At the Delphi Economic Forum X, a forward-looking session titled “AI Leadership and Collaboration in Europe – France’s Strategy as a Model for Greece and the EU” brought together entrepreneurs, AI scientists, strategists, and policymakers. Their unified call? That Europe must move swiftly, boldly, and collaboratively if it hopes to shape—not simply react to—the AI-powered future.
From a nation once criticized for its digital inertia, France has emerged as a formidable force in artificial intelligence. Its strategic pivot—led by long-term public-private investment, a mobilized VC sector, and a deliberate effort to anchor talent—has created a viable blueprint for smaller EU nations like Greece.
From policy to capital: building AI at scale
Philippe Tibi, professor at École Polytechnique, set the tone by emphasizing one fundamental truth: “There is no innovation without capital.” Through coordinated efforts, France secured a €13 billion commitment from insurance firms to inject capital into deep tech ventures—proof that systemic change can happen when political will and financial engineering meet.
Tibi proposed that the model is not merely French but scalable. “If there’s a will, things happen. You need capital—and connection,” he argued, calling for a pan-European replication of the Initiative Tibi framework, adapted to national contexts.
Human talent: the missing link in AI scale-up
Talent was another recurring theme. Yannis Assael, National Delegate to the OECD’s Global Partnership on AI and staff scientist at Google DeepMind, underscored the value of creating sustainable ecosystems where academia, startups, and corporate R&D feed into one another. “Research is the heart of innovation,” he stressed, advocating for AI policies that embed PhD-level research deeply into national strategies. Greece, he added, has made significant progress—but must do more to educate, train, and retain AI professionals.
Assael pointed to France’s “ecosystem-first” strategy—where research, policy, funding, and industrial application are tightly aligned—as an inspiring example for Greece.
The robotics imperative: Pphysical AI as economic necessity
Minas Liarokapis, CEO of Acumino, brought the conversation to the factory floor. His startup operates across four continents, deploying AI-powered robotic workers to fill industrial labour gaps. “AI must move from the cloud to the physical world,” he insisted. While AI chatbots capture the public imagination, physical AI—robotics in logistics and manufacturing—offers clear ROI and addresses Europe’s worsening labour shortages.
Liarokapis made the case for Europe, and Greece specifically, to take the lead in scaling this form of AI, not as a luxury but as a necessity. “By 2030, the global labor gap could reach 85 million people. Robotics isn’t a threat. It’s the only viable solution.”
Startup studios and corporate reinvention
Patrick Amiel, CEO of French startup studio 321, illustrated how corporates can rejuvenate innovation through startup studios. “We build startups with large companies in six months, faster and with less risk than traditional models,” he said. His vision: connecting European corporations with homegrown innovation rather than defaulting to U.S. or Chinese tech.
Amiel also announced plans to open an Athens office, tapping into Greece’s growing tech talent pool. “If we want a European AI future, we must act—not just draft policy papers,” he noted.
What role for Greece?
Panagiotis Prontzas of Grant Thornton framed Greece as both a bridge and a testbed. With its strategic location and under-leveraged technical base, Greece could become a magnet for tech talent if it introduces a targeted “tech visa” scheme and doubles down on connecting universities with the private sector.
But as all panellists echoed, Greece alone cannot shift the balance. Europe must move as a block. That means shared research centres, open data infrastructure, pan-European VC platforms, and joint “moonshot” programs akin to Airbus or CERN—this time, for AI.
Toward a Pan-European AI Pact
The session concluded with consensus: Europe has the academic heritage, regulatory structure, and public interest. What it needs now is speed, capital, and unity. If Europe can build a trustworthy, sovereign, and high-impact AI ecosystem, France may be remembered not just for leading but for lighting the way.
In the words of Assael, “Let’s stop wondering whether we can compete and start learning faster, together.”
