NTUA Professor Yannis Kalogirou, NTUA Assistant Professor Angelos Tsakanikas and the coordinator of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), Dr. Ioanna Kastelli, members of the research team of the Industrial and Energy Economics Laboratory of the National Technical University of Athens, signed in 2002 the article “Internal capabilities and external knowledge sources: complements or substitutes for innovative performance?” which was published in the scientific journal Technovation in January 2004.

This article has now managed to exceed the number of 1000 citations according to the Google Scholar research platform, surpassing the thousand mark and demonstrating in the best possible way both the impact and the longevity of the Laboratory’s research performance.

The abstract of the article follows:

This paper attempts to investigate the extent to which the existing internal capabilities of firms and their interaction with external sources of knowledge affect their level of innovativeness. Part of these capabilities result from a prolonged process of investment and knowledge accumulation within firms and form what has been addressed as the “absorptive capacity” of firms (Cohen & Levinthal, Admin. Sci Q., 35 (1990) 128). There are however other efforts that enhance the “original” definition of absorptive capacity and these relate to the way firms interact with their environment. Empirical data from an extensive survey that was carried out in seven European countries, namely Greece, Italy, Denmark, UK, France, Germany and the Netherlands, provides evidence for studying the relative effectiveness of specific mechanisms of knowledge creation and knowledge transfer. The results show thatboth internal capabilities and openness towards knowledge sharing are important for upgrading innovative performance.

The full text of the scientific article can be found here (pdf file).

Mariana Mazzucato’s visit to the National Technical University of Athens was very successful, following an invitation from Professor Yiannis Kalogirou and the Laboratory of Industrial and Energy Economics, to promote her book “The Entrepreneurial State” and its unconventional central idea.

The book has been translated into six languages, including Greek. In the Greek edition, Professor Yiannis Kalogirou was responsible for the introduction and editing, and Petros Papazachariou for the translation.

The speech took place on Friday, May 20, 2016, in the distance learning room of the NTUA library, having personally invited specific people related to the field of Economics and Innovation.

Professor Yiannis Kalogirou opened the speech and the author and economist Mariana Mazzucato continued, on the occasion of her book, while a discussion with the guests followed, questions and positions were formulated.

After the speech and discussion with Mrs. Mazzucato, an interview with the newspaper “Kathimerini” also followed at the premises of the National Technical University of Athens.

Mrs. Mazzucato, while she stayed in Greece, gave interviews to the following media:

In “Kathimerini” and the article you can read here,
in “Vima” and the article you can read here and
in “Capital.gr” and the article you can read here.

Angelos Tsakanikas, Assistant Professor at the Laboratory of Industrial and Energy Economics of the School of Chemical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens in the field of Economic Evaluation of Technological Systems, was appointed member of the Advisory Committee of the Hellenic Statistical System, representing the Institute of Economic and Industrial Research (I.O.B.E.).

A very important distinction for the Laboratory of Industrial & Energy Economics (EBEO – LIEE) of the School of Chemical Engineering of NTUA in the 10th Greek Global Management Challenge Competition, since the team “LIEE-NTUA 1″ consisting of students Psarrakis Iasonas, Skretas Fiorellas, Angelidis Thomas and coached by postdoctoral researcher Nikos Kanellos, managed to qualify for the grand Greek final of the Competition that took place last Monday 4/4 at the OTE Academy facilities, and won 3rd place (bronze medal). A total of 64 teams participated in this year’s “Global Management Challenge” competition, which is considered the largest international business strategy competition for students from all Educational Institutions (HEIs, TEIs, Private Colleges) in Greece, Greek students abroad and students from Cyprus.

