26-27/04
The artificial intelligence conference “The Age of AI. Unlocking Potential” will dive into the potential, the challenges and the impact of AI on both industry and society. It aims to provide a platform for visionaries, renowned industry leaders, pioneers and technology enthusiasts to interact, mingle and explore the limitless possibilities of AI, but also position themselves on important ethical issues that lead us towards a human-centric approach. Distinguished speakers from Greece and abroad will participate in the conference.
Keynote Speakers
Alvin Wang Graylin
Alvin Wang Graylin (汪丛青) is a recognized technology pioneer, entrepreneur, executive, and thought leader with 30+ years of experience delivering innovative products in the AI, XR and semiconductor industries. He is the co-author of Our Next Reality: How the AI-powered Metaverse will Reshape the World, published by Hachette Book Group. Having built his foundation in VR research at the Human Interface Technology Lab over 30 years ago, Alvin has also developed his expertise in AI and Natural Language Processing after extensive studies at the University of Washington and MIT.
In his recent professional journey, Alvin served as the China President of HTC (2016-2023) and continues to contribute as Global VP of Corporate Development at HTC, a global leader in the VR/AR space. His commitment to the immersive computing field is further reflected in his roles as Vice-Chairman of the Industry of Virtual Reality Alliance (IVRA), President of the Virtual Reality Venture Capital Alliance (VRVCA), and co-head of the ViveX VR Accelerator.
Alvin’s entrepreneurial spirit is evidenced by his founding of four venture-backed startups in areas ranging from AI-based natural language search, mobile social to big-data AI analytics, across China and the US. His broad operational experience also includes global P&L roles at multinational corporations like Intel, Trend Micro, WatchGuard Technologies, and IBM.
Alvin holds an M.S. in Computer Science from MIT, where he specialized in AI, and an M.S. in Business from MIT’s Sloan School of Management on the entrepreneurship and operations track. He also earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Washington, focused on VR, AI, and CPU architecture. He was born in China during the Cultural Revolution and emigrated to the U.S. in 1980 as the country’s reform period started. Alvin has recently relocated back to the U.S. after almost 20 years working/living in China during its internet/mobile boom and is currently based in Seattle, Washington.
Michail Bletsas
Michail Bletsas is a Research Scientist and the Director of Computing at MIT’s Media Lab where he has been working since 1996. He is responsible for all the infrastructure that the lab uses to produce, store, transport and consume its bits. He was a member of the core technical and design team for the “One Laptop Per Child” initiative which created OLPC’s pioneering, award-winning “XO” laptop. His current research interests include network security, disinformation operations, wireless networks and building efficient high performance machine learning computing infrastructures.
Over the years, he has advised governments around technology policy issues and provided expert opinion in technical matters to top-level officials. He has cofounded two companies, has been a director and consulted for many others in a variety of capacities.
He has implemented broadband access networks using cutting-edge technologies including one of the earliest ADSL testbeds and various wireless technologies. Mr. Bletsas has been a frequent keynote speaker in international conferences and has been engaged in many civic activities. He holds an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and an MSc degree in Computer Engineering from Boston University.
Dr. Dimitris Alexandrou
Dr. Dimitris Alexandrou is one of the Co-Founders and Business Innovation Director of UBITECH responsible for the Corporate Overseas Activities, the Greek Public Sector Tenders and IT Projects, the Private Sector Projects, and the IT Consulting Services. He also leads the business services of AiLabs, a spinoff initiative covering the Artificial Intelligence activities and products.
UBITECH is a leading, highly innovative software house, systems integrator and technology provider, established to provide leading edge intelligent technical solutions and consulting services to businesses, organizations and governments in order to allow the efficient and effective secure access and communication with various heterogeneous information resources and services, anytime and anywhere.
He received his diploma in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and holds a PhD from the same school of NTUA in the field of Expert Systems. He has been leading technical teams and consortia in the frame of EU Co-Funded projects, as well as coordinating UBITECH commercial activities.
Dimosthenis Anagnostopoulos
Secretary General for Information Systems and Digital Governance, Ministry of Digital Governance, Hellenic Republic
Dimosthenis Anagnostopoulos is a Professor of Information Systems and Simulation in the Department of Informatics and Telematics at Harokopio University of Athens. He served as a Rector of the same University, during 2011-2016 and as a Dean of the School of Digital Technology. He is a visiting Professor at Sussex University, UK, and an Associate Editor of Requirements Engineering (Springer). He served as National Representative of Greece for ICT in EU Horizon 2020 (2014-2015).
He held the position of Secretary General for Information Systems of the Greek Ministry of Finance and Economics (2004 – 2009). During his service, he contributed to the development of the following Information systems: Real Estate Data Base and ETAK systems, ELENXIS, new TAXISnet, ICISnet and M-TAXIS (mobile TAXIS). During 2019-2023, he served as Secretary General for Information Systems of Public Administration of the Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance, responsible – among other projects that contributed to the country’s rapid digital transformation development – for Interoperability across the Public Sector and Government Cloud.
Yannis Mastrogeorgiou
Yannis Mastrogeorgiou is the Special Secretary of Foresight in the Presidency of the Greek Government. He has several years of experience in the fields of politics, innovative research and advertising. He has served as Secretary General of Communication and Media at the Presidency of the Greek Government.
He has also served as the Director General of the Konstantinos Karamanlis Institute of Democracy and Director of the think tank “DIKTIO for the reformation of Greece and Europe”. Moreover, he has served as Director of Communications and special advisor to the Minister of Education, as well as special advisor to the Minister of Development and to the Greek Parliament. He has worked for large multinational companies in advertising and political communication. Yannis was a Marshall Memorial Fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF).
He studied History at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, as well as International Relations, European Political Economy and European Law at the University of the Aegean and the Athens University of Economics and Business. He is a PhD candidate at the Department of History and Philosophy of Science of the University of Athens.
Athanasios Kyriazis
General Secretary for Research and Innovation President of “Elevate Greece S.A.”
