Greek businesses are getting a new training push aimed at improving how they win contracts, negotiate deals and present themselves in foreign markets, as the Hellenic-German Chamber and the University of Athens open two remote executive education programs on international business.
Greek Chamber and EKPA Launch Export Training
The initiative matters because for small and mid-sized exporters, access to markets is no longer just about product quality or pricing. Firms that can manage trade fairs, business missions and cross-border negotiations tend to convert more leads into sales, build stronger distributor relationships and waste less time and money on poorly prepared market entries. In a weaker European demand backdrop and a more fragmented global trading environment, those capabilities can be as important as financing.
The two asynchronous courses begin on Oct. 19 and are being run by AHK Akademie, the training arm of the Hellenic-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, in cooperation with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens’ executive education programs. One course focuses on international trade fairs and how companies can use exhibitions more effectively to showcase products, generate contacts and negotiate successfully. The other is built around negotiation skills for international business missions, with an emphasis on practical dealmaking in cross-border settings.
The chamber and EKPA are effectively targeting a common gap in Greek internationalisation: many companies have the ambition to export, but fewer have the operational and commercial discipline to turn overseas exposure into durable revenue. In that sense, the courses are less about theory than about helping firms professionalise the first stage of expansion abroad — lead generation, relationship-building and closing terms on acceptable margins.
For investors, the broader relevance is that training of this sort supports the competitiveness of the small-cap and privately held companies that dominate much of Greece’s export base and supply chain. Better prepared firms are more likely to scale internationally, improve utilisation, and reduce execution risk — all factors that can ultimately support earnings quality and creditworthiness. It also reinforces the role of chamber-led and university-backed programs as low-cost infrastructure for business development at a time when many firms face pressure from higher rates, tighter demand and elevated operating costs.
Participants will receive a certificate from EKPA, a credential that may help employers and business owners formalise professional development inside sales and export teams. The cost varies by membership category, and applications are being taken through the chamber’s website.
The practical test will be whether the programs translate into more effective market entry and stronger export conversion for participating companies. If demand is strong, the initiative could point to a wider need for similar partnerships between business institutions and universities as Greek firms seek to compete more aggressively in international markets.
| Entity | Gains | Losses |
|---|---|---|
| Greek SMEs/exporters | ▲Better dealmaking skills | ▼Trial-and-error market entry |
| Hellenic-German Chamber & EKPA | ▲Stronger role in business training | ▼Little downside if uptake is weak |
| Foreign buyers/partners | ▲More prepared counterparties | ▼Less room to exploit weak negotiators |
| Competitors without training | ▲— | ▼Relative disadvantage abroad |
