CISCO is eventually leaving the city of Thessaloniki, ending the conflict that arose recently with the Municipality regarding the Labattoir building.
The dispute concerns the operation of Cisco’s DT&S International Center for Digital Transformation and Digital Skills, which, according to the memorandum of cooperation signed by the company with the previous municipal authority, is housed in the Labattoir building, owned by the Municipality of Thessaloniki, free of charge for four years. The relevant contract expired on June 20.
During the last meeting of the Municipal Council on July 1, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Stelios Angeloudis, announced that “the presence of the company in the Labattoir building is coming to an end”, accusing the company of not paying the dues for four years debts in electricity and natural gas bills, which were covered by the Municipality and that these were finally paid by the company following pressure from the Municipality.
On this subject, Angeloudis argued with the former mayor of Thessaloniki Konstantinos Zervas who claimed that he did not want to be the one to expel such a giant from Thessaloniki, taking the city out of the map of innovation and development.
According to sources, the power supply in the Labattoir building where Cisco’s DT&S is based is shared with the adjacent building-new headquarters of the Association of Greek Industries (SBE).
However, “Naftemporiki” spoke with the Director of the International Center for Digital Transformation and DT&S Skills of Cisco in Thessaloniki, Nikos Lambrogeorgos, who stated that a communication between Angeloudis and the Managing Director of Cisco for Greece, Cyprus, Malta and the Balkans, Antonis Tsiboukis, preceded on Thursday, June 27, during which the Mayor of Thessaloniki informed of his intention to utilize the specific building to house Municipal Services and Cultural Events.
