The interdisciplinary research group on the Technological, Economic and Strategic Analysis of the Information Society operates within the Laboratory of Industrial and Energy Economics (LIEE) of NTUA. It was founded in 2004 by Professor Emeritus Yannis Kalogirou and Theodoros Karounos by restructuring the “Telecommunications Economics and Policy Research Group” of the NTUA, which had been working in the 1990s on telecommunications regulatory issues, on telecommunications network analysis models, on issues of restructuring and transformation of the telecommunications sector and related policies. In summary, the group aims to scientifically investigate aspects of the Information Society and digital transformation and more broadly the Knowledge Society and the Knowledge Economy.

Gradually the organizing team was joined by Panagiotis Panagiotopoulos, Angelos Tsakanikas, Emilia Protogerou, Vangelis Siokas and Georgios Siokas. The group now brings together a broad, inter-scholastic, interdisciplinary community of people with a number of scholars, researchers, public administration executives, market executives and active citizens from various social and economic fields. It is primarily interested in exploring and analysing the prerequisites for the operational use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in various areas of economic and social life, as well as the role of ICT in economic growth and development. The research team has worked on e-government and e-business issues, on strategies for the development of the Information Society and on the design and strategic management of the implementation of major projects related to the use of ICTs and digital transformation. In the context of an ICT exploitation strategy, particular emphasis is placed on highlighting issues such as broadband access, open software, systems architecture, smart cities and energy transition, etc.

The field of topics is obviously evolving and the theme of the seminars organised over the years is shaped through the quests and research work of its members – old and newer members – who choose to engage in conversation with similar, related, but sometimes very different areas.

The meeting point of the group every year without fail is the international four-day seminar on the Information Society and the Knowledge Economy, as part of the annual scientific seminars organised by the National Research Foundation in Ermoupolis, Syros.