Shipping Ministry – Greek Development Bank Explore Ways to Boost lsland Entrepreneurship

Ways to boost island entrepreneurship topped the agenda of talks between Shipping Minister Yiannis Plakiotakis and Greek Development Bank Chairman and CEO Antonis Georgakakis.

The working meeting focused on joint actions to be taken by the two parties towards the creation of funding tools that will support island entrepreneurship as well as other areas of the marine economy.

Referring to the ministry’s maritime policy, Plakiotakis underlined the importance of taking into account the particular production characteristics of each island region and consulting with island chambers and other productive bodies before drawing up plans.

Participating in the meeting, Aegean and Island Policy Secretary-General Christiana Kalogirou stressed the need to create a targeted funding instrument for island entrepreneurship that will respond to the needs of the island entrepreneur and provide practical support for the operation and development of small and medium-sized enterprises on the islands.

On hist part, Georgakakis agreed to work together with the ministry to formulate a specialised investor/financing fund focused on island entrepreneurship as well as on the maritime economy, providing a series of tools such as collateral, working capital, employment financing, and employer subsidies.