- Title: GREECE: Bill Gates inaugerates IMicrosoft Innovation Centre in Greece
- Date: 29th January 2008
- Summary: (EU) ATHENS, GREECE (JANUARY 28, 2008) (REUTERS-ACCESS ALL) BILL GATES ARRIVING AT MICROSOFT INNOVATION CENTRE BILL GATES LOOKING AT VARIOUS PROJECTS BY GREEK INNOVATORS CLOSE OF PROJECT/ LAPTOP COMPUTER LINKED TO SMALL ROBOT BILL GATES LOOKING AT ANOTHER PROJECT CLOSE OF PROJECT/ SMALL ROBOT MOVING BILL GATES LOOKS AT ANOTHER PROJECT CLOSE OF PROJECT/ LAPTOP COMPUTERS BILL GATES LOOKING AT PROJECT WITH GREEK PRIME MINISTER BILL GATES SIGNING COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH GREEK FINANCE MINISTER GEORGE ALOGOSKOUFIS GATES STANDING ON PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (English) BILL GATES SAYING: "Throughout the world over a billion people are using personal computers and all the time people are coming up with great ways to use these machines. In fact there are bright ideas everywhere in the world. This morning I had a chance to see what some of the students here in Greece are doing it was fantastic to see software that helps with warehouses, that helps for blind people, a variety of things that show great innovation and understanding of the technology. GREEK PRIME MINISTER COSTAS KARAMANLIS ON PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (Greek) GREEK PRIME MINISTER COSTAS KARAMANLIS SAYING: "With such initiatives in innovation and creativity we can lay the foundations of this (software) culture so that it can root itself and stay in the country." PEOPLE GATHERED AT CEREMONY
- Embargoed: 13th February 2008 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Greece
- Country: Greece
- Topics: Communications,Science / Technology
- Reuters ID: LVA2UU0Z4SL51JBBIKT8NMJKK2H4
- Story Text: Microsoft's Bill Gates inaugurated an innovation centre in Greece as part of a global initiative to support and promote new ideas in software technology.
Microsoft Corp. founder and chairman Bill Gates, Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis and Economy and Finance Minister George Alogoskoufis on Monday (January 28) inaugurated the Microsoft Innovation Centre in Athens.
The centre is one of more than 60 that Gates is expanding globally to promote new projects and ideas in technology. They are part of Gate's "Unlimited Potential" programme to provide more accessible and affordable technological programmes and products around the world.
The Athens centre will be used to provide local students and professionals with the facilities, resources, training and information to develop new software ideas.
Gates, accompanied by Greece's Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, was given a presentation of some new technological innovations by Greek creators at the new centre.
"Throughout the world over a billion people are using personal computers and all the time people are coming up with great ways to use these machines. In fact there are bright ideas everywhere in the world. This morning I had a chance to see what some of the students here in Greece are doing it was fantastic to see software that helps with warehouses, that helps for blind people, a variety of things that show great innovation and understanding of the technology," said Gates.
Karamanlis said that the building housing the centre would serve as the operational hub of an important institutional cooperation aimed at strengthening innovation in Greece through full exploitation of the abilities of new technology, and concerns the public sector, business both small and large, education and youth.
"With such initiatives in innovation and creativity we can lay the foundations of this (software) culture so that it can root itself and stay in the country."
The aim, he continued, is to ensure better services, boost competitiveness, and encourage the creativity, talent and innovative thought of the Greeks, as well as to provide the youth with a significant opportunity to try out their ideas in their own country, without having to move abroad, and to encourage new entrepreneurship and strengthen the branches of IT, communications -- the entrepreneurship that is linked with the internet and its applications -- as a percentage of GDP.
In many of centres, Microsoft, the government, universities, and industry organizations jointly operate the facilities. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None