The 2nd Greek Fintech Hub Conference entitled ‘Fintech Athens 2.0: The Fintech Landscape in SEE & MENA Regions’ ran with great success and a significant participation and contribution from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), on Friday, 27 October 2023, at Megaron Karatza of the National Bank of Greece.
The conference brought together international fintech stakeholders and initiatives, especially from South Eastern Europe and the Middle East, to interact and network in sectors such as ESG, tourism, research, education, the creative industries, and the arts—always through the lens of fintech.
NKUA’s representation at the conference was notable. In his opening remarks, Professor Gerasimos Siasos, Rector of NKUA, emphasized how the digital revolution has changed the way people carry out transactions and do business in general, with fintech companies playing their role. He also referred to NKUA’s participation in a holistic initiative to strengthen the ecosystem of fintech companies.
Professor Aristeidis Samitas, the NKUA’s Vice-Rector for Finance and Development, participated in the first panel on ‘The Opportunities for Cooperation Between the EU, South Eastern Europe, and the Middle East’, sharing his innovative, extrovert vision of a fintech community built upon synergies and interaction. Organizing the conference was the NKUA’s Department of Business Administration, which enabled Professor Samitas—a faculty member at the Department—to establish connections between European entities from the wider business and education sector and their Middle Eastern counterparts. That, in turn, created the ideal incubators for the effective utilization and implementation of fintech research and innovation.
NKUA had a substantial presence on the panel on ‘The Role of Education in Fintech’, which included Professor Dimitris Kenourgios, a Member of the NKUA’s Administration Council, Professor Dimitris Thomakos, Chair at the NKUA’s Department of Business Administration, and Professor Aristeidis Samitas, who also served as the panel moderator. The panellists had a fruitful discussion, which highlighted the role of education in the development of the fintech ecosystem on the one hand and the adoption of the new solutions and technologies by the users-clients on the other. The next fintech conference, with education as its main focus, will delve into further depth on this subject.
On its part, the Archimedes Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship hosted an all-day workshop, which actually opened the conference on Thursday, 26 October 2023. This workshop sought to create a robust network of representatives from countries in Southern Europe and the Middle East that will allow start-ups to share common goals and engage in partnerships and synergies. It also made an attempt to comprehend the dynamics, unique attributes, and requirements of the central Institutions in South Eastern Europe.
That same day, the participants in the workshops of ‘Fintech Athens 2.0’ visited the main building of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens led by the NKUA’s Vice-Rector for Finance and Development, Professor of Finance Dr Aristeidis Samitas.
Greek Fintech Hub (https://www.fintechhub.gr/) is a key initiative for fintech in Greece and the developing economies. Six major Greek entities participate, namely the National Bank of Greece, Endeavor Greece, the Onassis Foundation, the Hellenic Chamber of Hotels, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (through the Archimedes Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship), and Athens University of Economics and Business. Joining forces with the above entities is Crowd Dialog Europe. The Greek Fintech Hub initiative focuses on enhancing fintech entrepreneurship, funding innovative fintech companies, connecting fintech with research carried out in Universities and research centres, raising awareness, and establishing networks with major stakeholders abroad.
