THESSALONIKI — "I am excited to be in Thessaloniki today for this special moment for Pfizer, the city, but also for Albert [Bourla, Pfizer chairman and chief executive officer] who has excelled outside Greece. The discovery of the vaccine against the coronavirus bears his stamp," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Tuesday in his greeting at the inauguration of the new facilities of Pfizer's Global Centre for Digital Innovation and its Global Centre for Business Operations and Services in Thessaloniki.

"Today Albert is returning home and putting his own special stamp on an investment which is a milestone for Thessaloniki and the country in general," the prime minister underlined, explaining that "next year more than 700 highly-qualified employees will be employed in many different areas of expertise. I believe that one of the main reasons you chose to come here to Thessaloniki are the city's very capable human resources. These are the young Greeks who have gone abroad and are now returning to their city."

"Pfizer's business ventures in Thessaloniki are a game changer"

Pfizer's business ventures in Thessaloniki "are a game changer" and watched by the company's competitors and partners alike, said CEO Albert Bourla at the inauguration of the company's Global Centre for Digital Innovation and its Global Centre for Business Operations & Services Center in the northern Greek city on Tuesday.

Bourla added that he had "spoken with everyone – Cisco, Amazon, and Microsoft – who have all enquired about Pfizer's experience, and naturally I told them we are very excited."

Greece "can certainly develop" into a global technology and innovation hub, and attract many more investments, Bourla pointed out. "I do love Greece," he stressed, "but I invest believing that our idea will prove us right – that the dynamic we found here and the resulting productivity will leave many American, German and Dutch investors astounded."

Bourla also cited a new study by the Foundation for Economic & Industrial Research (IOBE), according to which Pfizer's investment will bring 1,110 new jobs, and contribute more than 650 million euros, or 0.5% of GDP, to the city of Thessaloniki on an annual basis over the next decade.

A 60 pct of the people that will work for the company in Thessalloniki live in the city, another 15 pct are Greeks from other areas in the country, and another 10 pct comes from other countries. A 15 pct of all these workers are Greeks who had left the country but came back, he noted.