Athanasios Kyriazis is a Professor at the Department of Statistics and Insurance Sciences at the University of Piraeus in the field of Applied Mathematics and New Technologies. He has been a visiting researcher in Universities and Research Centers in the U.S.A. and Europe. He has taught a significant number of courses at the undergraduate and postgraduate level, as well as in training programs. He has supervised Doctoral Dissertations and Master’s theses, and has participated in several research programs as the Project Leader. He has participated in Ministerial Councils, meetings, official visits and international collaborations. He has served for several years as General Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs as well as Special Secretary for Higher Education at the same Ministry. His current position is General Secretary for Research and Innovation and President of “Elevate Greece S.A.”.
Theodoros Evgeniou
Theodoros Evgeniou has been working on Machine Learning and AI for almost 30 years, on areas ranging from AI innovations for business process optimization and improving decisions, to AI regulations, as well as on new Machine Learning methods. His research has appeared in leading journals, such as in Science Magazine, Nature Machine Intelligence, Machine Learning, Lancet Digital Health, Journal of Machine Learning Research, Management Science, Marketing Science, Harvard Business Review magazine, and others.
Professor Evgeniou has been a member of the OECD Network of Experts on AI, an advisor for the BCG Henderson Institute, a World Economic Forum Academic Partner for Artificial Intelligence, and is a co-founder of Tremau, a B2B SaaS and advisory company in the space of digital Governance, Risk and Compliance. He gives talks and consults for a number of organisations in his areas of expertise, including advising CEOs and giving keynotes in corporate executive events. He has received four degrees from MIT, two BSc degrees simultaneously, one in Computer Science and one in Mathematics, as well as a Master and a PhD degree in Computer Science.
Christos Rizos
Ο Χρήστος Ρίζος είναι στέλεχος τεχνολογίας με πάνω από 25 χρόνια εμπειρίας στον τομέα της τεχνολογίας, με εξειδίκευση στην Τεχνητή Νοημοσύνη, τη Διαχείριση Προϊόντων και Έργων, τον Στρατηγικό Σχεδιασμό και την Ηγεσία, τις Αρχιτεκτονικές Λύσεων και τις Αρχιτεκτονικές Μεγάλων Δεδομένων και Cloud. Επί του παρόντος υπηρετεί ως επικεφαλής των δραστηριοτήτων Data Analytics, Artificial Intelligence and Orchestration στην Intracom Telecom, όπου είναι υπεύθυνος για τη διαχείριση προϊόντων, τις προ-πωλήσεις και τη δημιουργία καινοτόμων λύσεων για διάφορες κάθετες αγορές. Έχει ηγηθεί πολυάριθμων μεγάλων έργων, συμπεριλαμβανομένου του έργου ενσωμάτωσης AI και Big Data στο χαρτοφυλάκιο προϊόντων Wireless της εταιρείας, την ανάπτυξη μιας καινοτόμου πλατφόρμας Big Data, και ποικίλων λύσεων AI για πελάτες. Οι προηγούμενοι ρόλοι του στην Intracom Telecom περιλαμβάνουν Διεύθυνση Προϊόντων Software και Hardware για Ασύρματα Συστήματα και Τερματικά, όπου εισήγαγε σημαντικές καινοτομίες και διαχειρίστηκε μεγάλα έργα και πελάτες. Ο Χρήστος Ρίζος είναι κάτοχος Executive MBA από το Ινστιτούτο Πληροφορικής Αθηνών (AIT), MSc στην Υπολογιστική και Τηλεπικοινωνίες από το Πανεπιστήμιο του Dundee (UK) και BSc στα Μαθηματικά από το Εθνικό Καποδιστριακό Πανεπιστήμιο Αθηνών, ενώ είναι πιστοποιημένος σε διάφορες τεχνολογίες και μεθοδολογίες, συμπεριλαμβανομένου του Cloud, την Τεχνητή Νοημοσύνη, Μεγάλα Δεδομένα και τον Μετασχηματισμό Δικτύων.
Dr. Vassilis Nikolopoulos
Dr. Vassilis Nikolopoulos, is an active Deeptech Intrapreneur and Angel investor. He is the co-founder & CTO of the deeptech technology startup AVOKADO.
In the last 25 years, Vassilis has been working in applied research, technology transfer and innovation management procedures, focusing on the Big Data problems applied to Utilities and the digitalization of the Energy Sector. He co-founded the Deep tech startup Intelen, one of the most successful startups in the digital energy and utility analytics markets, having some big utilities as clients in Greece, Europe and USA. He has also worked for years in applied energy behavioral science, data analytics, algorithms and the application of social networks to change human behaviors towards a more sustainable way of living.
He has global recognitions in top innovation and entrepreneurship contests (US Red herring, SVASE Silicon Valley, Siemens global smartgrid, OECD eco-innovation, CeBIT top cleantech, etc). He is a valedictorian Electrical Engineer from Dundee University, Scotland with postgraduate studies at Imperial College, London School of Economics, Ecole Polytechnique (X) and a PhD from National Technical University of Athens. Also took various courses from HarvardX (Harvard University).
Dimitrios Batzis
Head of Southern CEE & Mediterranean
ESG Representative Germany, Austria & CEEMED
Dimitrios Batzis is Head of Southern CEE & Mediterranean, and is responsible for the business and strategic development in this region consisting of 7 countries. He is also the ESG Representative covering all client-facing topics around ESG, sustainability and impact
He joined Schroders in 2017 servicing clients throughout the CEE & Mediterranean region. In his previous roles, Dimi worked at Deutsche Bank in Investment Banking, at Bank of China in the Treasury department and for a Family Office in Switzerland. Dimi holds a Diploma (MA) in business administration from the Goethe-University in Frankfurt and the CFA ESG certification.
Speakers
Anastasios Tzikas
Anastasios (Tassos) Tzikas was born in Thessaloniki and graduated from the Polytechnic of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki from the Department of Electrical Engineering. He has been President of TIF – HELEXPO SA since 2013 and of the High Technology Business Park “Technopolis Thessaloniki” since 2001. He is the President of the Business and Exhibition Research & Development Institute, 3rd Vice President of the Association of Industries of Northern Greece, member of the Board of Directors of the Organization of Tourism Promotion and Marketing of the Prefecture of Thessaloniki and member of the Metropolitan Organization of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki (MOMus).
