A working meeting was held yesterday 13/01/2020 between the Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Mr. Giannis Plakiotakis with the President and CEO Mr. Antonis Georgakakis and the Vice-President Pantelis Tzortzakis of Hellenic Development Bank SA (formerly ETEAN) for the Island Entrepreneurship. The subject of the meeting was the development of joint action of the Ministry of Shipping and Island Policy and the Hellenic Development Bank SA, in order to create financial instruments to support island entrepreneurship and related activities. sectors of the maritime economy .

New special investment/financial fund for Island Entrepreneurship

During the meeting The Minister of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy, Plakiotakis, developed the framework of the Ministry's Strategy for the Integrated Maritime Policy, the Blue Economy and Insularity and stressed the need to take into account the specific characteristics of the productive system of the island regions of the country and the consultation with the island Chambers and other productive bodies.

The Secretary General of the Aegean and Island Policy Ms. Christiana Kalogirou - who participated in the meeting - highlighted the need to create a targeted financial instrument for Island Entrepreneurship, which will respond to the needs of the island entrepreneur and provide the kind of support that is really useful for the operation and development of small and medium entrepreneurship on the islands.

Both the President and CEO, as well as the Vice President of the Hellenic Development Bank agreed to actively participate in the formation of a special investment / financial fund focused on entrepreneurship linked to the island area, but also to the Maritime Economy in general, which will provide a network of tools, such as guarantee, working capital, employment financing, employer contribution subsidy, etc.