General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT)

What General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT) does

The General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT), recently restructured and renamed the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GGEK/ΓΓΕΚ), is the Greek government agency responsible for national Research, Technological Development and Innovation (RTDI) policy. Established in 1985 under Bill 1558/85 and operating under the Ministry of Development and Investments, the agency employs 101-250 staff at its Athens headquarters (Mesogeion Avenue 14-18, 11527) and holds ISO 9001:2015 certification. It designs, coordinates, and implements R&I policy across Greece, including the €958 million ESPA 2014-2020 Research, Innovation and Digital Transition programme and the RIS3 Smart Specialization Strategy with its 8 Innovation Platforms.

The agency coordinates Greece's participation in the EU Horizon Europe framework programme (2021-2027), implements Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) R&I components, and serves as the national interface for European Structural Funds directed at research and innovation. Its functional responsibilities include policy design, multi-year programmatic funding allocation, performance evaluation of R&I actors, and inter-institutional coordination with anchor research institutions (FORTH, NCSRD Demokritos, NHRF), universities, technology clusters, SMEs, and large enterprises. The agency's outputs are policy frameworks, funding programmes, and strategic coordination instruments rather than commercial products.

GSRI does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded through the Greek state budget and European Structural and Recovery Funds, and its customers are the Greek R&I ecosystem actors that receive programme funding, participate in Innovation Platforms, or benefit from Horizon Europe intermediation. The agency's competitive position rests on a statutorily mandated monopoly on national R&I policy stewardship and on its structural role as the sole gateway channeling EU R&I funding into Greek institutions.

Name

General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT)

Legal name

General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRI)

Website

https://gsri.gov.gr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT), now GGEK, is the Greek government agency under the Ministry of Development and Investments that designs and coordinates national Research, Technological Development and Innovation policy, administers EU and national R&I funding programmes (ESPA, RIS3, Horizon Europe), and serves Greek universities, research centers, and enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Research Funding Administration

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (921), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy) (BPAIAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Central Government Policy, Strategy & Performance (incl. OMB-style functions) (BPAIAAAB), Trade, Industry & Economic Development Administration (BPAIAAAL), Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB)

Keywords

• Research funding administration
• National innovation policy
• R&D grants management
• Smart specialization strategy
• EU program coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Athens

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government budget appropriations and EU structural funds: GSRI operates as a public service funded through national budget appropriations and EU co-financed programs (ESPA/NSRF, Horizon Europe, Recovery and Resilience Facility). It allocates R&I funding to Greek beneficiaries via grants, tax incentives, and direct support instruments. It does not generate commercial revenue.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

GSRI is a Greek government agency that designs, coordinates, and implements national Research, Technological Development and Innovation (RTDI) policy, administering public funding instruments including R&D grants, tax exemptions, startup support, and participation in EU research programs (Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, Eureka/Eurostars) for Greek enterprises, research institutions, and universities. It manages the National Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3) across eight priority sectors and operates the Elevate Greece National Startup Registry and eight thematic Innovation Platforms for stakeholder consultation.

Product overview

GSRT (Γενική Γραμματεία Έρευνας και Καινοτομίας / General Secretariat for Research and Innovation) is a Greek government agency responsible for designing and coordinating research, technological development, and innovation policy. Rather than offering a unified software product, GSRT operates a portfolio of policy instruments, funding programs, and support mechanisms: the Elevate Greece startup registry, R&D Tax Incentives, Spin-off Company support, Flagship Actions (including Precision Medicine and cardiovascular genetics networks), Technology Transfer Offices, Competence Centres, and Research Infrastructure support. These are coordinated through eight thematic Innovation Platforms aligned with the National Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3) for the 2021-2027 programming period, covering sectors from digital technologies and healthcare to sustainable energy and agri-food. GSRT also coordinates Greek participation in European programs including Horizon Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Elevate Greece (National Startup Registry) The official national registry of startup enterprises in Greece, providing recognition and access to R&D tax incentives, innovation cluster participation, and other GSRI-administered support measures for innovative new companies.
• R&D Tax Incentives Program Tax exemption certification program for scientific and technological research expenditures, providing indirect incentives for private-sector R&D participation; enterprises submit annual certification requests for self-funded research projects through GSRI's call process.
• Spin-off Companies Framework Legislative framework facilitating the creation and operation of spin-off companies emerging from research institutions, supporting commercialization of research outcomes in Greece.
• Flagship Actions (Emvlimatikes Draseis) Major research initiatives addressing health, climate change, and food-nutrition challenges through networks such as the Hellenic Network of Precision Medicine in Oncology and the GR Inherited Network for Genetic Cardiovascular Diseases and Prevention of Sudden Juvenile Death.
• Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) Bodies connecting research with market and society, facilitating the utilization of research results and technology transfer from academic and research institutions to industry in Greece.
• Competence Centres Innovation support structures providing specialized services and technology transfer to businesses, organized by thematic priority sectors under the National Smart Specialization Strategy (RIS3).
• Research Infrastructure Support Support for national research infrastructures through ESPA funding, including competitive calls for proposals to strengthen and develop research facilities across Greece.
• Horizon Europe Coordination Coordination and support services for Greek participation in the European Horizon Europe framework programme (2021-2027), including co-funded partnerships and international cooperation initiatives.
• Innovation Clusters (Synergatikoi Schimatismoi Kainotomias / SSK) Innovation clusters (Συνεργατικοί Σχηματισμοί Καινοτομίας / ΣΣΚ) connecting businesses with research institutions, providing specialized innovation support services and funding for collaborative R&I projects.