In 2001, he took the initiative to create “Technopolis Thessaloniki”, the first and largest High Technology Business Park in Greece. He was one of the founders of Singular Northern Greece SA and was the CEO of Singular B.E. SA and Singular Software SA during the period 1987-2006. During this time he also acted as CEO of Singular Bulgaria, Singular Romania, while he was Vice President of Internet Hellas, Delta Singular Education and Authorized Advisor and member of the Board of Directors of Delta Singular.
During all these years and in parallel with his professional career, Anastasios (Tassos) Tzikas had an important social activity participating as a member of the Board of Directors of the “Information Society SA” from 2012 to 2018, as a member of the Dialogue Committee for the Constitutional Review which was established in 2016, as a founding member and member of the Board of Directors of the “Mikis Theodorakis Zatouna Museum” since 2019, as a member of the Academic Council of the Metropolitan College since 2019 and of the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art since 2013.
He is Honorary President of the Federation of Hellenic Information Technology & Communications Enterprises (SEPE), of which he was President for 8 years (2011-2019) and also Honorary President of the Association of Information Technology Companies of Northern Greece (SEPVE), of which he was President for more than 15 years ( 1995-2011).
Dr. Eng. Andreas L. Symeonidis
Dr. Eng. Andreas L. Symeonidis is a Professor with the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece and the Head of Research at Cyclopt.com. He specializes on the analysis, design, implementation and maintenance of advanced software and systems. Dr. Symeonidis’ work has been published in 3 scientific books and over 200 journal articles, book chapters, and conference publications. He has been heavily involved (technically and managerially) in more than 30 contract EU- and National-funded R&D projects , while serving occasionally as an R&D project evaluator and reviewer for the European Commission.
Apostolos "Toli" Lerios
Apostolos “Toli” Lerios is a former mentor, serial entrepreneur, and engineer who has played key roles, usually as a co-founder, at SRI International (a research institute which launched many successful startups such as Siri, Apple’s voice assistant), Metanautix (a big data startup acquired by Microsoft), Facebook (where Toli single-handedly created its dynamic image processing infrastructure), Magnolia Creek (a clinic acquired by private equity), CenterRun (a data warehousing startup acquired by Sun Microsystems), and Align Technology (a medical technology startup that became a public company) to name a few. Toli holds a BS and an MS in Computer Science from Stanford University, where he received several awards and worked on two space experiments, including the Space Shuttle mission STS-46/TSS-1. Toli has been granted over 70 patents in the U.S. and Europe, and has given several invited lectures at universities, TEDx events, and other forums. Toli grew up in Athens, Greece, moved to the U.S. in 1989, and lives near Austin, Texas.
Apostolos Tzitzikostas
First Vice President of the European Committee of the Regions
President of the Association of Greek Regions
Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia
Apostolos Tzitzikostas was born on September 2, 1978. He studied Government and International Relations at Georgetown University, in Washington DC. After graduating in 2000, he had his first working experience at the Office of the President of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the United States Congress. In 2002 he obtained a Masters Degree on European Public Policy and Economics from the University College of London. Following his studies, he created his own company on the field of production, processing and standardization of dairy products, based on organic standards.
In 2007, he was elected Member of the Greek Parliament, in the First District of Thessaloniki. In the Regional Elections of November 2010 he was elected Vice-Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia and Head of the Metropolitan Area of Thessaloniki. On the Regional Elections of May 2014 he was elected Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia and on the Regional Elections of May 2019 and October 2023 he was re-elected Governor of the Region of Central Macedonia. On November 2019 he was elected President of the Association of Greek Regions and he was re-elected on February 2024.
Since 2015 he is a Member of the European Committee of the Regions. In July 2017, he was elected Head of the Greek Delegation and Vice-President of the European Committee of the Regions. On February 2020 he was elected President of the European Committee of the Regions. He fluently speaks English and French and his articles are regularly being published in Greek and foreign newspapers and magazines.
Dr. Yannis Assael
Dr. Yannis Assael is a Staff Research Scientist at Google DeepMind specialising in Artificial Intelligence. He is featured in “MIT’s Innovators Under 35” and “Forbes’ 30 Under 30” lists of distinguished scientists in Europe, and serves as a Special Advisor for Artificial Intelligence at the Hellenic Ministry of Digital Governance.
In 2013, he graduated from the Department of Applied Informatics of University of Macedonia. With full scholarships, he completed an MSc in Computer Science at the University of Oxford, finishing first in his year, followed by an MRes in Machine Learning at Imperial College London. In 2016, he returned to Oxford to pursue a DPhil degree, and after a series of research breakthroughs and entrepreneurial ventures, he started as a researcher at Google DeepMind. His contributions span audio-visual speech recognition, multi-agent communication, as well as AI for Culture and the study of damaged ancient texts. His research has been featured on the cover of the scientific journal Nature, and focuses on expanding and contributing to the greater good.
Yannis Paniaras
Yannis Paniaras, a principal-level design leader at Microsoft, has significantly impacted global product development and AI innovation across the US, Europe, and China.
As an early founding member of Microsoft’s AI Center of Excellence and a pivotal design lead at the Microsoft Digital Design Studio, his work is redefining employee experiences by seamlessly integrating AI technology with design.
With an international academic background and leadership roles at major market and corporate sites at Microsoft and Nokia, Yannis’s journey exemplifies a deep commitment to global perspectives and user-centric innovation.
Georgios Doukidis
Georgios Doukidis is Professor of eBusiness in the Department of Management Science and Technology at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB). He holds an MSc in Operational Research and PhD in Artificial Intelligence from the London School of Economics (LSE) where he worked as lecturer in computing in 1984-90. He has also taught in leading European Business Schools and currently is a visiting professor at INSEAD.
