Greece must remain at the forefront of global technology advances and expertise in order to safeguard national security, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Thursday during a visit to the Hellenic Naval Academy.
Mitsotakis was briefed on a training programme developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), titled “MIT TRITON Summer School: Marine Robotics & Autonomous Systems Training Program”, which is being held at the academy’s facilities.
The prime minister praised Defence Minister Nikos Dendias and Hellenic Navy personnel for, as he said, embracing new technologies.
He said he was “very satisfied” with the partnership with MIT, describing it as one of the world’s leading technological institutions, and highlighted the role of Greek professor Triantafyllou as a bridge in the collaboration between the U.S. university and the Greek armed forces.
The programme, he said, enables regular training cycles for military personnel and officials in emerging technologies that are transforming the nature of modern warfare.
Mitsotakis added that participants had the opportunity to become familiar with technology related to swarms of autonomous drones.
Defence Minister Nikos Dendias said the programme consists of a series of seminars delivered by MIT professors to cadets of the Naval Academy, as well as students from the Hellenic Air Force Academy and the Hellenic Army Academy, introducing what he described as “a new reality”.
He said this new reality involves the development of swarms of autonomous drones operating at sea and beyond.
“We are bringing our officials into contact with the new reality, we are bringing our country into the new era,” Dendias said.
MIT professors led by Triantafyllou demonstrated to the prime minister how new technologies are shaping naval operations and can provide a significant strategic advantage for Greece, the defence minister added.
The MIT programme is an initiative of the Ministry of National Defence implemented by the Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation (HCDI), aimed at transferring international expertise, upgrading the skills of armed forces personnel and strengthening defence innovation in critical technologies.
The initiative is carried out in cooperation with MIT and supported logistically by the Naval Academy.
In line with guidelines from the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (HNDGS) for exploiting interbranch training opportunities, participants include personnel from the army, navy, air force, coast guard, the Naval Academy, the National Technical University of Athens and private-sector entities in the maritime technology ecosystem.
The training combines theoretical instruction, laboratory work and practical applications using robotic vessels, aiming to equip participants with skills in the design, integration and operational use of autonomous maritime systems.
