NTUA Professor Mr. Giannis Kalogirou attended the InSySPo International Conference to be held on June 6-7, 2018 at the University of Campinas, Brazil. The theme of the conference was: “Innovation Ecosystems, Technology Upgrading and Regional Development”. Mr. Giannis Kalogirou addressed the issues of Social Inclusion, Regional Employment Dynamics, Culture, Local Knowledge.

The text of NTUA Professor G. Kalogirou’s presentation can be found here (pdf file).

The conference provided information on these complex questions, examining a range of topics and focusing on evidence and lessons for emerging economies. Among other things, the possibility of knowledge entrepreneurship to include both small business firms and corporate entrepreneurship in established operators, which are of great importance for emerging economies, was examined. More specifically, the main thematic sections were:

1. Business demography: birth/entry, survival, death/exit, growth. Geography
of knowledge-intensive businesses.

Factors contributing to the dispersion of demographic business activities across regions/countries: quality of local governance, research and development spending, workforce education, business-friendly regulations, financing constraints. Emphasis on knowledge-intensive businesses.

2. Barriers to innovation for small businesses. Spatial specificities.

The literature has identified a long list of potential economic and non-economic barriers to innovation, such as excessive risk, high innovation costs, lack of financing, organizational rigidity, lack of skilled personnel, lack of IT, insufficient market information, , standards and lack of technical services. These barriers affect the impact on innovation of firm-specific factors (size, R&D expenditure, knowledge acquisition and adaptation), network-related factors (external sources of financing and information, public procurement, tax breaks and subsidies).

3. Regional innovation ecosystem, smart specialization, global value chains (GVC)

Scholars have highlighted the importance of interactions between elements of a business system. Undoubtedly, entrepreneurship needs to be studied at the regional level and in close proximity to regional innovation systems, with an emphasis on networks, learning, interactions, as well as the strong links of local actors and international actors, such as multinational corporations. The rapid expansion of global value chains in recent decades introduces a particularly important element to be examined. Significant areas of ambiguity remain, however, such as understanding the institutional framework of interactions, including the role of universities and public research institutions. Smart specialisation has emerged as a location-based approach to analysing the strengths and potential of an economy and identifying strategic areas for policy intervention.

4. Social inclusion. Regional employment dynamics, culture, local knowledge

The concept of Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI) has been promoted to indicate a broader inclusion in research and innovation activities. Social actors – researchers, citizens, policy makers, businesses, third sector organisations, others – are supposed to work together to ensure a better alignment of R&I outcomes with the values, needs and expectations of society. Regions often demonstrate their own dynamics, culture, historical background and educational achievements, which could play a useful role in informing public policy on research, innovation and socio-economic development.

For more information about the conference, visit the official website by clicking here.

The official conference programme can be found here (pdf file).

The Symposium entitled: After High School What? For the Radical Restructuring of the Post-High School Education, Training and Research Area, organized by PRO.PADEI.A on the weekend of 8-9 June 2018. Among the speakers, Mr. Angelos Tsakanikas, Assistant Professor of NTUA and member of the LIEE and Mr. George Siokas, PhD Candidate of NTUA and member of the LIEE. He is a lecturer and a member of the Greek Academy of Sciences, Mr. Giorgios Siochia, who is a PhD candidate and a member of the Greek Academy of Sciences, Mr. Giorgios Siochia. Professor commented on the need to link research with production on the basis of a new model of development and the PhD candidate on the initiatives that exist at NTUA and more specifically at the School of Chemical Engineering.

The press release as well as audiovisual material from the activities of the Symposium can be found here.

The main purpose of the Symposium was, on the one hand, to discuss the pathologies and causes that have shaped the Postsecondary Education and Training sector in the last decades and, on the other hand, to highlight proposals and perspectives for a new serious and credible structure that is necessary to be created in the Postsecondary Education and Training sector, with a focus on:

The rational reorganization, evaluation and accreditation of the Higher Education and Research area, and the reform in the Vocational Training area. The common thread of the excellent speeches during the Symposium was the realization that in the effort to radically restructure the post-secondary education sector, it is necessary to simultaneously develop General Education and Training, which will give the required respect to the multifaceted development of the personality of each citizen, taking into account the messages and trends from the labour market and real conditions with an eye to the future. In total, during the Symposium, topics from five different sections were analysed. More specifically:

1st Thematic section The new serious and credible structure that should be created in the Post-secondary non-university Education and Training Area.

