Greek businesses are showing significant momentum in integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), according to an ECB study titled "AI adoption and investment in the euro area." The data, derived from surveys of 6,000 companies during 2025, places Greece in a leading position in specific sectors, despite a persistent gap between large and small market players.
Industrial Leadership
The most striking finding of the study concerns medium and large Greek industrial firms (over 50 employees). 66% of these companies have already invested in AI, recording the highest percentage among the 12 Eurozone countries examined. Overall, 70% of Greek companies use AI at least sporadically, while 12% report "significant use," a figure nearly double the Eurozone average of 7%.
The Size Gap and the Services Exception
Despite the top performance of large industries, smaller firms (under 50 employees) lag significantly, with only 18% having utilized AI. However, the services sector in Greece presents a unique peculiarity: small companies have invested in AI at twice the rate of larger ones (22% vs. 11%), overturning the norm observed in the rest of Europe. Conversely, the trade and construction sectors in Greece remain at lower investment levels compared to European averages.
Motivations and Barriers
Greek firms are turning to AI primarily to improve core business processes and administrative functions. Other motivations include:
- Labor cost reduction (15%)
- Support for R&D and innovation (11%)
- Product range expansion (10%)
For those abstaining, the main barriers cited are a lack of relevant skills (25%), privacy and ethical concerns (19%), and distrust in AI results (13%).
Outlook for 2026
Future expectations remain high, as Greek companies project that nearly 10% of their total investments in 2026 will be directed toward AI. The ECB study notes that firms already using the technology intensively expect higher turnover and employment growth, as the need for skilled personnel currently offsets any potential job reduction trends.