He is the Director of ELTRUN – the largest eBusiness Research Center of all European Business Schools- that has participated successfully in more than 40 international R&D projects with leading Universities and global companies. His work has been recognized internationally in awards such as the European Case Study Award 2009 in “Knowledge, Information and Communication Systems Management” category and the European ECR award in “Retail Innovation with Business Analytics” in 2015. In the last 30 years he has acted as consultant or board member in more than 50 local or international organizations in the fields of e-business, business development, innovation and re-engineering, digital transformation. He was chairman of TANEO (the Greek New Economy Fund of Funds) and director of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center of AUEB and currently is an independent board member of Athex Stock Exchange and Alumil.
George Kapetanakis
George Kapetanakis is the President of the Hellenic Cancer Federation – ELLOK and the President of the Pieria Cancer Patients Association. His experience 13 years earlier with cancer was the catalyst to start a process of active participation and involvement in support of oncology patients. Together with other patients with the same vision, he has worked consistently since 2015 to create and develop the Hellenic Cancer Federation as the Umbrella organization for the Cancer Patient Associations in Greece.
He is an active volunteer and member of the Association of Bone Marrow Donation Volunteers “Orama Elpidas”, promoting the national awareness campaign for voluntary Bone Marrow Donation. He advocates the European perspective as a necessary and sufficient condition to address contemporary cancer care challenges and reduce existing inequalities effectively. In addition, he believes that the cooperation of cancer patient organizations at the European level can provide practical solutions to the severe problems that cancer patients across Europe face every day. He is professionally active in the field of financial services.
George Milonas
Mr. George Milonas was born in Serres, Greece, in 1959. He is married and has three children. He studied Mathematics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and holds an M.Sc. in Operational Research (London School of Economics). He is the President & CEO of ALUMIL S.A. and President of ALUMIL Group (an aluminium group with over 30 subsidiaries in Greece and abroad).
He has served as President of the Federation of Industries of Greece, a Board member of the Bank of Greece and SEV (Hellenic Federation of Enterprises), and has been awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the School of Business Administration, University of Macedonia (Thessaloniki). Today, he is Vice President of ThessINTEC and a member of the Boards of the Aluminium Association of Greece and Alexander Innovation Zone of Thessaloniki, as well as Trustee of the American Farm School. He speaks Greek(native), English, German, and Italian.
Giorgos N. Stasinos
Giorgos N. Stasinos is a Dipl. Civil Engineer, a graduate of the University of Patras and works as a Freelance Engineer and Engineering Consultant. He is elected President of the Technical Chamber of Greece (TEE – TCG) from 2015 to the present and member of the TEE Congress from 2006 to the present. He is a member of the Steering Committee of TEE, President of the TEE – TMEDE Institute, a member of the Board of the Organization for the Promotion of Alternative Methods of Dispute Resolution (OPEMED), a member of the Economic and Social Committee of Greece (OKE) and an elected external member of the Management Council of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (EKPA – UoA). He has served as President of the National Youth Council (2004-2010) and President of the Civil Engineers Association of Greece (2012-2014).
Yota Paparidou
President of the Board of Directors, SEPE (Federation of Hellenic ICT Enterprises)
Yota Paparidou was born in Constantinople and is married. She studied in USA holding B.Sc. in Computer Science and Business Finance and M.Sc. in Applied Mathematics. She has served as Private Sector Sales Director and Consulting Services and Projects Director in the multinational company Digital Equipment Hellas SA. In 1994 she founded SyNET SA, in which was Chairman of the Board of Directors and CEO until December 2009.
Since 2018 she is the General Manager of K&P TECHNIKI. Since 2003 she is member of the Board of Directors of SEPE (Federation of Hellenic ICT Enterprises) holding various positions of responsibility. Also, from August 2005 until October 2012, she was a member of the Board of Directors of Information Society SA, as a representative of SEPE.
Dimitris Dimitriadis
Futurist, Institute for Futures & Foresight Research – IFFR DAO
Devoted to ‘exploring’ the future and spotting the trends and technologies that are shaping our world. Dimitris is a futurist and expert in designing companies for the Future. With a captivating blend of case studies, global perspectives, and cutting-edge research. Researcher for the Special Secretary of Strategic Foresight at the Presidency of the Greek Government. Author of the book “2049 – A Manual for the Futures of Humanity” from KEY BOOKS Publishing encourages us to embrace uncertainty as a necessary condition for progress.
As a public speaker on mega trends, he gives his audience an optimistic, yet down-to-earth take on the future and how technologies disrupt everything we do. On the stage of conferences and future labs for brands such as L’Oréal Paris, Johnson & Johnson and Philip Morris International. Institutions such as European Commission, European Labour Authority (ELA), European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop), Center of European Perspective and many more, Dimitris answers the big and smaller questions that will define humanity: how do exponential technologies, such as AI, blockchain, and Virtual Reality, merge together and shape our world?
As a specialist in AI-powered transformation and the Metaverse, Dimitris’s work has been featured in publications such as Fortune, Athens Voice, Kathimerini etc. His unique ability to bridge the worlds of disruptive technology and business leadership allows him to translate deep tech into practical recommendations that help leaders seize new opportunities, transform their organizations, and change their own thinking.
Eve Psalti
Eve Psalti is a 20+year tech and business leader, currently the Senior Director at Microsoft’s Azure AI engineering organization responsible for scaling Generative AI solutions with customers and partners. She was previously the Head of Strategic Platforms at Google Cloud where she worked with F500 companies helping them grow their businesses through digital transformation initiatives.
Prior to Google, Eve held business development, sales and marketing leadership positions at Microsoft and startups across the US and Europe leading 200-people teams and $600M businesses. A native of Greece, she holds a Master’s degree and several technology and business certifications from London Business School and the University of Washington. Eve currently serves on the board of WE Global Studios, a full-stack startup innovation studio supporting female entrepreneurs.
https://www.linkedin.com/in/evepsalti, https://twitter.com/evepsalti
Thodoris Georgakopoulos
Thodoris Georgakopoulos is a writer and journalist. He has worked as a columnist at magazines, newspapers and digital media, as a translator and editor of books, as an executive at a media company and as the editorial director of diaNEOsis, a non-profit think tank. He is a columnist at Greek daily Kathimerini since 2013, and the author of five books.
