The fifth discussion of "The Spirit of Entrepreneurship", co-organized by the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Greece, Athens University of Economics and Business and the National and Technical University of Athens, took place on Tuesday 25th of May at Innovathens. The event focused on the sector of Family Businesses, an important sector both in Greece and Germany. Target of the event was to discuss and analyze the ways family businesses utilize new technologies. Therefore, the presentations of the discussants focused on question as such: Can I innovate with a family business? How can I co-operate with a start up and why, when I am so long in the market? How can I resolve the conflict between tradition and innovation?

Alexandra Pitta-Chazapi, Managing Director of ATTIKI Bee Culturing, a company active in the Greek scene the past 90 years, presented the business model of a company with extroverted thinking, which employs more than 2.000 Beekeepers trained in quality technologies. Following Dr. Nikos Yfantis, Technical Director & Member of the Board of SYCHEM water Technologies, presented their more contemporary and technologically savvy company, which has managed to recruit high end academics and highly trained engineers on the sectors of desalination and state of the art technologies co-operating also with international companies in Africa and the Middle East.

Prof. Dr. habil. Günther Strunk, Head of the Institute of Family Owned Business of the Leuphana University Luneburg on the other side, presented the necessity of the family businesses to co-operate and come closer with the start up community. According to his presentation organizational weaknesses as well as funding problems are the key points where family businesses may support start ups, whilst the latter could in its turn help them become more adjustable in the needs of the market and utilization of new state of the art technologies.

The discussion followed, was moderated by Asc. Professor of AUEB Dr. Ioanna Sapfo Pepelasis.