Innovation

Ion Group invests 450 million in the development of a campus in Athens

The total investment amount for the R&S and Innovation Campus is expected to exceed EUR 1.5 billion over the completion horizon

by R.Fi.

28 August 2025

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Key points

The financial value
Strategic project
The investment in Athens

2' min read

Ion Group invests in a research and development campus in Greece. News broke yesterday that Lamda Development, a company listed on the Athens Stock Exchange, has received and accepted a binding offer letter from the financial services technology company for the acquisition of specific plots of land within The Ellinikon project. The plots will create a global R&D and Innovation campus that will bring together around 2,000 professionals from 44 countries in one location.

The financial value

The total consideration for the transaction amounts to EUR 450 million. The total amount of the investment in the R&S and Innovation Campus is expected to exceed EUR 1.5 billion over the completion horizon.In addition to the EUR 450 million consideration for the aforementioned lots, Ion Group will purchase treasury shares representing a 2 per cent stake in the Company's capital, reflecting ION Group's confidence in The Ellinikon.

"The scale, infrastructure and vision of Ellinikon are in line with our ambition: to merge technology, culture and community into a prototype of the future of work and education - rooted in Greece, open to the world. We envision a campus that is part workplace, part university and part neighbourhood - making Athens a European beacon for technology and creativity,' comments Andrea Pignataro, founder and CEO of Ion Group.

The Strategic Project

This strategic partnership initiates the Ellinikon Business District, the final component of the project masterplan, positioning The Ellinikon as a European hub for artificial intelligence and digitisation.

The campus, which will be developed in two distinct districts on a total maximum gross building area of approximately 250,000 square metres, will include at least 50,000 square metres of executive and collaboration space, a 1,000-seat auditorium designed for events of international significance, and up to 200,000 square metres of residential developments to accommodate Ion Group professionals. Of the total 250,000 square metres, approximately 50 per cent will be surface-right plots.

"This strategically important transaction," notes Odisseas Athanasiou, CEO of Lamda Development, "confirms the rise of The Ellinikon as a world-class destination and investment hub, capable of attracting global partnerships and leading international investors. It also represents a new model for the cities of the future and a driver for Greece's reputation on the global stage'.

The investment in Athens

This 'city within a city' consolidates its role on the international stage thanks to the strategic agreement between Lamda Development and the global leader Ion Group to create a world-class hub dedicated to innovation, research and technology, reads the joint note of the two companies, which continues: "This is an initiative of great national significance, fully aligned with Greece's vision for its future in an evolving global context."

The partnership will accelerate the development of the Attica metropolitan area, particularly the municipalities of the Athens Riviera, by enhancing their attractiveness as dynamic centres for investment, business, residential and trade.