The National Bank of Greece, through its Historical Archive, signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Italgas and the General State Archives for the research, digitization and promotion through new technologies of archival documents that illuminate the history of natural gas and the energy industry in Greece.
An important part of the research will be conducted at the Historical Archive of National Bank of Greece, where valuable or even unique archival documents on the use of gas in the country are held. The digitization of the material will follow and its inclusion in a digital platform accessible online, which is being designed and created within the framework of the collaborative project. The objectives of the project are also to promote educational and cultural initiatives related to the knowledge of the energy sector under study. Thus, the awareness of younger generations regarding the importance of energy infrastructure, the responsible use of resources and the historical and social value of industrial heritage will be cultivated.
The agreement was signed at the Italian Archaeological School of Athens by Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas, Ernestos Panayiotou, General Manager Transformation, Strategy and International Activities of the National Bank of Greece and Amalia Pappa, Deputy General Director of the General State Archives, in the presence of the Minister of Culture of Italy, Alessandro Giuli, and the Italian Ambassador to Greece, Paolo Cuculi.
“The collaboration of the National Bank of Greece through its Historical Archive with Italgas and the General State Archives, as reflected in the Memorandum, demonstrates our steadfast commitment to protecting historical memory, deepening awareness on financial history, and capturing cultural synergies across borders and industries" said Ernestos Panayiotou, General Manager of Transformation, Strategy and International Activities of the National Bank. "Within the framework of the Memorandum and by utilizing the latest technologies, the important documents held by the Historical Archive of the National Bank of Greece, as well as the relevant scientific research that will be carried out, will shed light on the use of gas in our country from the 1920s to the 1970s as well as on the course of the energy industry in Greece more broadly. Safeguarding and digitizing these archival materials will ensure that the records of our past are not only preserved but also made accessible to future generations”.
"I am very pleased that today Italgas is signing this agreement with two important Hellenic institutions, the National Bank of Greece and the State Archives, confirming the high priority the company places on Greece, including in the fields of digitalization, protection, and preservation of historical heritage," emphasized Paolo Cuculi, the Italian Ambassador to Greece. "Enhancing our history, both modern and contemporary, is indeed a distinctive trait of our two countries, and this agreement is a perfect example of that."
“This Memorandum is much more than a simple collaboration,” said Paolo Gallo, CEO of Italgas. “With this agreement, we are putting our expertise and the technologies developed by our digital transformation laboratory at the service of an ambitious goal: to build a bridge between past and future, between culture and innovation, by making an immense historical heritage easily accessible to all. The Italgas Heritage Lab has demonstrated how the digitization of archives can become a powerful driver of knowledge, identity, and development, available to everyone. And today, we are pleased to share this approach with the National Bank of Greece and the General State Archives, in the awareness that digitizing means protecting a heritage, making it eternal - but not only that; it also enables new ways of experiencing and sharing knowledge.”
“We firmly believe that this Memorandum of Understanding promotes cooperation between institutions and enhances their extroversion. We are joining forces in the effort to highlight and promote the industrial heritage of Italy and Greece, with a particular emphasis on the history of natural gas—introduced in Greece in the second half of the 19th century» highlighted Amalia Pappa, Deputy General Director of the General State Archives. “The General State Archives of Greece are closely linked to the nation’s historical narrative, safeguarding public records from the establishment of the modern Greek state to the present day. In doing so, they ensure the continuity and preservation of Greece’s administrative, political, economic and social history. Thus, the selection and documentation of the relevant archival material of the General State Archives and the Historical Archives of the National Bank of Greece, as well as its digitization and online availability, will create a set of documents accessible not only to researchers but to everyone”.