Partners

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• SEV - Hellenic Federation of Enterprises​

  Τhe actions carried out jointly with SEV Hellenic Federation of Enterprises​ between July 2017 and July 2016 included:

  •participation by two of the winning business teams of the ekinisiLAB program directly in the 2nd Phase of the Innovation & Technology Competition
  •participation of team​s that submitted proposals to the Innovation & Technology Competition in the ekinisiLAB business consultancy services and incubator program
  •inclusion of the companies participating in the SEV programs in the "NBG Business Seeds", financing and  consultancy program.

• AmCham GR American Hellenic Chamber of Commerce
  NBG's cooperation with the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce aims at the development of a framework for collaboration with American incubators and accelerators so as to open the way for selected Hellenic startups participating in the NBG Business Seeds program to join the AmCham, besides through the usual selection and membership procedure.
  

  NBG officers participate in the evaluation committees of the Make Innovation Work (MIW) competition as well as in mentoring actions by teams working on financial matters. Selected companies that won distinctions will be considered for inclusion  in the NBG Business Seeds financing and mentoring program. Similarly, companies participating in NBG Business Seeds will be considered for inclusion in the programs, events and roadshows of the Hellenic American Chamber of Commerce.

• Israel Advanced Technology Industries (IATI)

  Through cooperation with Israel Advanced Technology Industries (IATI), firms participating in the NBG Business Seeds program are being brought into contact with Israel’s globally recognized innovation ecosystem and are gaining access to research and development, support, and financial solutions and financing from venture capital funds of global reach and other investors.

  IATI stands out internationally as an organization with circa 600 members, entrepreneurs, startups, incubators, accelerators, R&D centers, multinational corporations, local and international venture capital funds, private investors, technology transfer companies and service providers, and fosters research, development, and implementation of best practices in high-tech industries and the life sciences.

• Junior Achievement Greece (JA Greece)
  Junior Achievement Greece (JA Greece), in the context of its collaboration with NBG, will be able to propose the direct inclusion, following relevant approval of the Bank, of the two groups shortlisted in the student competition "JA Greece/Digital Entrepreneurship, Innovation/JA Start Up", in the second phase of the "i-bank Innovation and Technology Competition", provided that the proposals' subject areas fall within the Subject Areas of the Bank's "i-bank Innovation and Technology - Business Seeds Competition". 
• Center of Volunteer Managers – Greece (KEMEL)
  Collaboration with KEMEL (Center of Volunteer Managers – Greece) focuses on three key areas:
                                                                                                          
                            
  • Participation of KEMEL personnel in Innovation & Technology – NBG Business Seeds workshops with business start-ups seeking guidance.
  
  • Organization of closed meetings with groups taking part in NBG Business Seeds for guidance on subjects related to business organization and financial management.
  
  • KEMEL’s capacity to propose start-up ventures that are ripe for inclusion in ΝΒG Business Seeds for seeking funding.
• HIgher Incubator Giving Growth & Sustainability (HIGGS)
  The collaboration with HIGGS focuses on 5 main areas:

   

  - Participation of the teams supported by the Organization in the "Innovation & Technology" competition under the auspices of NBG Business Seeds.

  - Participation of the teams supported by NBG Business Seeds in the actions run by the Organization.

  - Joint organization of actions, events and workshops with a view to promoting innovation, with a special focus on social entrepreneurship.

  - Targeted support for and mentoring of business issues concerning the teams supported by the Organization.

  - Ability of the Organization to propose mature start-ups for inclusion in NBG Business Seeds and to seek out relevant financing.

• Thessaloniki's Innovation Ecosystem (OK!Thess) 
  Our collaboration with the Ecosystem of Innovation and Culture in Thessaloniki (ΟΚ!Τhess) focuses on 4 main pillars:
   
  - Joint organization of "Match & Develop a startup in Thessaloniki", in collaboration with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.
  

  - Participation of the ΟΚ!Thess teams in the Program's "Innovation & Technology" competition.

  - Joint organization of a day conference for all participants in the "Innovation & Technology" competition who come from Northern Greece.

  - OK!Thess can propose mature start-ups in the Program for exploring financing opportunities.

• PatrasIQ
  

  The collaboration with PatrasIQ focuses on 5 main areas:

  - Joint organization of "Match & Develop a Startup Patras".

  - Participation of the teams working under the member bodies of the PatrasIQ Steering Committee in the Program's "Innovation & Technology" competition.

