Thess INTEC, a Science and Technology Park currently under development in Thessaloniki

Over the past few years, innovation has been on the rise in Thessaloniki and northern Greece in general. The city’s strategic location and the presence of a number of universities and thriving businesses reinforce Thessaloniki’s comparative advantages in its goal to become a pillar of development and innovation in Southeast Europe. A large innovation and technology center, named Thess INTEC (Thessaloniki Innovation & Technology Center), currently under development, aims to become the focal point for the innovation activities of academic and research institutions, start-up clusters, and corporate research and development departments.

This 4th generation Science and Technology Park will offer the opportunity for private and public sector research and development to come together and collaborate in a specially designed 756,968 m² space in the Thessaloniki airport area, with a budget of over €70 million. The park will host 100 to 150 companies and research centers and will employ around 7,000 people. Thess INTEC is set to become one of Europe’s largest innovation and technology centers, with the aim of attracting investment from Greek and foreign companies over the next ten years.

A “bottom-up” approach

It should be noted that a significant number of leading Greek companies and research institutes, as well as international technology parks in Europe and America, have already signed written agreements with each other to cooperate on setting up operations at the Center. This is why the Thess INTEC project has a “bottom-up” approach, whereby the needs arising from cooperation and coexistence between research teams and companies have determined the manner, size, and even the materials with which the Center’s shared infrastructure and building complexes should be developed.

Thess INTEC is dedicated to an entire ecosystem active in fields such as artificial intelligence, advanced materials, clean energy, nanotechnology, supply chain, and transportation and mobility, with the aim of creating new products and services of international scope.

Large-scale technology parks and innovation zones are the most effective way to link research to production and, at the same time, strengthen emerging technology companies, as they bring start-ups and spin-offs into contact with established companies based in the center. This is why one of Thess INTEC’s main activities will be to provide support services and facilities for start-ups from Greece and abroad. It should be noted that 35% of Greek spin-offs operate in Thessaloniki.

As part of the first phase of Thess INTEC’s development, there are plans to construct buildings with a total surface area of 10,500 m², of which 5,500 m² will be used for offices and the remaining 5,000 m² for specialized laboratories. These premises will house the park’s administration, the start-up incubator, and the research teams working on flagship megaprojects, which will focus on strategic technological and industrial sectors with high potential.

According to the feasibility and viability study carried out in collaboration with the International Association of Science Parks (IASP), 70 existing innovative companies have signed cooperation agreements with 17 university/research laboratories as part of the Center’s six megaprojects, with a view to setting up and collaborating on a common goal at the Thess INTEC premises.

The six megaprojects are the following:

• MP1 Advanced materials and industrial production processes

• MP2 Applications of flexible organic materials derived from nanotechnology

• MP3 Artificial intelligence and simulation applications

• MP4 Innovative clean energy solutions

• MP5 Skills development for the integration of innovative solutions in businesses and the supply chain

• MP6 Future mobility technologies and applications

A place for meeting, art, and culture At the same time, the park’s development company will lease land on a long-term basis (from 20 to 50 years) to companies and organizations wishing to relocate, with the possibility of building private facilities in accordance with Thess INTEC’s architectural rules. In addition to high-tech and innovation facilities, office space will be made available to service companies (ICT, consulting, accounting, advertising, etc.), while a conference and exhibition center, a hotel complex, and a theme park will be created through concession contracts. The coastal area will host leisure and catering facilities, such as restaurants, cafes, shops, and event spaces.

Thess INTEC will serve as a meeting point for the Greek innovation ecosystem, contributing decisively to the transformation of the country’s production model. At the same time, it will be a landmark for northern Greece and Thessaloniki. With 340,000 m² of open green spaces, sports and leisure facilities, distinctive landscape architecture and buildings, an inextricable link with the sea, and an intense and ongoing “dialogue” with the local community, it will undoubtedly become a place for meeting, art, and culture.

58% of Thess INTEC AE is owned by private sector organizations and companies, including the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises, the Greek Exporters Association, and Greek companies. The remaining 42% of the capital is held by public sector organizations, including the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the University of Macedonia, the International Hellenic University, the Center for Research and Technology, Hellas (CERTH), the Alexander Innovation Zone, and the Municipality of Thermaikos.