Economic crises of different nature and intensity are often generated in our economic system, and this is probably going to continue in the future. They have not only short term negative effects on the society and economy, but also significant medium and long term ones as well, through their negative impacts on the investments of both private sector firms and public sector organizations. However, sometimes the economic crises can have the opposite effect, leading to increase of some kinds of firms’ investments, in order to take advantage of the reductions of the prices of various ICT hardware and software caused by most crises, and also to address long standing inefficiencies and problems, and to create new innovative products and services, in order to survive in the crisis.
Our country faces a long and severe economic crisis (since 2009), which has resulted in big losses of country’s GDP, employment and consumption. This has caused big problems in the private sector, as most firms have experienced significant reduction of the demand for their products and services, and therefore decrease of their sales revenue and financial resources. Also, the opportunities of financing their investments through bank loans are limited. This economic crisis has caused big problems in the public sector as well: several austerity programs have significantly reduced the available financial resources for government organizations of all levels (both central government, as well as regional and municipal government ones). All these are expected to result in general in reductions of firms’ investment.
This workshop will include four presentations by four distinguished speakers concerning the impact of the economic crisis in our country on ICT investment (both the ‘hard’ and the ‘soft’ humans oriented one) in the public and the private sector, followed by discussion among all workshop participants. It will aim to answer the following questions:
– To what extent the economic crisis in our country had a negative impact on various ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ ICT investments, as well as corresponding ICT operating expenses in the Greek public and private sector?
– To what extent the economic crisis has in general affected the ‘quantity’ and the ‘quality’ of ICT usage in the Greek public and private sector?
– Has the economic crisis lead to the rationalization of some of the ICT planning, exploitation and management processes of Greek firms and public organizations, in order to increase ‘value for money’?
– To what extent the economic crisis has been the driver of some new ICT projects and investments, for the development of new information systems, in order to address chronic problems and inefficiencies, and in general improve productivity and efficiency, or even in order to support new products and services (products’ and services’ innovations)?
– What kinds of public policies/programs might reduce the negative effects of this severe economic crisis on ICT investment, or even facilitate positive ones?
Workshop Chairs:
Dr Spyros Arvanitis, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland, e-mail: arvanitis@kof.ethz.ch
Dr Euripidis Loukis, University of Aegean, Samos, Greece, e-mail: eloukis@aegean.gr
14th of December 2017
10.00 – 11.30
Talk 1: Implications of the crisis to the ICT and the response of the ICT – The case of the Greek Banking Sector
Speaker: Dionysis Myrtidis, PhD Candidate, University of the Aegean, IT Director in the Banking Sector
Talk2: Crisis and ICT Investments in Greece: Lessons Learned from the Local Market
Speaker: Dr Konstantinos Pazalos, Senior Manager, PricewaterhouseCoopers
Talk3: The Impact of the Crisis on the Greek ICT Market
Speaker: Yannis Sirros, Director General, SEPE – Federation of Hellenic Information Technology & Communications Enterprises & Vice Chairman Europe, WITSA – World Information Technology and Services Alliance
Talk4: Crisis and Hard – Soft ICT in the Greek Public Sector
Speaker: Dr Antonis Stasis, Director, Ministry of the Interior, Public Administration and Decentralization