Ioannis Vlahavas
Ioannis Vlahavas is a professor at the Department of Informatics at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He received his Ph.D. degree in Logic Programming Systems from the same University in 1988. He has been a visiting scholar at the Department of CS at Purdue University and in 2017 elected EurAI Fellow from the European Association for Artificial Intelligence.
He specializes in knowledge based and AI (machine learning) systems and he has published more than 370 papers and book chapters, and co-authored 9 books in these areas. Google scholar gives a number exceeding 18580 citations and an h-index of 58. He has successfully supervised 18 PhD students and he has been involved in more than 50 research and development projects, leading most of them. He is currently leading the Intelligent Systems Lab. Details in https://intelligence.csd.auth.gr/people/vlahavas/
Christian Hadjiminas
Christian Hadjiminas graduated in 1981 from Columbia University with a B.A. in Economics (Magna Cum Laude) and in 1983 from Wharton Business School (University of Pennsylvania) with an MBA in Business and Finance. After working as a Senior Trader at Phibro-Salomon Inc. in 1987, he has set up his first company in New York and soon thereafter in 1989, he has moved his business in Greece and established EFA VENTURES in Athens. Very soon, EFA VENTURES became one of the leading industrial cooperation service providers in the world.
Mr. Hadjiminas is today the Founder & CEO of THEON GROUP which develops and manufactures cutting-edge Night Vision, Thermal Imaging and Electro-Optical ISR systems for Military and Security applications with a global footprint. THEON GROUP was founded in 1997 and has since become one of the most prominent players in the market. The GROUP has offices in Nicosia, Athens, Kempen, Arlington, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Zug, Copenhagen and Singapore, coupled with manufacturing facilities in Athens, Wetzlar (Germany), and Plymouth (USA). THEON GROUP employs more than 300 people globally, whereas its exports extend to 68 countries, 24 of which belong to NATO. As of 2023 the GROUP has manufactured and sold more than 150.000 systems globally. Recently, THEON has listed its shares on the Euronext Amsterdam regulated market, achieving one of the first IPOs in Europe for 2024. THEON was also included on FINANCIAL TIMES & STATISTA list with the 1000 Fastest Growing companies in Europe for 2024. www.theon.com
Mr. Hadjiminas is also the Founder of EFA GROUP, a set of companies with a leading-edge position in the international market with more than 35 years of experience, in the fields of Aerospace, Security, Defense, and Industrial cooperation. EFA GROUP currently employs 170 people in total, the majority of them being engineers and experts in their field. The GROUP has established offices across 4 international regions: Greece, Switzerland, UAE, and Singapore to serve its customers in more than 20 countries worldwide. EFA GROUP includes EFA VENTURES (Supply Chain Management & integrated services), AEROSPACE VENTURES (Industrial Participation & related services), SCYTALYS (Systems Integration & Software), ES SYSTEMS (Sensors Design &Electronics), EPICOS (Global Defense B2B Information Platform), UCANDRONE (Unmanned Systems) and AETHER AERONAUTICS (Target Drones). www.efagroup.eu
Mr. Hadjiminas is also the President of the Hellenic Entrepreneurs Association – EENE (www.eene.gr) and Head of EENE International, as well as Founder and Honorary President of the Wharton Alumni Club of Greece. He has been awarded as the “Internationally Growing Entrepreneur” at the EY Entrepreneur Of The Year™ 2023 competition.
Konstantina Palla
I am a senior research scientist at Spotify research in London, UK, where I am leading efforts that explore the use of AI for content moderation. Before that, I was a senior researcher at Microsoft Research Cambridge part of ML for Healthcare. I completed my postdoc at the University of Oxford and hold a doctoral degree from the University of Cambridge. My current research interest is (but not limited to) in the following areas:
* Leveraging AI for Real-World impact, addressing tangible solutions.
* Human-Centric AI: I am particularly driven by the use of AI for the well-being of individuals.
Prof. Costas A Courcoubetis
Prof. Costas A Courcoubetis was born in Athens, Greece and received his Diploma from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, his MS and PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.
He was MTS at the Mathematics Research Centre, Bell Laboratories, Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Crete, Professor in the Department of Informatics at the Athens University of Economics and Business, Professor and Associate Head in the ESD Pillar, Singapore University of Technology and Design, and since 2021 Presidential Chair Professor in SDS, CUHK, Shenzhen. His current research interests include sharing economy and mobility, economics and performance analysis of networks and internet technologies, regulation policy, smart grids and energy systems, resource sharing and auctions.
Konstantinos Kyranakis
Konstantinos Kyranakis (born 19/4/1987) is a graduate of the Law School of the University of Athens with postgraduate studies in Strategic Communication at the American College of Athens. He has worked as a freelancer in the field of digital marketing, creating websites and applications. He was a co-founder of the BrainGain initiative for the return of young people to Greece.
He was elected president of the Youth of the European People’s Party, from May 2013 to May 2017. In January 2017, the international magazine “Forbes” selected him among the 30 most influential young people under 30 in Europe, in the Law & Policy category. In the National elections of 2019, he was elected for the first time as a Member of Parliament in the South Sector of Athens, where he was re-elected in the elections of June 25, 2023 and on June 27 he was sworn in as Deputy Minister of Digital
Konstantinos Ι. Chatzifotis
Mr. Konstantinos Ι. Chatzifotis is Manager of European Affairs of MΟΗ Group, Member of Directors of Hellenic Hydrogen, and registered lawyer in Athens Bar Association (2005). He has served as Member of Cabinet of EU Commissioner for Migration, Home Affairs and Citizenship (Brussels, 2016-2018), Head of Cabinet of a Vice President of European Parliament (Brussels, 2005-2014), as well as senior advisor of International and EU Affairs and Funding for various Ministers of the Greek Government (Ministry of Development, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Agricultural Development and Food).