  - Joint organization of a day conference for all participants in the "Innovation & Technology" competition who come from the Peloponnese, and Central and West Greece.

  - Supporting the PatrasIQ's initiatives by means of mentoring, jointly organizing day conferences and in general assistance in the running of local programs that support innovation and entrepreneurship.

  - PatrasIQ can propose mature start-ups in the Program for exploring financing opportunities.

• Onassis Foundation
  With a view to supporting Culture, National Bank of Greece collaborates with the Onassis Foundation focusing on 5 key areas:

   

  - Participation of the teams supported by the organization in the "Innovation & Technology" competition under the auspices of the NBG Business Seeds program.

  - Participation of the teams supported by the NBG Business Seeds program in the actions run by the organization, provided this meets the planning and priorities of the organization.

  - Joint organization of actions, events and workshops with a view to promoting innovation, with a special focus on education and culture.

  - Targeted support for and mentoring in business themes concerning the teams supported by the organization.

  - Ability of the organization to propose mature start-ups for inclusion in the NBG Business Seeds program and for seeking out relevant financing.

• National Documentation Centre (EKT)
  The collaboration with EKT focuses on 8 main areas:

  • Organization of two workshops in the Bank's venues, focusing on the presentation of targeted EU financing tools for which EKT serves as a National Contact Point (Horizon 2020, COSME), the presentation of services for accessing international markets for the dissemination and transfer of technology via the Enterprise Europe Network, as well as exploring potential partnerships regarding research, innovation, technology or commercial issues.
    
  • Support and guidance during preparation and pre-evaluation of proposals relating to EU financing tools for which EKT serves as a National Contact Point (Horizon 2020, COSME) for eligible businesses supported by the Program.
    
  • Diagnostic services (First Company Visit, Business Review, Technology Audit) regarding the needs of eligible businesses supported by the Program, with a focus on innovation and international markets.
    
  • Diagnosis and comparative evaluation of the innovation needs of businesses supported by the Program (https://www.improve-innovation.eu/our-services/assessments/improve-assessment/).
    
  • Raising awareness among the public and targeted audience about the businesses supported by the Program, via actions implemented in cooperation with EKT or via other actions related to innovative business activities (via newsletters, press releases, references to the Enterprise Europe Network, day conferences and other).
    
  • Building EKT's network with business teams and/or other organizations involved in the Program.
    
  • Cooperation so as to define the evaluation criteria for high-tech related investments.
    
  • Provision of specialized data and analyses depending on the Bank's needs in the sphere of R&D (R&D metrics) and innovation (CIS) on the basis of official national research conducted by EKT.

   

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• Endeavor Greece

  The collaboration between NBG and Endeavor Greece​ aims at supporting innovative and developing businesses. The input of NBG and its staff, in the framework of this partnership, includes:
  
  •​​mentoring for entrepreneurs on issues related to financial management and operations, and
  •financing of healthy companies that present a high level of extroversion, are in a growth phase, and are seeking the means to grow, create more jobs, and expand in Greece and abroad.

  The supported innovative activities include technology, the rural economy, green energy, and tourism with a focus on standardisation, accreditation, innovation in the production process and, thereafter sales in Greece and abroad.

  The collaboration between NBG and the Endeavor program involves:
   
  •​the participation of the CEO of NBG on the Board of Endeavor Greece,
  •the participation of NBG officers in Endeavor Greece's network of mentors, and
  •the granting of loans (in line with the applicable credit policy) for the nominated companies participating in the Endeavor Greece network.

• The People’s Trust
  Collaboration with privately funded non-profit organization The People's Trust, which provides microfinance and business development services to small enterprises in all sectors, includes financial support to teams participating in the NBG Business Seeds program for the development of their business plans.
  
   In addition, the The People's Trust can propose the inclusion of two mature business teams/proposals that have distinguished themselves in its actions directly in the second phase of the Innovation & Technology Competition, as well as the inclusion in the NBG Business Seeds program of two mature startups that participated in its programs.​​​​​
• Innoenergy-KiNNO
  Within the framework of actions aiming at encouraging and developing innovative entrepreneurship and extroversion, National Bank of Greece announces it cooperation, in the context of the NBG Business Seeds program, with InnoEnergy and KINNO Consultants ltd.
  

