Page 34 - COMPASS - COMPETITIVENESS REPORT 2021 | COUNCIL OF COMPETITIVENESS IN GREECE

“COMPASS” REPORT 2021 – COUNCIL ON COMPETITIVENESS OF GREECE 33

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS

• Advances in the domestic natural gas market as well as in decentralised power generation, with the increased contribution
of sustainable energy sources, and better links from the islands to the national grid
• Geographic coverage improved and upgrades made to the road network across Greece; high-speed rail network between
Athens and Thessaloniki completed; investment programmes are under development for the ports of Piraeus and
Thessaloniki; upgrades made to regional ports and airports
• Deployment of 5G telecommunication networks and ultrafast optical fibre networks launched; 5G spectrum allocation
completed; Phaistos Fund established, to finance applications and solutions that will make use of 5G, aiming at developing
an ecosystem to facilitate the digital transformation of the various areas of the Greek economy
• The national health system (ESY) has been fortified, and new beds and healthcare units have been added across Greece, in
the context of COVID-19, mainly through sizeable donations by the country’s institutions

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The main focus of sustainable development to address climate change is switching to types of power generation that are friendlier
to the environment, as well as energy conservation. Greece has a relatively good performance in environmental sustainability
and energy infrastructure indices, and has drawn up plans and processes towards sustainable development that will benefit the
country over time.
In terms of transportation, Greece’s geographic position and strong presence in maritime shipping come with the potential
for the country to establish itself as an important transhipment hub within global commerce. Of course, this would require
additions to existing transport infrastructure and logistics, which are seen as wanting. The entire transport system is poorly
maintained and there is poor connectivity between different transportation means; the rail network is limited in coverage and
functionality; port infrastructure is old; supply chain management is fragmented. Furthermore, Greece is significantly lagging
behind in infrastructure connectivity (ultrafast broadband coverage, 5G network connection readiness) and in the adoption of
said technological connectivity by society. Moves to upgrade the transport and telecommunications infrastructure are already
underway and are expected to improve Greece's ranking in these areas.
Owing to the pandemic, the healthcare system and health infrastructure play an even more important role, and they are being
reinforced around the world in light of longer life expectancy and strong scientific and technological progress. In Greece, we
seem to be lagging behind in health infrastructure, which has been tested and expanded due to the pandemic in recent months.
Our national health system’s performance in terms of support for the elderly and children is also low.