Not long after the news of a plan by US giant Tesla, specializing in electric cars, energy storage and solar panel manufacturing, to establish an R&D center in Greece, the technological firm’s co-founder and CEO Elon Musk is believed to be staging advanced talks for a Greek base.

These talks are focusing on investments by the US giant’s energy-sector arm, Tesla Energy, according to energypress sources.

The firm specializes in developing combined photovoltaic and energy accumulator storage systems for household, business and large-scale applications.

Ongoing talks between Greek government and Tesla officials have made significant progress and an agreement may not be too far away, government sources have suggested.

From early on, the Greek government has shown a willingness to facilitate Tesla’s plans for the establishment of a local subsidiary, Tesla Greece. The US firm is believed to be keen to utilize the country’s qualified human resources for further development of its business plan, while the government sees prospective political gains from local investments by the global giant.

Meanwhile, Giorgos Apostolopoulos, head of Athens Medical Group and president of the Hellenic Entrepreneurs Association (EENE), speaking at a recent conference in Delphi, central Greece, announced that he has offered Musk, the Tesla chief, free use, for ten years, of a facility owned by the medical group in Corinth.

The government took note and a meeting soon followed between Apostolopoulos and deputy education minister Kostas Fotakis, responsible for the research and innovation portfolio. The Athens Medical Group chief indicated that he wants to establish Greece on the frontline of global innovation, research and technology developments.

Tesla’s plans for the Greek market are believed to also include a plan concerning further expansion of its Tesla Supercharger Network with five electric car recharging stations in Athens, Thessaloniki, Ioannina, Lamia and Sparti.

Tesla began developing this network in 2012. The firm currently operates 1,130 such recharge stations around the world, offering a capacity for 8,496 electric cars.