Greece’s public spending on research and development declined in 2025, according to preliminary Eurostat data, reinforcing concerns about the country’s long-standing underinvestment in a sector widely viewed as critical to competitiveness, education and innovation.
The figures were released shortly after the cancellation of “Trust your Stars,” an €80 million project that had been included in Greece’s Recovery and Resilience Facility program. The initiative was intended to strengthen research activity at Greek universities by funding projects led by young researchers and collaborations among researchers from different institutions. The project was canceled because it could not be completed within the required timetable.
As previously reported by Kathimerini, efforts were made to transfer the program to the EU-funded ESPA framework, but the necessary funding was not found.
The cancellation has drawn attention to broader funding priorities. Other programs with larger budgets moved forward, including voucher schemes for the purchase of computers and tablets and programs supporting the replacement of air conditioners and refrigerators. The two rounds of the “Digital Care” program had a combined budget of about €168.5 million, while the “Recycle – Change Appliance” program began with a budget of €150 million and later received additional funding.
