Trace took part in an international investment summit in Athens

Trace Group Hold PLC participated in the prestigious Athens Riviera Summit 2025, the largest international investment forum, held in early October in Athens. The summit serves as a high-level platform for dialogue among institutions, banks, investors, and business organizations, addressing the development of the southern coastal region of Athens, as well as regional and cross-border cooperation.

Within the panel dedicated to mega infrastructure projects in the Balkans and the region’s infrastructural development, Mr. Stoyan Barzakov, Member of the BoD Legal Activities and Corporate & International Development of Trace Group Hold PLC, shared the company’s extensive experience in the successful implementation of major infrastructure projects across Southeast Europe. He highlighted both the potential for cross-border collaboration and the importance of aligning international business standards and practices with local conditions and specific requirements. Distinguished panelists, including Mr. Manolis Sigalas, First Vice President and Managing Director for Southern Europe at Hill International; Mr. Georgios Milonas, President and CEO of ALUMIL Group; and Mr. Panagiotis Stampoulidis, Deputy CEO of Growthfund, emphasized the wider social and economic impact of infrastructure. They underlined its role as a fundamental driver of sustainable development and resilience.

In his intervention, Mr. Stoyan Barzakov outlined several key priorities and the main guidelines that emerged from the discussion, reflecting the economic rationale behind when implementing successful megaprojects: The need for integrated planning across sectors of transport, utilities, urban environment and environment, ecology, and the potential for restoring natural resources; Harmonization of regulatory frameworks and reduction of administrative barriers, ensuring simplification and predictability in planning and approval processes; Focus on the importance of transparent project execution, essential for building public trust and safeguarding investment sustainability.

The panel further stressed that infrastructure must precede the development of new construction zones. Delivering megaprojects and achieving the much-needed connectivity of the Balkans will require both public and private sector engagement, underpinned by cross-border strategic planning that maximizes the added value of such projects for regional economic growth.

Trace Group Hold also reaffirmed its strong interest in participating in projects along the Athens Riviera and in the broader Trans-Balkan infrastructure connectivity initiatives. The company expressed readiness to contribute through public-private partnerships and other flexible financing mechanisms, which are vital for projects of this scale.

The summit also featured a high-level Ministerial roundtable: “Advancing Regional Connectivity and Investment Partnerships.” Dr. Christos Dimas, Minister of Infrastructure and Transport of Greece; Mr. Alexis Vafeades, Minister of Transport, Communications and Works of Cyprus; and Mr. Grozdan Karadzhov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications of Bulgaria (via online participation), outlined strategic priorities for the development of cross-border infrastructure corridors. They underscored their role in enhancing regional competitiveness, fostering integration, and driving sustainable economic growth.