ATHENS – Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Tuesday received and congratulated the high school robotics team Minders, which won 5th place in the 2021 World Robotics Olympiad.

The prime minister noted that Greek schools had made changes that allow children to become familiar with computing and IT applications at a very early age, while he also praised the growing Greek IT sector, which was able to compete worldwide and attract foreign capital and direct investment from abroad.

“I am very happy that robotics is starting to make a dynamic entry at all levels of education. The fact that we have distinctions both within and outside Greece is especially important and I think shows how much you love what you do,” the prime minister told the school team, which competed with “Project Airfield”, a flying wind turbine that uses a helium device to rise to a higher altitude than the pillars used by wind farms, where wind speeds are generally higher. This then supplies a robotic greenhouse with electricity, enabling a green transition in agriculture.

The team talked about the programming aspects of the project and its business applications, as an innovative but also practical proposal.

The prime minister highlighted the importance of innovative research that also has practical applications and improves peoples’ lives, and spoke about a new start-up ecosystem that has emerged in Greece and provides more opportunities for creativity and employment, as well as a participatory culture that spreads the benefits to all employees.

“We have Greek companies, Greek knowhow, Greek capital, Greek minds that are developing applications and products that are globally competitive,” he said, citing the example of the online bank Viva, which attracted an investment by JPMorgan & Chase.