He has also advised and supported as external EU funding expert numerous Greek Ministries, Regional and Local Authorities in strategic planning, developing, promoting and managing EU co-funded programs and he has participated as legal expert in international ICT projects. He holds a DES in EU Law (ULB – Belgium), an LLM in ICT Law (KULeuven – Belgium), and a Bachelor of Laws (Aristotle University of Thessaloniki –Greece). He has received scholarships from the Alexandros Onassis Foundation and the Church of Greece.
Manos Macromallis
Manos Macromallis is the CEO of Excelon and President of SEKEE. With over 20 years of experience in the technology services industry, he is a seasoned professional. Manos has extensive experience and knowledge in the fintech, telecom, and SaaS sectors, where he held several C-level positions and developed innovative solutions and traction for startups.
He has a strong track record of delivering reliable solutions to customers, increasing revenues, and achieving operational excellence using his analytical skills, entrepreneurial curiosity, and cooperative philosophy. Excelon is a leading provider of digital finance solutions, offering comprehensive services such as FIAT payment accounts, Mastercard services, Crypto Wallet solutions, and a state-of-the-art Exchange platform.
Maria Vytinidou
Maria Vytinidou presents a long-standing, diverse and active engagement with the public, businesses and education. She studied Chemistry at the University of Crete and Fashion Designer at Central Saint Martin’s and London College of Fashion. He holds an MBA and actively contributes to the development of Young Entrepreneurship as a Business Instructor internationally. She founded AthensFashionClub Group which includes the Fashion School “AthensFashionClub”, the 1st Fashion Incubator in Greece “The Fashion Gate”, the fashion brand <<Maria Vytinidou Conscious Brand>> and runs as Director the Portuguese Incubator “Grow Sustainable in Portugal” with the support of the Portuguese Embassy in Athens.
Premiere Vision in Paris highlighted her as the most innovative Fashion Designer in Greece for Wearable Technology, while at the same time the global accelarator Startupbootcamp High Tech XL in Eindhoven established her company as one of the best 20 high-tech fashion companies in world for the Wearable Technology garments she designs. Vogue Italia has featured her for her innovative approaches in fashion. She is the Executive Producer and TV Hostess of the TV show <<Fashion Fly>> with the subject of the Creative Industry and enterprises and a speaker at several conferences of Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Technology and Fashion globally. She is an International Trainer at Modtissimo trade fair in Portugal, the European S4Fashion program and the global NEXT MBA platform. www.athensfashionclub.com
Dr. Maria Bozoudi
Dr. Maria Bozoudi, Senior Advisor, Division for Industry, Growth, Technology and Innovation, SEV Hellenic Federation of Enterprises
Dr. Bozoudi’s current work centers on Industry 4.0 transition challenges and opportunities. In 2019-2022, she coordinated SEV’s regional growth initiatives, and spearheaded cooperation with the academic community. She brings in extensive experience in transition environments, economic diplomacy and policy advocacy. In 2005-2015, she served as Executive Coordinator of the Business Advisory Council for Southeastern Europe and Eurasia, a cross-industry international network voicing the business community’s views and concerns on Southeast European Euro-Atlantic integration. She has collaborated with the World Bank, OECD and the European Commission on flagship initiatives related with trade, transport and investment facilitation, infrastructure development, capacities building and regulatory reform.
She has studied political science, international and European relations, and international trade policy, at the University of Macedonia and The George Washington University in the USA. She has additional training in project management, institutional organization and leadership communication.
Dr. Maria- Oraiozili Koutsoupia
Dr. Maria- Oraiozili Koutsoupia is a qualified lawyer in Greece and in Belgium, who has worked until recently as a Managing Associate in Sidley Llp in Brussels, a top tier US law firm, focused on healthcare and medical technologies. Maria-Oraiozili holds a PhD in Public Law from the UoA Law School and three masters in law, one in public law, one in international legal studies and one in IP and Information, Communication and Technologies from the UOA and the KU Leuven Law Schools, respectively, while she has published numerous articles in the field of public law and digital healthcare. In her legal practice, Maria-Oraiozili advises life sciences and medtech clients on all EU and Greek law aspects of product lifecycle management including drugs and medical devices advertising, Healthcare Professionals interactions, market access and supply chains, advanced therapies, artificial intelligence systems integration and digital health compliance. Maria-Oraiozili Koutsoupia is appointed as an MEP Candidate for the European Parliament elections of 9 June 2024.
Marietta Lazana
Marietta Lazana is Digital Consultant specializing in Digital Business Building at McKinsey & Company based in Berlin. With a blend of business and technical expertise, Marietta has worked extensively with startups and big corporations across Europe, the US and Asia, contributing to all aspects of digital product development. Currently involved in GenAI projects across industries, Marietta witnesses firsthand how GenAI drives practical innovation in product development and business evolution.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Marietta leads the Greek Chapter of Girls in Tech, the biggest global NGO, supporting women in tech and business with a thriving community of over 2000 members and 40 partners. Girls in Tech Greece collaborates with major tech companies, offering valuable opportunities for network and professional growth. As a seasoned public speaker, lecturer, mentor, and startup award winner, Marietta is committed to empowering the next generation of professionals.
Mihalis Kritikos
Senior Associate Researcher and Adjunct Professor in Law
Mihalis Kritikos is Senior Associate Fellow at the Brussels School of Governance. Mihalis is also Policy Analyst at the Ethics and Integrity Sector of the European Commission (DG-RTD) working on the ethical development of emerging technologies with a special emphasis on AI Ethics. Before that, he worked at the Scientific Foresight Service of the European Parliament as a legal/ethics advisor on Science and Technology issues (STOA/EPRS) authoring more than 50 publications in the domain of new and emerging technologies and contributing to the drafting of more than 15 European Parliament reports/resolutions in the fields of artificial intelligence, robots, distributed ledger technologies and blockchains, precision farming, gene editing and disruptive innovation.
