Greece’s Eurobank and Toronto’s Ryerson University announced the signing of a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) creating a new way to enhance Greek youth entrepreneurship.
The Eurobank – Ryerson University alliance aims to provide the Greek start-up ecosystem with new opportunities for business networking, as well as access for young Greek entrepreneurs to upgraded educational programs.
Under the MOU, synergies are going to be developed between Eurobank and Ryerson University’s DMZ (Digital Media Zone), the business accelerator for start-ups operating as a unit within downtown Toronto university.
Now in its eighth year, DMZ has reached global status in its category. DMZ’s innovative actions are in line with the philosophy of Ryerson University itself, one of the most quickly developing universities in North America, specialising in innovative educational programmes.
Since its inception in 2010, DMZ has already supported more than 336 start-up companies that have raised $474.5 million in seed funding and fostered the creation of more than 3,000 jobs.
Eurobank Deputy Chief Executive Officer Stavros Ioannou said: “Eurobank invests in healthy Greek entrepreneurship at all stages of its development with vision, making credible choices and responding to international trends. Supporting youth entrepreneurship, even during the Greek crisis, has been a strategic choice for Eurobank. In this context, we created The Innovative Youth Entrepreneurship Program ‘egg-enter-grow-go’, which has evolved to become a reference point for the Greek start-up ecosystem. Agreements such as our strategic engagement with the internationally acclaimed Ryerson University will multiply the opportunities for extroversion and growth that will be available for promising young Greek entrepreneurs”.
Dr. Marie Bountrogianni, Dean of The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University who was instrumental in fostering the relationship, was in Athens for the announcement of the agreement.
“Ryerson University is delighted to partner with Eurobank and egg to support youth entrepreneurship. Our multidisciplinary zones, incubators and start-ups are a key component of Ryerson’s institutional identity and a strong demonstration of our commitment to innovation. We believe that by supporting Canada’s next generation of entrepreneurial talent, we are doing our part to support the economic growth of our country. By sharing DMZ’s expertise with entrepreneurs at egg, Ryerson is also doing its part to support future development in the great country of Greece,” said Dr. Bountrogianni.
The five-year Eurobank-Ryerson University agreement, which may be renewed for another five years, develops into two pillars:
1. Strengthening and networking youth entrepreneurship. In their first important steps, young entrepreneurs from egg – enter?grow?go will be able to familiarise with the high level practices of Ryerson University and the Canadian start-up system.
2. The second pillar concerns a programme of e-learning actions for executives at Eurobank Group, young entrepreneurs from egg and in the context of other initiatives taken by Eurobank.
The first pillar will be developed within the framework of egg. Groups of egg will be given the possibility to participate in DMZ training and mentoring programmes.