In Greece, the digital transformation of both the state and businesses is taking place at a rapid pace, as the new conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic saw important steps towards digital transition taken in a period of just a few months.
Innovation and technology will undoubtedly be the accelerator of the Greek economy. For businesses, the transition to digital transformation is a one-way street to adapt to the challenges of the new reality and move forward with steady steps into the future. Typically, the large increase in online transactions over the last year has resulted in many small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the market adopting the e-shop solution in order to be able to sell their products.
In Greece, the digital transformation of both the state and businesses is taking place at a rapid pace, as the new conditions brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic saw important steps towards digital transition taken in a period of just a few months.
At the same time, we have accelerated the digital transformation in both the banking sector, with a sharp increase in internet and mobile banking and at the same time a restriction on the use of cash, as well as public services. On gov.gr, the new digital portal of public administration, citizens and businesses can find all the digital services they need, concentrated in one online place.
The transition to the digital economy is also changing the labor market, and new jobs are being created, with a greater emphasis on digital skills. In this context, skilling—and upskilling—is the key pillar of development for the country and an opportunity for the workforce to acquire the necessary know-how on the technologies and digital tools of the future.
Already, in most countries of the world, demand for professions involving digital skills has increased sharply; this is reflected in many studies by international organizations and companies that study countries’ labor markets and conclude that the top professions in demand are related to digital skills.
In this context, at Microsoft Greece, Cyprus and Malta we created the #GRforGRowth initiative, which is an important step towards the digital transformation of Greece, with technology being the catalyst for growth, offering citizens and businesses the tools and expertise to innovate and thrive in the digital age.
To sum up, I would like to point out that the transition to the digital age cannot be separated from tackling climate change, which should be a field of cooperation for all governments and businesses in the world. At Microsoft, we are committed to a negative carbon footprint by 2030 and to a total removal from the environment of all the carbon that our company has emitted since its inception, until 2050.