Mihalis is a legal expert in the fields of EU decision-making, legal backcasting, food/environmental law, responsible governance of science and innovation, and regulatory control of new and emerging risks. He has worked as Senior Associate in the EU Regulatory and Environment Affairs Department of White & Case, as Lecturer at several UK Universities and as Lecturer/Project Leader at the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA). He also taught EU Law and Institutions for several years at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) where he obtained a PhD in Technology Law and which earned him the UACES Prize for the Best Thesis in European Studies in Europe.
Mihalis Stagos
Michalis is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and ecosystem builder. He is the President and Partner of L-Stone Capital, an impact-driven seed and series A fund. He has been an active investor for the last 10 years. He co-founded Industry Disruptors Game Changers, a pioneering organization that ignites innovation and growth in 64 countries; Future Agro Challenge, a global leader in agrifood transformation and the empowerment of farmers, working closely with FAO UN for ecosystem building in the NENA region (Agrination Startup Cup); He is also the co-founder and Vice President of SmartAgroHub, an innovative company for smart farming. Additionally, he co-founded SciCo, an organization for scientific engagement, and founded MSCOMM Group, an integrated communication agency with a presence in 10 countries.
Michalis advocates for open innovation mechanisms, focusing on building a corporate-startup engagement platform to create value for the economy and society. He is a top-tier strategist and designer of innovative policies, services, and products, working with the European Commission, European Parliament, EIT Food, SRSS, and the Committee on World Food Security of the United Nations. Michalis has served twice in the Greek Government. He is a visiting Lecturer in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Alexander Fleming Biomedical Sciences Research Center and the Athens Medical School. He has traveled to more than 80 countries on six continents.
Nikos Hardalias
Governor of the Attica Region
Nikos Hardalias was born on 10 November 1968 in the Municipality of Vyronas, Attica and has origins from Granitsa, Evritania. He graduated with distinction from the Varvakeios Model School (Varvakeion Lyceum). He studied Politics and International Relations at the University of Kent, England, specializing in European Integration and Regional Development. He did his military service in the Hellenic Air Force from 1996 to1998. He served as Mayor of Vyronas for 3 terms of four years (2003-2014), President of the Union for the Protection and Development of Hymettus Mountain – SPAY (2003-2014), and Chairman of the Civil Protection Committee of the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece – KEDE (2006-2012). He was also Executive Secretary of the Region of Central Greece (2014-2016) and Regional Councillor of Attica (2014-2019).
In addition, he was Secretary-General for Civil Protection from 19 July 2019 to 16 March 2020, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management from 17 March 2020 to 30 August 2021 and Deputy Minister of National Defence from 31 August 2021 to 25 May 2023. On 27 June 2023, Nikos Hardalias took office as Deputy Minister of National Defence and held the office until 28 August 2023. On 8 October 2023, Nikos Hardalias was elected as Governor of the Attica Region. He is married to Ms Panagiota Panagiotopoulou, Physical Education Teacher (graduate of the School of Physical Education and Sport Science, TEFAA, Athens), and has two daughters, Ioanna and Dimitra. He speaks English and French.
Panos Tsakloglou
Υφυπουργός Κοινωνικής Ασφάλισης
Απόφοιτος του ΑΠΘ (πτυχίο Οικονομικών Επιστημών) και του Πανεπιστημίου του Warwick της Μεγάλης Βρετανίας (MA και PhD in Economics).
Καθηγητής, Τμήμα Διεθνών και Ευρωπαϊκών Οικονομικών Σπουδών, Οικονομικού Πανεπιστημίου Αθηνών και Ερευνητικός Εταίρος, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA, Bonn) και Hellenic Observatory (LSE, London). Έχει δημοσιεύσει πάνω από 100 βιβλία, άρθρα σε επιστημονικά περιοδικά και συλλογικούς τόμους, έχει παρουσιάσει εργασίες του σε πάνω από 200 συνέδρια και ημερίδες και έχει συμμετάσχει σε πάνω από 50 ερευνητικά και συμβουλευτικά προγράμματα. Η έρευνά του επικεντρώνεται σε ζητήματα Οικονομικών της Κοινωνικής Πολιτικής (ανισότητα, φτώχεια, κοινωνικός αποκλεισμός, αναδιανεμητικός ρόλος του κράτους), Οικονομικών της Εργασίας και της Εκπαίδευσης (προσδιοριστικοί παράγοντες ανεργίας, οικονομικές αποδόσεις της εκπαίδευσης).
Από τον Αύγουστο 2020, Υφυπουργός Εργασίας για θέματα Κοινωνικής Ασφάλισης. Πρόεδρος (2012-2014) και μέλος (2002-2004 και 2009-2012) του Συμβουλίου Οικονομικών Εμπειρογνωμόνων. Σύμβουλος των Πρωθυπουργών Γ. Παπανδρέου (2010-2011) και Λ. Παπαδήμου (2011-2012) σε θέματα Απασχόλησης και Κοινωνικής Πολιτικής. Μέλος της Economic and Financial Committee (EFC) της ΕΕ και του Eurogroup Working Group (EWG) και αναπληρωματικό μέλος των Ecofin and Eurogroup (2012-2014) και μέλος της Economic Policy Committee (EPC)της ΕΕ (2010-2011). Μέλος του Εθνικού Συμβουλίου Έρευνας και Τεχνολογίας (2002-2005), του Συμβουλίου Εμπειρογνωμόνων σε θέματα Απασχόλησης και Κοινωνικών Ασφαλίσεων (2001-2002) και της Αρχής Διασφάλισης Ποιότητας Ανώτατης Εκπαίδευσης (2006-2009).
Savvas Iliopoulos
Savvas Iliopoulos is an experienced Responsible Gaming professional with a demonstrated history of working in the entertainment industry. The past 15 years Savvas works for OPAP SA. (Greek National Lottery & Online Operator), where he drives Responsible Gaming. Having an Engineering & Business Administration background, he focuses on the use of state art technology for good cause. He thrives the use of AI technology and Machine Learning tools for RG purposes and for players protection ensuring minimization of excessive play.
