The southeastern Aegean island of Astypalea (Astypalaia) this week staked its claim as the first “smart and green” isle in the Mediterranean, with a project begun by Volkswagen Group, in cooperation with the Greek state, to transform the picturesque and slightly “off-the-beaten-path” destination into a state-of-the-art model for climate-neutral mobility.
A veritable “photo-op festival” emerged on Wednesday with the visit to the isle by Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and VW AG CEO Herbert Diess – at the head of a large delegation of executives from the automaker – for a presentation of the ambitious plan, entitled “Astypalea: Smart & Sustainable island – From Vision to Action.”
Speaking at the event, Diess referred to the island as a blueprint for Europe’s “decarbonization”.
The pioneering endeavor aims to study, in real time, and encourage residents to apply e-mobility in their daily routines, according to the German executive. A bundle of incentives is included to push towards a transition to a more sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle. Results generated and studied from the Astypalea project will help accelerate the transition to sustainable mobility with “green energy” in Greece, he added.
“Volkswagen has been driving this change, offering the full range of sustainable mobility – from cars, to charging to sustainable energy solutions. Astypalea can become a blueprint for a rapid transformation, fostered by the close collaboration of governments and businesses,” Diess said.
On his part, Mitsotakis, whose government has promised to end lignite mining and use by the end of this decade, stressed that the Astypalea project is “a window to a cleaner, greener future.”
A major portion of Greece’s power production for the past five or so decades has been derived from lignite-fired plants.
During his visit, Mitsotakis also attended an event where VW delivered eight electric cars and 12 chargers for use by police and the coast guard on the island. He also announced that a digital platform – e-astypalea – is now open to local residents and businesses that wamt to apply for state grants should they choose to purchase electric vehicles.
A memorandum of understanding between the German multinational and the Greek state to establish the unprecedented island mobility system was signed in November 2020. The project is expected to initially last for six years, with energy needs projected to be generated from local recyclable sources, such as solar and wind farms.
According to both VW and Athens the ambitious project aspires to turn Astypalea into the first ‘smart’ and ‘sustainable’ island of the Mediterranean and is centered on the following axes:
● Electric mobility, with an aim to gradually replace all conventional vehicles on the island with electric ones
● Car sharing services and on demand public transportation
● Displacing fossil fuel usage and diesel generators by producing energy with a hybrid Renewable Energy Source system on the island
Latest News
ELSTAT: Greek Health Expenditures Reach €5.89 Billion in 2022
Finally, healthcare financing as a percentage of GDP decreased to 8.5% in 2022 from 9.18% in 2021, as per the Health Accounts System report.
Sonoco Paper Mill Plants Close After 30 Years in Greece
The shut down of the two paper mills in northern Greece comes a week after a glass plant closed in Athens
BoG: Private Deposits Down by 1.068bln Euros in Feb. 2024
Corporate deposits decreased by 912 million euros, compared to a decrease of 3.167 billion euros in the previous month
Greeks’ Buying Power Second Lowest in the EU
Greeks’ purchasing power is under pressure, ranking 26th among 27 EU member states.
Greek FinMin Says Digital Work Card Tackling Undeclared Work
Greece's recently launched digital work card aimed at tackling undeclared labor has already started to produce results, said Economy and Finance Minister Kostis Hatzidakis
MSC Cruises: More than 400 Visits to Nine Greek Destinations
MSC Cruises, a subsidiary of international shipping line Mediterranean Shipping Company S.A, will be sailing to Greek ports as of this month, expanding operations in the region year-round
Eurostat: Greece Among Cheaper Hourly Labor Cost Zones
In contrast, the countries that posted the highest hourly labor costs are Luxembourg (53.9 euros), Norway (51.9 euros), Iceland
GSEVEE: Economic Sentiment Indicator in Greece Down in Q2 2023
The drop follows a significant uptick in the ESI in the second half of 2022 (69.5 units) and a slight decline in the first half of 2023 (66.7 units)
Manpower Report: Sectors in Greece that Have Achieved Full Gender Equality in the Workplace
Greece surpasses this with 45%, showcasing progress but also room for improvement. Sectors like Consumer Goods and Services lead with 69% reporting full equality globally
Bank of America (BofA): Three Reasons Greek Economy Outperforms EC Average
BofA projects growth of 1.1% in 2024 and 1.7% in 2025, compared to forecasts for eurozone growth at 0.4%/1.1%, respectively