  This cooperation involves:

  • Investigating synergies between actions organized by InnoEnergy in Greece and abroad and similar actions carried out by the Bank (e.g. Innovation & Technology competition, NBG Business Seeds program etc.). With specific regard to actions carried out by InnoEnergy in Greece, synergies can be also achieved through KINNO, since it represents InnoEnergy in Greece.
  • Regarding the InnoEnergy Powerup! Country Final Greece competition, it has been agreed that the Bank is authorized to propose the participation of teams that took part in the i-bank Innovation & Technology competition in the context of the NBG Business Seeds program, since the thematic fields of the competitions are related. Bank officers will participate in the jury panels and in actions aimed at providing mentoring on financial issues to the teams.
  • InnoEnergy can propose the inclusion of companies that participated in the InnoEnergy Powerup! Country Final Greece competition in the NBG Business Seeds financing and mentoring program. The Bank shall review the proposals and make a decision based on the criteria implemented when considering whether to include a company in the NBG Business Seeds program, depending on the company's needs and prospects.
  • The Bank can propose to InnoEnergy certain teams from the NBG Business Seeds program for networking, updating, investing or co-investing as well as for inclusion in the incubators or other InnoEnergy programs.
  • Communication between the contracting parties regarding actions and initiatives that aim at encouraging the growth of young entrepreneurship, innovation and extroversion in the energy sector.

  InnoEnergy (www.innoenergy.com) is the innovation engine for sustainable energy across Europe, as it supports and invests in innovation at every stage of the journey. Established in 2010, InnoEnnergy is supported by the European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT). With its network of partners, it brings together inventors and industry, graduates and employers, researchers and entrepreneurs, businesses and markets. InnoEnergy works in three essential areas:

  • Business Creation Services to support entrepreneurs and start-ups who are expanding Europe's energy ecosystem with their innovative offerings.
  • Innovation Projects to bring together ideas, inventors and industry to create commercially attractive technologies that deliver real results to customers.
  • Education to help create an informed and ambitious workforce that understands the demands of sustainability and the needs of industry.
    
    KiNNO Consultants Ltd (www.kinno.eu) , the HUB of InnoEnergy for Greece and Cyprus, supports its actions and markets its services. KiNNO is a consultant firm that focuses on technology transfer, innovation and entrepreneurship and acts as an intermediary to accelerate the deployment of innovations to the market. Also, KiNNO provides a wide range of services related to technology transfer and market uptake of research results to businesses and individuals, as well as Research & Technology organisations.
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• Athens University of Economics & Business

  NBG, as part of its strategy to foster and promote young entrepreneurship, has entered into agreement with the Athens University of Economics and Business to lend further support to the proposals nominated in the "Innovation & Technology"​ Competition by providing training in the areas of accounting, marketing and sales.

  More specifically, the actions carried out jointly with the AUEB include:
  
  •sponsorship for the awards given by the Ennovation student competition and for the participation of the winners directly in the 2nd Phase of the Innovation & Technology Competition, and 
  •support for the successful proposals of the Competition by offering them the opportunity to take part in the following training programs: "Management and development of viable innovative start-ups" and"Entrepreneurship boot camp" of the AUEB.

• Agricultural University of Athens
  The aim of this collaboration with the Agricultural University of Athens is to identify, promote and ultimately implement innovative ideas and projects that will help develop sustainable SMEs in the agricultural sector of Greece as well as individual producers of agricultural and livestock produce. In the frame of the collaboration, the Bank and the Agricultural University of Athens will jointly develop the following actions:
  
  networking, promotion of innovative ideas and projects, exchange of information, and promotion and support of business ventures to apply the research of teachers and researchers at the Agricultural University of Athens through training and mentoring, provision of networking infrastructures, and financing.
• National & Kapodistrian University of Athens
  By decision of the rectorate, members of the University research and teaching staff will participate in the evaluation of the proposals submitted to the Innovation & Technology Competition of the NBG Business Seeds program.
• National Technical University of Athens
  By decision of the rectorate, members of the University research and teaching staff will participate in the evaluation of the proposals submitted to the Innovation & Technology Competition of the NBG Business Seeds program.
• Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
  By decision of the rectorate, members of the University research and teaching staff will participate in the evaluation of the proposals submitted to the Innovation & Technology Competition of the NBG Business Seeds program.
• University of Piraeus
  By decision of the rectorate, members of the University research and teaching staff will participate in the evaluation of the proposals submitted to the Innovation & Technology Competition of the NBG Business Seeds program.
• University of Patras
  By decision of the rectorate, members of the University research and teaching staff will participate in the evaluation of the proposals submitted to the Innovation & Technology Competition of the NBG Business Seeds program.
• University of Crete
  By decision of the rectorate, members of the University research and teaching staff will participate in the evaluation of the proposals submitted to the Innovation & Technology Competition of the NBG Business Seeds program.
• University of Macedonia
  By decision of the rectorate, members of the University research and teaching staff will participate in the evaluation of the proposals submitted to the Innovation & Technology Competition of the NBG Business Seeds program.
• University of Peloponnese
  By decision of the rectorate, members of the University research and teaching staff will participate in the evaluation of the proposals submitted to the Innovation & Technology Competition of the NBG Business Seeds program.
• University of Thessaly
  By decision of the rectorate, members of the University research and teaching staff will participate in the evaluation of the proposals submitted to the Innovation & Technology Competition of the NBG Business Seeds program.
  