He is responsible for the successful implementation of OPAPs’ Responsible Gaming Strategy ensuring that the customer has a safe environment enjoying participation in Games. OPAPs’ RG Team ensures that the Company provides best in class entertainment in a responsible and sustainable way. Savvas has participated as a speaker in global symposiums and seminars of Gaming industry including ICE 365,European Lotteries Summit, WLA Summit & SBC .
Sophia Kounenaki-Efraimoglou
Μrs. Sophia Kounenaki-Efraimoglou is the President of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Elected President of the National Chamber Network of Greek Women Entrepreneurs (EEDEGE), Executive Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Foundation of the Hellenic World and Head of “Hellenic Cosmos” Cultural Centre, as well as Treasurer of the BoD at ALBA Graduate Business School and Member of the General Council of SEV (Hellenic Federation of Enterprises). She is the Chairman & Managing Director of Ardittos Holdings SA and Board Member of TERNA ENERGY GROUP and Lavipharm S.A.
Spiros Pampoukidis
Spiros Pampoukidis is the founder and CEO of OTS. He holds a BSc in Computer Science from the University of Crete and a Master’s degree in Business Administration. He has extensive experience in the IT sector, where he has worked as a programmer – analyst and sales support engineer and has served as an expert IT consultant to committees related to Local and Central Government.
Stamatis Voglis
As the Global Vice President of B2B Surveys at Dialectica, Stamatis has had the chance to play a role in the remarkable growth and success of the company since -almost- its inception. Being a part of the founding team that spearheaded Dialectica’s expansion into the Americas market, he had the chance to shape its operations in the biggest market for its services. Subsequently, Stamatis led the launch of the operations of Dialectica B2B Surveys, a revolutionary product designed to enable better decision-making globally through quantitative data. In addition to his contributions at Dialectica, Stamatis serves as a Board Member of Enaleia, driven by his deep-seated passion for ocean sustainability.
Stefanos Kokkorikos
Stefanos Kokkorikos, co- Founder and Managing Partner at CORE Group
Stefanos Kokkorikos holds an Electrical and Computer Engineering Diploma from the National Technical University of Athens with a focus on electronics, telecommunications and computer systems. Stefanos uses his extensive experience in deep tech project implementation to design new solutions for the industry, addressing challenges in operations, maintenance and energy management.
His interests lie in technologies of Industry 4.0, business modelling and new product development, applied in the manufacturing, mining and infrastructure industries. His CORE vision is to provide the appropriate tools bridging the gap between research, market and society.
Sotiris Bithas
Ο Σωτήρης Μπίθας είναι κάτοχος πτυχίου Χημικού Μηχανικού από το Εθνικό Μετσόβιο Πολυτεχνείο της Αθήνας και M.Sc. in Information Technology από το University College του Λονδίνου. Ξεκίνησε να εργάζεται στην Intracom το 1998, έχοντας υπό την επίβλεψή του ομάδες ανάπτυξης τεχνικών προϊόντων και αναλαμβάνοντας έργα διαφόρων τεχνολογικών περιοχών, όπως data broadcasting over satellite & video/voice over IP. Σήμερα, είναι Διευθυντής Μarketing της Intracom Telecom στον τομέα Telco & Enterprise Software, στον οποίο είναι υπεύθυνος για τη στρατηγική και τον συντονισμό των δραστηριοτήτων στην παγκόσμια αγορά, με τεχνολογικό επίκεντρο Data Analytics & AI-powered εφαρμογές, IoT-enabled λύσεις, Enterprise Digitalization, Telecom Network Sustainability, Monetization, καθώς και Customer Care & Customer Experience Management.
Fragiskos Theofylaktos
Fragiskos Theofylaktos, CEO of Elevate Greece, holds a degree in Economics from the University of Athens and an MBA from the Nottingham Trent University.
Since 2014, he has been a strategy & business development consultant and a member of the advisory committee at the Athens Startup Business Incubator of the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry (A.C.C.I.), as well as a member of the A.C.C.I. Business Angels Network. During this time, he has evaluated over 800 startup ideas and provided consulting support to more than 200 startups in various stages of their development (ideation stage, pre-seed & seed stage), in the fields of strategy formation, operational financial modeling, and preparation for funding from private or institutional investors.
His previous experience includes executive positions for 20 years as CEO, Vice President & President in various companies, with activities in the following sectors:
- Business Consulting Services for Private & Public Sector & Co-financed Programs
- Environmental Technologies
- Security – Electronic Applications
- Energy – Energy Saving
- Constructions
George Pitsilis
George Pitsilis, Governor of the Independent Authority for Public Revenue, is an Attorney at Law, researcher and experienced professional. He has graduated from the Athens School of Law (LL.B.), where he also obtained an LL.M. in Public Law. He has obtained a DEA in Tax Law from the University Pantheon-Sorbonne (Paris I).
Following his tax studies, George Pitsilis has gained particularly significant know – how and practical experience in Domestic and International Tax Law. Since 2008, he is a Member of the BoD of the Greek Society of Tax Law and Public Finance Studies.
He is, also, member of the editing committee of Greek legal reviews, author of several articles and commentaries in Greek and international legal reviews. Ηe served as the President of the Intra-European Organisation of Tax Administrations (IOTA) for the terms 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 and is currently a member of the OECD FTA Bureau.
Nikos Frangakis
Nikos Frangakis is leading the IKH Group Innovation Unit, our robotics arm.
An experienced manager with more than 15 years of national and international project management and coordination with teams of up to 50 persons and significant participations in many European projects, Nikos is succesfully leading the IKH Group Innovation Unit for the past two years towards productization of our robotic prototypes. Positive, outgoing with an urge to find solutions, he is orchestrating a team of world-class robotics and software engineers with expertise in mechanical design, embedded control, data-driven intelligence and mobile robots that design and build tailor-made innovative robotic solutions, he is augmenting the Group’s footprint in the Innovation field.
His main interests consist of the technologies of Virtual and Augmented Reality and their various applications in different domains, like Cultural Heritage, Ergonomics, Training and Remote Support. He holds a M.Sc in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and has worked in the past with technologies of Virtual and Augmented Reality, IoT, edge computing in the domains of industry, health, education and culture.
