The recent announcement by the National Documentation Centre (EKT), estimating that the digitization of 1.2 billion pages of public sector archives will generate an annual economic benefit of €180 million, confirms something that those of us working in this field have known for years: information creates real value only when it can be effectively utilized.
Behind these impressive figures lies an enormous effort. Millions of physical documents, archives that remained on shelves and in storage facilities for decades, complex workflows and dedicated professionals all contribute to transforming public records into a modern digital environment.
IID is actively contributing to this national effort by delivering major digitization projects that transform hundreds of millions of physical documents into secure, searchable and actionable digital information.
A prime example is the digitization project for the Hellenic Cadastre, where more than 167 million pages have already been digitized, alongside nearly 9 million classification records, through a highly demanding operation carried out simultaneously across fifteen locations throughout Greece.
Similarly, within the Ministry of Justice digitization project, more than 40 million pages have already been digitized, while millions of classification records are enabling authorized public services to access and utilize information more efficiently.
Equally challenging is the Urban Planning Information Digitization Project, currently implemented across 44 locations nationwide. The project highlights the technical expertise and operational coordination required to manage complex, large-scale archival collections.
The numbers are impressive.
But they are not the ultimate goal.
For us, every page that is digitized means faster service for citizens, immediate access to critical information for public officials, and greater security, transparency and operational efficiency for organizations.
Digitization is the foundation upon which a country’s digital transformation is built. It is the first—and absolutely essential—step towards creating a public administration that is faster, more efficient and truly citizen-centric.
As Michalis Andreadis, CEO of IID, explains:
“Today, Greece is taking a decisive step toward digital transformation. Digitization is the foundation of this journey because it transforms physical information into a secure and usable digital environment. The real challenge, however, is ensuring that information can be organized, interconnected and effectively utilized to create value for organizations and deliver better services for citizens. This is the direction in which IID continues to invest.”
For more than three decades, IID has continuously invested in expertise, people and technology to deliver highly complex information management projects, making a meaningful contribution to the development of a more modern, more efficient and information-driven public administration.
