Background The recent economic recession has hit Greece with economic, political, and social repercussions. Structural reforms in the real economy and public sector are considered to be of paramount importance for introducing a new consumption and production paradigm to achieve sustainable economic growth. Methods The present paper aims to highlight Big Data and the Internet of Things as part of the 4th Industrial Revolution as a potential enabler for the necessary leap in the 21st century for the Greek public sector on the theoretical basis of the Unified Growth Theory and the Washington Doctrine. In the present paper, an evaluation of the Greek public sector is attempted by using two different indices, the Digital Maturity Index of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), and the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI) of the EU. Results Findings strongly indicate that the introduction of digital skills in the educational system along with vocational training of older groups regarding the use of digital public services is an important factor for digital services implementation in the case of Greece. Moreover, the findings also underlie that demand for digital public services is not merely a matter of economic power. Other causes that lie in cultural, geographical, and behavioural habits should also be considered. Conclusions Greece is not in the pole position regarding Big Data implementation. High-speed broadband, both fast and ultrafast, lacks widespread availability, while prices remain relatively high compared to other European countries. Internet user skills and advanced IT skills remain mostly misused in the private and the public sector, while business digitization, e-commerce, e-Government, and e-health remain relatively low.

Artificial Intelligence plays an exponentially growing role in producing data-driven policy insights. In this policy-oriented case study, AI technology is examined as a necessary coordination node through evidence-based and data-enhanced policies, which can efficiently balance the processes of different and possibly competing sectors, such as agriculture and tourism. The focus is on the NUTS 1 region of the Aegean Islands and Crete (EL4) in Greece. The analysis aims to create a viable and resilient ecosystem of environmental, economic and social sustainability through innovation. Applying a “Growth Pole Theory” approach, key public administration frameworks like the European Interoperability Framework (EIF) and TAPIC (Transparency, Accountability, Participation, Integrity, Capacity) governance framework are discussed and analysed to structure the AI deployment and policy considerations for sustainable development. The paper argues in favour of AI’s transformative potential across both the agriculture and tourism sectors.