  
  
  
• Technical University of Crete
  By decision of the rectorate, members of the University research and teaching staff will participate in the evaluation of the proposals submitted to the Innovation & Technology Competition of the NBG Business Seeds program.
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• Amazon Web Services

  NBG partners with Amazon Web Services​ on the Activate program.

  Startups participating in the NBG Business Seeds have free access to AWS services: hosting, training, technical support and mentoring.

• Grant Thornton

  As part of its CSR actions, Grant Thornton offers free of charge for one year tax, accounting and consultant services to selected companies participating in NBG’s Business Seeds Program.

  Furthermore, Grant Thornton will take part in the workshops held twice a year in the framework of the “Innovation & Technology” Competition in order to provide information and advice on current issues that concern the participant companies.

• Microsoft
  Within the context of collaboration with Microsoft, NBG can propose for inclusion in the “BizSpark” program teams that have already participated in the annual “Innovation & Technology” Competition. It can also propose the incubation in the Microsoft Innovation Center of up to two teams per year from among the winners of the annual “Innovation & Technology” competition.
  
  Accordingly, Microsoft can propose the inclusion of companies participating in its programs in the Bank’s funding and mentoring program titled “NBG Business Seeds” as well as the inclusion of two companies which were selected for the “Imagine Cup” Student Technology Competition in the Second Phase of the “Innovation & Technology” competition, provided that their inclusion is in line with the terms of the Competition and the subject of their proposals is relevant to that of the Competition.​
• Watson Farley & Williams
  In the framework of its CSR actions, international law firm Watson Farley & Williams assists the Bank by providing advice on and detailing legal issues that may concern the companies that participate in the ΝΒG Business Seeds program.
  
  Watson Farley & Williams participates in workshops organized within the framework of the "Innovation & Technology” competition, with a view to providing information on relevant legal issues to the participating companies.
  Watson Farley & Williams is participating on a pilot basis in collaboration with the NBG Business Seeds program and Greek universities with a view to providing advice on legal issues related to the development of a framework for the commercial exploitation and implementation of research work carried out at universities. 
• Google
  Google will support the "NBG Business Seeds" Program by providing trainings and mentoring services to specific startup companies that have been identified by the NBG as "highpotential".

  More specifically, Google will:

  - Provide mentoring sessions, to the NBG Business Seeds Companies, on how to use Google platforms as well as walkthrough of publicly available resources that NBG has identified as highpotential during the last years.

  - Organize one 1-to-​many seminar for the Business Seeds Companies around the Digital Ecosystem & consumer transformation, digital media mapping, Social Media Content strategy, programmatic solutions, mobile and big data, end

  - Participate in the "Innovation & Technology" competition that takes place twice per year, in January and in March, as well as in the Digital Topic related workshops.

• Census
  This business cooperation involves the provision of state-of-the-art IT system security services by Census to startups that have been selected by the Bank to participate in the NBG Business Seeds program. These services include:
  
  penetration tests on the IT environment of startups, application security testing for applications supported and used by businesses, IT security consulting services, and participation in workshops held within the context of NBG’s Innovation & Technology Competition, so as to provide information and advice on issues of concern to the participating companies.​​​
• McKinsey & Company
  McKinsey, within the framework of its relationship with NBG, will provide advisory services to selected firms participating in NBG’s Business Seeds program, through meetings to be scheduled with each firm individually. Furthermore, McKinsey will participate in workshops organized in the context of the NBG Innovation & Technology competition, aimed at providing information and advice on issues that currently concern the participants.

  In addition, in the context of the Program’s actions, it will participate in the Bank’s initiatives to promote the business use of research projects carried out by Greek universities.
• PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PwC)
  NBGs Business Seeds collaboration with PriceWaterHouseCoopers (PwC) focuses on specific areas, as described below:

  
  - Mentoring -- in closed sessions for each team individually -- for firms included in the program on management issues such as HR management and cost control.