Quantifiable outcome

• €958 million in ESPA 2014-2020 R&I funding programs designed and implemented by GSRI
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSRI serves as the national coordinator for EU research and innovation programs including Horizon Europe (2021-2027), Horizon 2020, and the European Research Area (ERA). The European Commission provides co-funding for Greek R&I activities through these programs and approves national R&I strategies (RIS3) as a precondition for ESPA funding.
• Eureka Network / EurostarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGSRI participates in the Eureka Network and Eurostars programs as Greece's national representative, enabling Greek enterprises and research institutions to access international collaborative R&I funding.
• National Council for Research, Technology and Innovation (NCRTI / ΕΣΕΤΕΚ)coreOthersNCRTI is the supreme advisory body to the Greek state on R&T&I policy. It includes the National Scientific Councils (Τομεακά Επιστημονικά Συμβούλια, ΤΕΣ) that provide expertise for the Smart Specialization Strategy and sectoral R&I priorities.
• Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (ELIDEK / ΕΛΙΔΕΚ)coreOthersELIDEK is a supervised body of GSRI, providing competitive research grants to Greek researchers and institutions, supporting the national R&I ecosystem.
• Special Service for the Management and Implementation of Actions in RTDI (EYDAM / ΕΥΔΑΜ)coreOthersEYDAM is a supervised body of GSRI, responsible for managing and implementing RTDI actions under ESPA and other EU funding frameworks.
• European Molecular Biology Conference (EMBC)minorOthersGSRI maintains links with EMBC as part of its international scientific cooperation framework.
• European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL)minorOthersGSRI maintains links with EMBL as part of Greece's participation in European research infrastructure networks.
• CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)minorOthersGSRI maintains links with CERN as part of Greece's participation in large-scale international scientific collaborations.
• European Space Agency (ESA)minorOthersGSRI maintains links with ESA as part of Greece's participation in European space research and technology programs.
• Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)minorOthersGSRI references OECD as a useful link in its international cooperation framework for research and innovation policy benchmarking.
• National Recovery and Resilience Plan Greece 2.0 (RRF)coreOthersGSRI participates in the implementation of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan Greece 2.0, accessing Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) funding for R&I investments.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR): Italy's ministry responsible for higher education and research policy. Comparable to GSRI as a national R&I authority, but operating at ministerial rather than secretariat level with a much broader higher-education mandate.
• National Science Foundation (NSF): The United States' independent federal agency supporting fundamental research across non-medical fields. Comparable in function (national R&I funding agency) though at vastly larger scale and with a fundamentally different governance model.
• German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF): Germany's federal ministry responsible for education and research policy, with a much larger scale and broader portfolio. Comparable to GSRI as a national R&I policy authority, but with ministerial-level scope and significantly greater budget.

Direct peers

• Spanish State Research Agency (AEI): Spain's State Research Agency, responsible for managing and financing national R&D&I activities. Highly comparable to GSRI in function, scale, and EU-funding intermediation role within the Iberian/Southern European R&I landscape.
• Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT): Portugal's national public agency for science, technology, and innovation funding, supporting research careers, projects, and institutions. A near-direct counterpart to GSRI given similar Southern-European size, EU-funding dependence, and policy coordination mandate.
• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI): UK's national research and innovation funding agency that coordinates multiple research councils and innovation functions. Directly comparable to GSRI as a national-level body distributing public R&I funding and setting strategy across the UK's research ecosystem.
• French National Research Agency (ANR): France's national funding agency for project-based research, operating under the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Innovation. Closely comparable to GSRI in function as a project-grant funding body distributing national and EU-aligned research funds.

Others

• European Research Council (ERC): The EU body funding frontier investigator-driven research within Horizon Europe. Not a direct peer but a critical upstream/downstream partner of GSRI, since GSRI coordinates Greek applicants into ERC and Horizon Europe calls.
• European Investment Fund (EIF): The EU's specialist vehicle for SME financing, including venture and growth capital. Comparable to GSRI in its mission to support innovative SMEs, but operating through financial instruments rather than grants, and at EU rather than national level.
• European Commission - DG Research and Innovation: The European Commission's directorate-general responsible for EU research and innovation policy, including Horizon Europe. GSRI is a national-level counterpart and partner, channelling Greek participation into Commission-led programmes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gsrt_gr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCOxAtETzRwO4NB9bOlDAqJQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/genikegrammateiaereunaskaitechnologias
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gget-gsrt
• Instagraminstagram.com/ggek_gsri

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments5 records

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Frequently asked questions about General Secretariat for Research and Technology (GSRT)