N. Moussiopoulos, Professor of the Faculty of Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, presented nine prerequisites for a successful Vocational Education and Training (VET) system, including the need for the symbiosis and emergence of distinct and equal systems of Academic Education and VET. N. Paizis from KANEP/GSEE referred to the consequences that will arise in Lyceum and Higher Education from the formation of Post-secondary Education, while T. Mihou from SEV spoke about the need to redesign and upgrade initial vocational education and training with the active participation of enterprises. The presentation of Ath. The presentation of A. Syrianos, Vice President of the Hellenic-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry on the initiative of the Greek Brewery of Atalante for the vocational training of brewers, and the presentation of Aik. Kouli, former Managing Director of the Centre for Innovation and Productivity of the German Economy on the importance of Vocational Education in the national education system.

2nd Thematic Unit: Towards a modern and rational reorganization of the single space of Higher Education and Research in accordance with the international reality and contemporary trends.

Among the issues discussed in the 2nd session, the position of An. Karampatzos, An. Professor of the University of Cyprus, on the reorganization of the legislative framework with reference to the need for an extroverted-open Higher Education, the Rector of the Open University of Cyprus, Prof. S. Katsikas, on the similarities and differences between the mergers of Universities in Europe and Greece, and K. Axarloglou, Dean of International Business and Strategy of ALBA Graduate Business School, on the importance of establishing evaluation systems and motivation models for research and teaching staff of the Universities. At the same time, the student of EKPA, Or. Angelopoulos presented academic life and the path to excellence from the students’ point of view, describing the example of the Law School.

3rd Thematic Unit: Reforms in Vocational Education & Training: challenges and necessary changes

At the beginning of the 3rd thematic unit, S. Zarkos, An. Professor at ALBA, spoke about the important role of Business Schools in the professional education and training of business executives, while M. Pavlakis, Consultant for Education and Development of Human Resources, spoke about the role, qualifications and competencies required of the modern Vocational Training Instructor. N. Gavalakis, Head of Human Capital Development Unit of SEV, also referred to the issue of skills production and demand in Greece, as well as M. Katharakis, Director of the Technical Schools of the Heraklion Chamber, who focused on the need to introduce innovations in the field of Vocational Education and Training. At the end of the discussion, K. Kaltsas, School Counsellor of Vocational Education commented on the need for the development of a VET system that will effectively serve the productive model of the country.

4th Thematic Unit: The periodic assessment and accreditation of all forms of formal education and training and research by a single authority – the HQA.

The speech of S. Koumbias, Prof. S. Koumbias, Professor. S. C. Kumbia, Professor, Faculty of Engineering, University of Patras, started the thematic module with a discussion on the evaluation of Greek Universities, the difficulties of implementation, but also the prospects that open up. Then followed the speech of Ioan. Gerothanasis, Prof. The speech of N. Hourvouliadis, Head of the Business School of the American College of Thessaloniki on the accreditation of Greek Private Colleges by Academic Institutions and Institutions from abroad followed. At the end of the thematic section, opinions from the students’ side were presented, and in particular, the example of the evaluation of Democritus University through the speech of the student of the Law School, V. Tatsis and the bottom-up initiative of the NTUA students, through the speech of G. Sioka, Lt. D. of the Faculty of Chemical Engineering.

5th Thematic Unit: The institutionalisation of the connection between the Educational and Research Area and the business, market, cultural, economic and social spheres.

At the beginning of his speech, Mr. Ap. Dimitropoulos, Scientific Associate of IOBE, referred to the need to reconnect Higher Education and the Labour Market, a topic which was continued by H. Dimitropoulos. Pappa from the Employment and Labour Market Sector of SEV, who focused on the need to strengthen the employability of young people. D. Polyzos, Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of the European Employment Agency, Mr. D. Polyzos, who spoke on the subject of employment, said that the employment of young people in the labour market was a key factor in the development of the employment market. D., Deputy Rector of Research and Development of the University of Patras, presented the Patras IQ platform for the interconnection of research and productive institutions, and A. Tsakanikas, Assistant Rector of the University of Patras, presented the platform for the interconnection of research and productive institutions. Professor of NTUA commented on the need to link research and production on the basis of a new development model. Areti Krepapa, Dean of Graduate and Professional Education at Deree, spoke about the role of Learning through Community Service, linking Higher Education with Society and K. Rotsios, Dean of Undergraduate Programs at Perrotis College of the American Farm School in Thessaloniki focused on the value of Postgraduate Education for the future of the Agri-food sector in Greece. The thematic session was closed by Ch. Apostolopoulos, President of SEVGAP, who highlighted the need to create bridges between businesses and educational and research institutions.

