Greece increased its overall research and development spending to 3.66 billion euros in 2024, but funding for higher education research dropped by 5.5 percent, according to an analysis published on Thursday by economist Meletis Rentoumis.
The overall expansion in research expenditure brought total national spending to 1.54 percent of gross domestic product, up from 1.50 percent in 2023. However, the gains were driven almost entirely by the business sector, where research spending surged by 20.7 percent, while government funding remained flat.
The drop in university funding coincided with a sharp decline in scientific personnel across the country. Total research staff in Greece fell by 7 percent over the one-year period, while higher education institutions saw a 12.8 percent reduction in academic researchers.
Research and development funding measures financial investment in scientific innovation, technological growth, and academic studies. Economists view research spending as a crucial indicator of a country's long-term economic competitiveness and capacity to generate high-value employment.
Rentoumis, a Greek economist and banker, noted that Greece continues to treat research as a supplementary expense rather than a strategic investment. He warned that this approach threatens productivity, workplace quality, and the national effort to shift toward a higher value-added economic model.
Cancellation of Trust Your Stars Program
The funding shortfall has been exacerbated by the removal of the Trust Your Stars initiative from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, the European Union mechanism designed to assist member states in post-pandemic economic recovery. The project carried a total budget of 80.64 million euros, with 72 million euros originally designated to come from the European recovery fund.
The program was structured to support early-stage researchers, postdoctoral fellows, doctoral candidates, and collaborative projects between universities. Applicants had submitted 1,241 proposals before the program was excluded, highlighting a massive demand for stable research grants.
Greek government officials have assured the academic community that alternative national funds will be identified to cover the deficit. However, Rentoumis argued that using domestic budget lines to replace lost EU funds creates a lost development opportunity, as national capital could have expanded overall research capacity and created additional positions for young scientists.
Emigration of Academic Talent
The domestic constraints contrast with findings from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, an international advisory body headquartered in Paris. A recent OECD study revealed that Greek academics working abroad consider research funding and grant opportunities in Greece to be severely limited.
According to the OECD survey, 19 percent of expatriate Greek scholars said greater research funding is necessary to attract them back to the country. A further 13 percent cited the need for more frequent and predictable competitive program calls.
Despite structural hurdles, Greek researchers and institutions continue to achieve international recognition. Ten public universities in Greece were listed among the top 1,500 institutions in the QS World University Rankings 2027, an annual global performance index published by Quacquarelli Symonds.
The National Technical University of Athens, the country's oldest engineering school located in the capital, placed 378th worldwide in the QS rankings. Rentoumis emphasized that these institutions achieved their standings despite chronic understaffing, bureaucratic hurdles, and limited resources.
Requirements for Sustainable Brain Gain
Rentoumis stressed that while Greece possesses abundant scientific talent, it lacks the stable institutional framework required to retain researchers domestically. He asserted that without long-term funding, competitive compensation, modern laboratory infrastructure, and regular grant cycles, efforts to encourage brain gain will remain utopian.
The economist concluded that a consistent national research strategy could multiply the output of Greek scientists. The benefits of research and innovation extend beyond academic institutions, spreading into key economic sectors and strategic national priorities such as healthcare and defense.