  - Participation in 3day "Match & Develop" seminar on governance/business writing themes, in a 20 minute presentation.

  - Exploration of the potential for future online advisory meetings with research teams from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, which are seeking to establish their own spin-offs.

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Through this partnership with top research centers of the country, NBG aims at contributing to the financing, recovery and expansion of the Greek economy, on the basis of a new productive model that is both global and competitive in its ambitions.

In this context the following actions are being undertaken:
•To help maximize effective management of liquidity at such research institutions.
•To leverage the use of specialized financing tools so as to facilitate the commercial development of research outcomes.
•To engage in consultation on the institutional changes that need to be made, in line with best international practices, with a view to linking research and production.
•To identify potential synergies in the work of research institutions with business customers and to foster communication and partnerships between them.
•To examine opportunities for financing innovative activities.
•To work systematically toward fostering a new mindset that encourages the role of research as a productive resource in efforts to grow the economy and business activity.​

• Foundation for Research and Tecnhology - Hellas
  

  The co-operation concerns the investigation of the specialized financial needs of FORTH, especially in areas such as capital movements and the renewal of research equipment, the exploration of the applicability of existing specialized financial instruments and/or the creation of new ones targeted at the exploitation of the research results of FORTH in order to their transfer to production and the possibility of creating and financially supporting a wider institution based on internationally recognized performance and linking the research result to production.

  It also aims at identifying and further promoting the results of cooperation, by communicating the possibilities offered to better link its research activity and other similar research institutions to the Greek economy. Particular emphasis is placed on FORTH's technology transfer technology in production, facilitating the creation of companies to exploit research results, and contributing to the identification of tax and other incentives to improve the institutional framework that governs collaborations between individuals and research centers.

• National Centre for Scientific Research "Demokritos"
  The National Center for Scientific Research “Demokritos” (NCSR “Demokritos”) is the largest multidisciplinary research center in Greece, with critical mass in expertise and infrastructure in the fields of Nanotechnology, Energy & Environment, Biosciences, Particle and Nuclear Science, Informatics and Telecommunications.
• Centre for Research and Technology Hellas
  

  The Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) was founded in March 2000 and directly reports to the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT).

  CERTH has important scientific and technological achievements in many areas including: Energy, Environment, Industry, Mechatronics, Information & Communication, Transportation & Sustainable Mobility, Health, Agro-biotechnology, Smart farming, Safety & Security, as well as several cross-disciplinary scientific areas.
   
  Today CERTH includes the following five institutes with indicated major fields of research:
  •Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI):
   Sustainable & Clean Energy, Environmental Technologies, Chemical & Biochemical Processes, Advanced Functional Materials;
  •Information Technologies Institute (ITI):
  Informatics, Telematics and Telecommunication Technologies;
  •Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT):
  Land, Sea and Air Transportation as well as Sustainable Mobility services;
  •Institute of Applied Biosciences (INAB):
  Agri-biotechnology, Health Translational Research, Informatics for big bio-data; and
  •Bio-economy and Agro-technology Institute (IBO):
   Agrotechnology, Mechatronics, Biomedicine and Kinesiology.

  More than 700 people work at CERTH with the majority being scientists.

  CERTH has received numerous awards and distinctions such as the European Descartes Prize, the European Research Council (ERC) Advanced Grant, Microsoft International Contest Prize, the Trading Agents Competition Award and many more and is listed among the Top-20 of the EU’s Research Centres with the highest participation in HORIZON 2020 competitive research grants.

  CERTH has participated successfully in more than 1.200 competitive research projects financed by the European Union (EU), leading industries from USA, Japan and Europe and the Greek Government via the General Secretariat of Research and Technology (GSRT).

  CERTH’s research results have significant scientific impact.

• Biomedical Sciences Research Center "Alexander Fleming"
  

  BSRC Fleming is one of the most rapidly developing research centers in Greece. It was established in 1998 and today is actively involved in cutting edge research in  biomedical sciences.

  The Center currently hosts 14 research groups in 4 Institutes covering the areas of immunology, molecular biology & genetics, molecular oncology, cellular and developmental biology.

  Fleming has gained extensive visibility in the European Research Area through state of the art research programs in basic, as well as translational and applied science in biology, biomedicine and biotechnology.  Fleming is a non-profit organisation and operates under the supervision of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT) of the Hellenic Ministry of Education.

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