutional effectiveness were highlighted as mutually reinforcing pillars of a resilient and outward-looking growth model.
The breakfast opened with welcome remarks by H.E. the Ambassador of Sweden and our Chairman, Mr. George Georgakopoulos, who noted:
“Sustainable progress is built through informed dialogue, realistic priorities and long-term vision. Today’s discussion is on the importance of focusing on reforms that enhance competitiveness, opportunity and resilience for the future”.
We warmly thank Mr. Nikos Vettas, the Embassy of Sweden in Athens of Sweden, as well as Alfa Laval, Intrum and SKF Group for their valuable support in making this first event of the series a success, and all participants for a truly engaging exchange.
