Less than a month after the agreement was signed between Volkswagen and the Greek government, last Wednesday, 2 December, the first meeting on the implementation of the ‘Smart and Sustainable Island’ project was held on Astypalea. A delegation of officials from five Ministries, the Region of South Aegean, the local government and Volkswagen visited the island and attended successive meetings and talks concerning the commencement of this emblematic investment. This project is conjuring the future of the automotive sector, transit, sustainable use of energy and the evolution of transport in modern society. The ‘Smart Sustainable Island’ project includes electromobility, installation of modern charging infrastructure, ride sharing, green energy, use of state-of-the-art mobility technologies and power from a hybrid RES system. This project will change much more than the image of the old bus still providing public transport to the island. It also involves a qualitative upgrade of the services offered in winter to citizens of Astypalea, who will no longer have to wait in the rain in order to reach their destination. It involves à la carte transport that will enable tourists in the summer to visit the beach of their choosing at the time of their choosing and not on the basis of an hourly schedule. Every person will be able to set their own itinerary that serves their purpose and improves their transport, rather than use one they might miss and have to wait for another hour for the next traditional, environment-polluting bus to come around. Environmental protection, installation of electric vehicles, bold incentives for residents and entrepreneurs, charging stations and ride sharing make this a unique and pioneering project. However, our visit to the island also symbolises the fact that we are not letting a single day go to waste. We visited the island as required, despite the restrictions imposed by the pandemic, despite the difficulty of access to the island due to winter and the limited itineraries by air and sea. Five Volkswagen executives – via private plane that could land at the island’s small airport – as well as all the officials of the Greek government and the Regional Prefecture travelled to Astypalea on December 2nd to break ground on this emblematic agreement, respecting the circumstances at play and adapting our presence to the rules imposed by Covid-19. We visited points of interest for the implementation of the programme and spoke with entrepreneurs and members of the island’s Town Council. During their two-day stay on Astypalea, the members of the delegation attended successive workshops and a detailed presentation of the roadmap for the implementation of the programme that allowed all sides to get up to speed. At the same time, those in Germany and Athens who could not visit the island participated in all daily activities and workshops via videoconference. Such emblematic projects make our country an attractive destination for investments. Irrespective of obstacles, the implementation of this small project serves as a banner for the country's innovation and reliability. Astypalea has now become the main topic of all our talks with investors and officials from other countries. So, today, we at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and in Economic Diplomacy demonstrate our commitment to what we signed: “We mean what we say and put it rapidly into practice”.
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