Greek quality and innovation – Nikos Lygeros
Greek quality and innovation – Nikos Lygeros
When you have a country like our homeland and you wonder what you can do, it is simply a matter of intelligence – or rather, a lack thereof. Greece is characterised by the sun and the sea, which are vast sources of energy. We now know that we have large reserves of hydrocarbons and, through our Exclusive Economic Zone, we can exploit them rationally and strategically. We also have high-quality zeolite, and in large quantities at that; in its form as clinoptilolite
, it has a vast array of applications across many sectors. We have some of the finest olive oils in the world, and through vertical integration we can make the difference that really counts. These are objective facts. If we add culture, with all its ancient and historical elements, and tourism, with the variety of landscapes we have, how can we not consider this place to be a blessed land? For Greece is a land of the sea, and that is the source of our resilience and innovation.
We are constantly scrutinising the economic data and have become fed up with so-called experts who always explain to us in a doomsday manner that nothing can be done. The problem is not that they say this – because there are experts of this sort in other countries too – but that we listen to them and remain inactive. Our homeland has weathered world wars, occupations, dictatorships, famine and poverty, and it still stands tall, continuing to serve as an example of resistance to many peoples thanks to Hellenism. For this is our unrivalled strength: Hellenism, which, through its legacy, represents one of humanity’s greatest innovations. So we have all this valuable material at our disposal; we have human resources and researchers who excel abroad, and yet we are still searching to see if there is light at the end of the tunnel. But the whole of Greece has been a beacon of light ever since we turned stone into marble, ever since Prometheus stole fire. Let us realise this and escape the dreariness of everyday life.