Taking over the management of JA Greece six years ago, in an ecosystem in its early stages but with rich dynamics to be exploited and with an intensely negative economic environment, I set as a primary goal to create opportunities for the country’s young people to forge their professional paths as they dream them.
The awarding of the two greek teams, the Student Swim.me and the Student FlowOn, which were in the first and second place respectively of the Pan-European Youth Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition of JA Europe Gen-E 2021, as well as their distinction in the National Awards for Startup Entrepreneurship 2021 of Elevate Greece in the framework of the 85th Thessaloniki International Fair on the initiative of the Deputy Minister of Development, Christos Dimas is a strong indication for us that we are both as an organisation and as an ecosystem on the right track.
The honorary reception of the winning teams by the Prime Minister reinforces our optimism that our vision is at the heart of the broader strategic priority of the country and the government, to acquire social and economic resilience while developing sustainably.
The creativity of thought and the use of advanced technologies in order to solve serious social and environmental problems in a cost-effective way is the proof of the success of our educational programs and the result is for me the most important hope that the innovation ecosystem in Greece has the appropriate human resources to contribute to the effort to transform the country into an exponential knowledge economy.
The young people who participate today in JA’s entrepreneurship programs are tomorrow’s Startuppers, as well as the executives of businesses and organizations, who will promote the spirit of healthy entrepreneurship in our country.
The cultivation and promotion of the talents of young people who will continue their careers in the world of innovation and entrepreneurship, is one aspect of this effort. In addition to this, the development of entrepreneurial thinking and horizontal skills, which are a prerequisite for a well-structured set of professions of the future, is of particular importance and value for us.
Horizontal skills such as critical thinking, creativity, social and emotional intelligence, collaboration, initiative, flexibility and adaptability are cultivated during our experiential programs and allow the practitioner of tomorrow to plan his course in the labor market, significantly reducing the chances of becoming unemployable in our ever-changing world.
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the urgent need for digital transformation at all levels of our society, but has also led us to succeed and to be pioneers in certain fields
The ability of our human resources to leverage creative and original thinking in combination with cutting-edge technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), artificial intelligence algorithms and biotechnology to solve global challenges and generate added value, are the basis for us to support a greek economy of innovation and value generation.
One of the main needs of our time is the horizontal diffusion of innovation throughout society. Education is perhaps the most important means of achieving this, so that we can adopt new successful production models, which – why not – become an example for other countries.
The upgrading of the educational experience with the use of digital technologies, as well as the upgrading of educational content by adopting subjects such as entrepreneurship, planning, sustainability, and data analysis are at the top of the needs for Greece’s next day. Lets not allow the next crisis, such as the present climate crisis, to find us unprepared.