Ελληνικά
English
Biotechnology is undergoing a profound transformation. Artificial intelligence, genetics, new therapeutic approaches and the use of biomedical data are changing the way we understand biology and develop new treatments. At the same time, they are creating new opportunities for ecosystems capable of translating scientific knowledge into applications and, ultimately, into value.
For Greece, this transition represents an opportunity. The country has a strong scientific talent pool, universities and research centres, a significant pharmaceutical manufacturing base, and a scientific diaspora with an international presence. What has historically been less developed are the mechanisms that enable scientific knowledge to take the next step in a more systematic way.
An open ecosystem with an international outlook
Athens LifeTech Park (ALTP), located in Spata, was created to address this need. An ELPEN initiative, it was established as an open biotechnology and life sciences ecosystem with an international outlook.
In biotechnology, good science is the starting point. However, between a research discovery and a potential new treatment lies a complex journey requiring infrastructure, specialised expertise, funding, partnerships and experience.
ALTP has been designed around three complementary pillars: the Biotech Incubator, which provides companies with access to laboratory space, equipment and a network of partners; the preclinical and clinical development unit, which provides specialised research services to Greek and international companies; and the Research and Conference Centre, which serves as a venue for education, scientific exchange and interaction among researchers, founders, industry and investors.
ALTP’s first community of companies is already active across a range of fields, from computational biology and artificial intelligence to neuroscience, drug delivery and the microbiome. This diversity is essential: the value of an ecosystem lies in the connections it can create.
“Greece has exceptional scientific talent and a strong pharmaceutical base. The goal is to create the conditions that will enable scientific knowledge to connect more systematically with entrepreneurship, investment capital and, ultimately, the patient,” says Eleni Pentafraga, CEO of Athens LifeTech Park.
A long-term investment in research and innovation
For ELPEN, Athens LifeTech Park represents the continuation of a long-term investment in research and innovation. Under Kostis Pentafragas and Theodoros Tryfon, co-CEOs of ELPEN, the company has significantly expanded its manufacturing and research base, consistently investing in its growth from Greece.
ALTP extends this philosophy beyond the boundaries of the company itself, creating an environment that is open to the Greek and international life sciences community.
Because the true infrastructure of innovation is not just laboratories and equipment. It is the people, the knowledge and the connections built around them.
