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The country’s relations with the US are entering a new context. Pfizer’s investment in Thessaloniki and now Microsoft’s investment in Athens show that something is changing.
These are mainly two significantly different investments than what American companies have been used to up to now, and especially those that concern high technology. During the last 20-30 years, the American tech giants (for example, IBM, Google, Hewlett-Packard, etc.) have generated mainly low intensity investments, which concerned mainly the marketing and sales of American products in our country . .
Both Microsoft and Pfizer investments are brand new investments. In other words, these are investments from scratch which, while still labor intensive, are not investments that can be easily “transferred” out of Greece.
In particular, Pfizer is creating in Thessaloniki one of the six centers of artificial intelligence that it wants to create around the world. This center will use “big data” to reach reliable conclusions about drugs and treatments. It is a high-know-how investment in computer medicine science that will offer great added value and know-how in our country. This is know-how, that if you want to leave Greece, you will not transfer it very easily.
On the other hand, Microsoft is creating the only data center in SE Europe in our country. The company, according to information, has located at least 5-6 properties in the Attica region or close to it, which it evaluates in financial terms, but also in terms of ensuring the availability of its infrastructure, in order to create the three data center units that will include the company’s regional data center.
Each property you examine is 80-100 acres, as the basic principle of data center development is horizontal development. The properties are separated by at least 15 km, so that the availability of the center is guaranteed 100% in the event of a disaster (fire, earthquake, flood, etc.). For this reason, the individual units of the data center will be connected by optical fibers that will cause the three computing units to alternate with each other.
The investment, according to Microsoft boss Brad Smith, will amount to hundreds of millions of dollars, but he did not specify the exact amount. However, according to government spokesman Stelios Petsas, the initial investment will exceed 500 million euros. Whatever the situation, it is the first time in the 28 years of Microsoft’s presence in Greece, as Prime Minister K. Mitsotakis underlined, that the US company has reached into its pocket.
Until recently, like any other major US technology company operating in our country, it invested solely in marketing services. The main objective was mainly to increase the sales of their products in our country and in the best of cases in Cyprus and Malta. An even bigger investment would be to establish a customer service center in the aforementioned countries.
Now, for the first time, investments are being made aimed not only at the national market, but at a much broader market. In fact, both Pfizer and Microsoft are targeting the global market.
This change in attitude of American companies towards our country is attributed to many factors. Among them is luck.
It was fortunate, for example, according to well-informed sources, that Microsoft did not have another data center in Southeastern Europe. It was also fortunate that the American multinational company was building infrastructure in Europe.
But it was not at all fortunate that Greece was elected and this is well known by government agents who “melted” in teleconferences for nine months, in order to convince the US multinational that the country is a reliable partner for make an investment of 300 or 400 or even 500 million euros.
This issue was rightly raised by company president Brad Smith, who more or less said yesterday that he trusts the government and its determination to quickly issue permits for the creation of new data centers (three in total). This is an area where the country does not perform the best. However, Microsoft President Mr. Smith, expressing the above anxiety, did not hesitate yesterday to speak of a vote of confidence by Microsoft in the Greek economy, a vote of confidence in the Greek people and a vote of confidence in the government. Greek.
Many factors contributed to this change in the attitude of American companies toward our country. First, the constant commitment of Greece to the visions of the West and its Western alliances (EU, NATO, etc.). The country, despite its occasional anti-American rhetoric, remained tied to the West’s bandwagon, in contrast to traditional allies in the region, for example. Turkey, which moves with questionable intentions and claims the principles of the West.
Secondly, the American factor was evidently affected by a strong increase in the penetration of the Chinese and Russian factor in our country, with the acquisition of critical infrastructure such as ports (Piraeus, Thessaloniki), energy infrastructure (IPTO), infrastructure of telecommunications (Huawei) etc. In fact, until recently, the American agent “complained” about this penetration, however, without being particularly energetic. On the contrary, the commercial interests that knocked on the country’s door were purely cyclical and speculative.
This situation is now changing. Apart from the technological field (Pfizer, Microsoft), it seems that Mohegan Gaming Entertainment (MGE) wants to put down “roots” in our country for the creation of casinos in Elliniko, but also other US companies such as those interested in acquiring the port. of Alejandrópolis, as well as the shipyards of Scaramanga. In other words, it seems that the American factor has realized that “in the palm of our hand and thus we help” applies, especially for an indebted country like Greece, and that foreign policy cannot be done only with words .
However, it is more than obvious that all the investments mentioned are mainly financially sound. This dimension was also highlighted by the Secretary of State of the United States, Mike Pompeo, during his recent visit to our country. In fact, the Secretary of State of the United States underscored this attitude, referring in contrast to other countries, without naming them, that are driven by geopolitical rather than economic interests.
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