FORTH Unveils New Innovation and Advanced Training Hub, Positioning Crete as a Regional Technology Leader
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The Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) inaugurated its new Innovation and Advanced Training Hub at its Voutes campus in Heraklion, marking a significant expansion of Greece’s research and technology infrastructure. Minister of Development Takis Theodorikakos visited FORTH’s facilities and met with the institution’s leadership before attending the opening ceremony as the Prime Minister’s representative.
The new hub strengthens FORTH’s role as one of the country’s most advanced research centers, enhancing its capacity to connect scientific excellence with production, industry and the real economy. The infrastructure is designed to support cutting edge research, high level training and technology transfer, reinforcing Crete’s emergence as a regional innovation node in the Eastern Mediterranean.
In his remarks, the Minister highlighted the strategic importance of research and innovation for Greece’s economic transformation. He described the investment as a “symbol of what can be achieved when collaboration, responsibility and long term planning converge,” noting that the project was funded through national and European resources and implemented with transparency and sound management. He emphasized that the value of the new facilities lies not only in their physical scale but in the opportunities they create for a more competitive and technologically driven economy.
The investment in FORTH’s infrastructure in Crete amounts to €29 million, while the broader upgrade program across all FORTH locations reaches €60 million, the largest funding package the institution has ever received. Through the Recovery and Resilience Facility, €30 million were allocated for new and modernized research infrastructures in Crete, Rethymno, Chania, Patras and Ioannina, equipping FORTH with state of the art laboratories and advanced technological capabilities.
The Minister underscored the importance of biomedical research and its connection to Greece’s pharmaceutical industry, describing the sector as a strategic asset for the country’s modern industrial base. He also referred to the Ministry’s broader innovation agenda, noting that more than €300 million are being directed toward upgrading research infrastructure nationwide.
A key point of his intervention was the need to strengthen the link between research and industry, ensuring that scientific knowledge translates into entrepreneurship, new technologies and high value products. “Research gains real meaning when it reaches production, businesses and everyday life,” he noted, stressing that Greece must accelerate the conversion of research output into startups, investments and industrial applications.
During his visit, the Minister discussed FORTH’s new organizational plan and staffing needs, noting that the updated structure foresees approximately 150 additional researchers. He also referenced the Development Law and its renewed focus on manufacturing, innovation and regional development, pointing out that 95 investment projects are currently underway in Crete, with a total budget of €270 million.
Deputy Minister of Development Stavros Kalafatis emphasized the importance of delivering fully equipped, next generation research facilities to Greece’s scientific community. He noted that the combined funding of €56 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility “Greece 2.0” and the European Investment Bank enables the delivery of 20,000 square meters of new infrastructure across six cities. He highlighted that these facilities support Greece’s Smart Specialization Strategy and the principles of the Quadruple Helix, creating conditions to transform brain drain into brain gain and positioning Crete as an international innovation hub.
With its new infrastructure, FORTH strengthens its position as one of Greece’s leading research institutions and a catalyst for the country’s transition toward a more innovative, productive and competitive economic model. Crete gains a powerful technology center capable of connecting scientific excellence with industry, entrepreneurship and advanced production, opening new pathways for regional and national development.
