Public universities a breeding ground for entrepreneurs
More than 52% (180) of 346 young, successful, innovative entrepreneurs active in Greece and abroad have earned undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from at least one public university in the country, according to Savy.gr, a professional services comparison company.
The National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) stands out with an impressive 24 percent.
In fact, the assessment showed that 13% of those who have studied at public Greek universities have studied at two different institutions, while 2% have studied at three different Greek universities.
Savy.gr analyzed data from Fortune Greece and specifically the “40 under 40” lists for the period 2013-2022.
The NTUA was followed by the Athens University of Economics and Business with 19%, the University of Athens with 13%, the University of Piraeus with 12%, and the University of Patras and the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki with 11% each.
The other universities follow with single-digit percentages. Specifically, the universities of Macedonia with 5%, West Attica and Thessaly with 3%, while the other universities have up to 2%.
The data also showed that that 48% (166) of these business founders have studied at private colleges and universities abroad.
Commenting on the results, the rector of NTUA, Ioannis Hatzigeorgiou, said that “the contribution of the NTUA to society and the economy with graduates who can create new innovative business ventures in Greece, exploit the research and knowledge produced at the institution, but also showcase their advantages in practice by creating new jobs, ultimately highlights the pivotal and multi-level role of a public university like the NTUA in the country.”