On Wednesday 06 May at 09:00 am the 3rd Annual Conference for “Smart Cities” and “Digital Citizens”, “Think Sm@rt: Greek Cities in the Digital Transformation” will start. The conference will take place in Athens, at the Royal Olympic Hotel and will last two days.

The two-day Conference-Exhibition “Sm@rt Cities – Digit@l Citizens” consists of coherent and efficient platforms for presenting and highlighting the means to design and create the Greek “Smart City”. Within a dense and efficient two-day event, all stakeholders are given the opportunity to present, learn and share experiences, know-how, opinions, proposals and good practices for the Greek Smart Cities.

Among the speakers will be Mr. Georgios Siokas, PhD Candidate of LIEE, who will deliver a speech entitled “The transition to the ”Smart City“: determinants, current trends and good practices”.

The conference programme can be found here.

The 5th Patras IQ innovation and know-how transfer exhibition, which took place at the “D. Tofalos” Sports Centre from 27 to 29 April 2018, was a great success.

During the event, 80 researchers presented their work and research results. Of particular interest were the collaborative pavilions (research laboratories and start-ups) which presented the results of their cooperation for the implementation of innovative products and services. It is worth noting that this year the number of visitors exceeded 5,500 with the participation of distinguished scientists, important actors supporting innovative entrepreneurship as well as the political world.

Specifically, the exhibition was inaugurated by the Minister of Digital Policy, Telecommunications and Information, Mr.Nikos Pappas, the keynote speaker was the Secretary General of Telecommunications and Post, while the exhibition was attended and visited by the Secretary General of Industry, the members and the President of the National Council for Research and Innovation (NCRI), Prof. Pavol Šajgalík, President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, as well as the Slovak Ambassador and Ms. Karina Sotnik -Director, Business Incubation and Accelerator Programs of the City Science Center of Philadelphia, USA. The organization was led by a committee of executives from all the institutions involved in the programmatic contract, with the enthusiastic help of 100 student volunteers from the University of Patras and TEI West. Greece.

Throughout the three-day event, the participation of EPI.noo. EPI.noo had a collaborative booth for general information about the programme and discussion on the possibilities of research, innovation and entrepreneurship. and participated in the main event of the University of Patras on Saturday 28 April on the topic “From idea and laboratory to innovative product” with a speech by the coordinator of the incubator Dr. Evangelos Siokas. Finally, he participated in the last event of the exhibition which was the award ceremony.

As evaluators, George Siokas presented the award for participation in the 2nd Cycle of the project to the INOUT team at the “reSTART U.P. Final Pitching” event.

The University of Patras’ online channel and on behalf of Invent ICT, spoke with the incubator’s scientific associate and member of Epi.noo, George Siokas.

You can watch the interview here.

As part of the parallel events of the exhibition “160 years Made in Greece. Industry, Pioneering, Innovation”, hosted at Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens and the Industrial Gas Museum , an event dedicated to the role of the human factor was organized by the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub of Technopolis of the Municipality of Athens INNOVATHENS, on Wednesday 7/3/2018, in order to inform the public about the new trends in the educational process and how they can lead to better preparation of future employees.

The subject of the event was “The role of the human factor. Engineers, technicians, employees and their education” and in this context, representatives from academia and industry presented their views on issues concerning developments in the educational process of engineers and technology graduates and how they relate to the requirements and needs of modern Greek industry. Among the representatives of academia, the presence of Assistant Professor of NTUA A. Tsakanikas stood out, who spoke about the ways in which the education of young engineers serves as a prerequisite for the productive reconstruction of the country.

The speakers who spoke at the event included:

• Yiannis Nikolaou, Professor of UBA, Education in the modern management of production units
• Angelos Tsakanikas, Professor of NTUA, The education of engineers as a prerequisite for productive reconstruction
• Prodromos Tsiavos, OBI, Creating the conditions for the development of Industrial Property in Greece
• Representative of SEV, The role of education in the development of new skills
• Case study from Mytilineou Group entitled: Education and experience of executives: Engineers in Practice Programme

The presentation by Professor of NTUA, G. The presentation of G. Kalogeros, Professor G. Kalogeros, can be found here (pdf file).

The presentation by Assistant Professor of NTUA, A. Tsakanika can be found here (ppt file).