The Minister of National Defence Nikos Dendias announced on Thursday 12 December 2024 the opening of the proceedings of the 1st Hellenic-French Defence Innovation Symposium, organized at the Biomedical Research Foundation Academy of Athens (BRFAA) by the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation (HCDI), in collaboration with the General Directorate for Defence Investments and Armaments of the Ministry of National Defence (GDDIA) and the Defence Innovation Agency (AID) of France.
Among those present were the Chief HNDGS General Dimitris Choupis, the Chief HAGS Lieutenant General Georgios Kostidis, the Chief HNGS Vice Admiral Dimitrios – Eleftherios Kataras HN, the Chief HAFGS Lieutenant General Dimosthenis Grigoriadis, the Chairman of the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation Vice Admiral (ret.) Panagiotis Lymperis, the Managing Director of the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation Pantelis Tzortakis, and the General Director for Defence Investments and Armaments Major General Ioannis Bouras.
From the French side, the event was attended by the Ambassador of France Laurance Auer, the General Director for Armaments of the French Ministry of National Defence Lieutenant General Gaël Diaz De Tuesta, and the Director of the Defence Innovation Agency (AID) Major General Patrick Aufort.
On the first day of the Symposium, a Memorandum of Cooperation was concluded between the GDDIA and the Direction Générale de l’Armament (DGA), while innovative Greek undertakings that have developed intelligent technologies for real-time recognition of vehicles and for managing unmanned systems have been awarded.
The first day of the Symposium was also attended by members of the Hellenic and French Armed Forces, entrepreneurs and executives engaged in the manufacturing sector of defence materiel, commercial vehicles, shipbuilding, robotic systems development, automation and implementation of artificial intelligence networks.
In his speech, the Minister of National Defence noted the following:
“Ladies and Gentlemen,
Distinguished Guests,
Dear Madam Ambassador of the French Republic,
I have to say that it is a great pleasure for me to be here today, at this point in the close cooperation between the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation and the French innovation ecosystem.
It is not necessary to emphasize how important the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation is for us, taking its first yet very significant and hopefully concrete steps.
It is with great pleasure that I welcome you in Athens today, on the occasion of the opening of the proceedings of the 1st Hellenic-French Defence Innovation Symposium.
A symposium that strengthens the bonds between the two allied friendly partner countries.
At this point, I particularly want to thank the Ambassador of France Ms. Laurance Auer, the General Director for Armaments of the French Ministry of National Defence General Gaël Diaz De Tuesta and the Director of the Defence Innovation Agency (AID) Major General Patrick Aufort, for being here with us today.
Moreover, I would like to point out how much we miss my French counterpart Sébastien Lecornu today. We completely understand that the political situation in France keeps him away from us. Nevertheless, I would like to stress the great importance of our cooperation with him, with the French government, with President Macron, in order to be able to build the Greek-French defence relationship.
Because Greece and France are bound over time by ties of friendship, based on European ideals, democracy and the International Law.
And these ties have been sealed by the Greek-French defence agreement of September 2021, of which I am so proud since it bears my signature. An agreement that is implemented through joint exercises, joint missions and mutual support in the field of Civil Protection. As we speak, in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea the French aircraft carrier “CHARLES DE GAULLE” is escorted by a frigate and a submarine of the Hellenic Navy.
And also, in the field of defence armaments, we have developed a very strong, solid foundation.
The “BELHARA” programme is just the tip of the iceberg of this close cooperation.
We are very proud of the fact that parts of “BELHARA” frigates are manufactured by Greek companies.
And of course, I must not fail to mention the “RAFALE” aircraft programme.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We all know that the unstable geopolitical environment, the conflicts in Europe and in the wider region highlight the need to turn to innovation, to develop our domestic technological capabilities.
This is what the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation does. It is our answer to the questions raised by the new era.
We aim at creating, for the first time in Greece, in our Country, in our many years, an integrated defence innovation system.
And moreover, the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation has to fulfill its role as the coordinator in this emerging system between the academic community, the defence industry and startups.
And of course, a strong contributing factor for this effort is the synergy with corresponding innovation entities abroad.
Today’s Symposium pursues this objective. It serves the establishment of wide channels of communication between the innovation ecosystem of France, being a mature ecosystem, and the arising innovation ecosystem of our Country. In order to be able to formulate joint proposals. To develop and manufacture dual-use defence products, as they are called in the global community.
I would also wish to refer to research programmes of French and Greek joint initiative, like the ones funded by the European Defence Fund.
It is a positive step and I stress this, that the participation of Greece to research programmes in relation of our Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is competitive. However, since truth be told, the manufacturing of the final product, if measured, still ranks us very low on the European stage.
And the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation is invited to fill this vacuum, by leveraging on private initiatives and promoting startups.
We should develop new technologies, new products. We have a successful example. Everyone knows it by now; the “CENTAURUS”, a product of cooperation between the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation and the Hellenic defence industry, the Hellenic Aerospace Industry, which cements this effort. However, we also need to provide opportunities, possibilities to new companies.
A step in that direction is the competition organized by the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation and today’s awarding of prizes that aim at new ideas, young people in order to cover the operational priorities set by the Hellenic Armed Forces.
To achieve this two-way communication between the Armed Forces and the innovation forces, the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation established a technology transfer office.
In this way, our Higher Military Schools may also succeed in contributing actively to research. To give vent to the creative capabilities of young people attending such Schools.
The synergy with the French Agence de l’ Innovation de Defense is the stepping stone towards this effort and marks, and in fact through today’s Symposium, the beginning of a constant, fruitful and hopefully long-term cooperation in the field of innovation, strengthening even further our bonds with the great French Republic.
Greece and France are passionate defenders of the international peaceful cooperation and dialogue.
Always abiding by the rules of international law.
On the basis of protecting our common European values.
I wish you every success at the Symposium.
Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you very much”.
The proceedings of the 1st Hellenic-French Defence Innovation Symposium will be completed tomorrow afternoon.