It should be noted that this is not the first time that a group of students from NTUA and supported by the Industrial & Energy Economics Laboratory achieves a significant distinction in the Business Simulation Competition “Global Management Challenge”. Since 2008, the EBEO has been systematically preparing student groups for their participation in the Competition, having – so far – received the following distinctions:

• 2008: Participation in the 4th Greek Competition GMC ’08 with 1 team, which reached the semi-final stage.
• 2009: Participation in the 5th Greek Competition GMC ’09 with 2 teams. One of them qualified for the semi-final.
• 2010: Participation in the 6th Greek Competition GMC ’10, which had the title: “All Star Game“, i.e. only teams that had distinguished themselves in a previous competition (semi-final or final) participated. Participated in it one team, which reached the semi-finals.
• 2011: Participation in the 7th Greek GMC ’11 Competition with 11 teams. 3 of them reached the semi-finals.
• 2012: Participation in the 8th Greek GMC ’12 Competition with 3 teams, one of which qualified for the semi-finals.
• 2014: Participation in the 9th Greek GMC ’14 Competition, with 4 teams qualifying for the semi-finals among 320 teams.
• 2016: Participation in the 10th Greek GMC Competition with 2 teams and one team qualifying for the Greek final (3rd place-bronze medal).

Dr. Nikos Kanellos, consultant for the GMC and member of the NTUA EVEO laboratory (on the left), NTUA Professor Yiannis Kalogirou (standing in the center) and Psarrakis Iasonas, head of the LIEE-NTUA 1 group (in front of the computer),

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit of Athens University of Economics and Business (MoKE), the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit of National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Greece Office aiming to reach and enhance this spirit within the Greek arena are jointly organizing a series of discussions under the title “The Spirit of Entrepreneurship”.

During these meetings entrepreneurs from Greece and Germany are invited to present and discuss their own personal experiences with young innovators in their first steps of business creation. At the same time, participants who are interested to take a first step as entrepreneur will have the chance to gain on knowledge and collect valuable mentoring hints.

The fields of future events in the “Spirit of Entrepreneurship” series will include sectors of specific relevance for the Greek economy:

• Health and Medical Technology
• Agro-Business and Food
• Tourism
• Creative Industry
• Famiy Business

On Monday, 09.02.2015, the new discussion series “The Spirit of Entrepreneurship” organized by the National and Technical University of Athens, Athens University of Economics and Business and the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung Greece was launched. The event series aims to bring together founders with the special spirit that leads innovative thinking to entrepreneurial actions. The Panels are organized in order for Greek and international, junior as well as more experienced entrepreneurs to get together with prominent researchers, students and young startuppers. The discussants expose their entrepreneurial story as well as experiences and exchange practices, knowledge and shared challenges. Thus, the series provides its own innovation to the Greek entrepreneurship environment, striving for an intense knowledge exchange as well as community building among its participants.

The kick-off event focused on how to start up in the health, medical technology and pharmaceutical sector. Bio-Medicine Technologies stood at the center – a sector with the image of being less accessible as others. The presentations of the four startups and companies on the panel displayed in an impressive way the common challenges faced by founders of an enterprise – be it in Greece or in Germany.

The presentations of the first event came from Dr. Margret Moré, Regulatory Affairs Manager of DendroPharm GmbH in Berlin, Dr. Andreas Persidis, Co-Founder and CEO of Biovista in Greece, Dr. Ioannis Valavanis and Dr. Eleftherios Pilalis, both Co-founders of E-nios in Greece and Dr. Fay Christodoulou, Co-Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Miroculus in San Francisco.

The moderator Mr Yannis Rizopoulos, journalist, coordinated a very interesting and interactive discussion with the participation of the audience, focusing on the main challenges when starting up a business in the health sector.

The main conclusions were two: There are differences in the institutions – universities, support of banks, entrepreneurship competitions, public entrepreneurship programs et al. – supporting the development of Start Ups in the different countries. But the intrinsic motivation of the company’s founder, the team dynamics, as well as the hard hours of work in order for the Start Up to be built, established and run, are the same.

Keep up with the event series “Spirit of Entrepreneurship” and the next event on Agro-Food Business which will take place on Tuesday March 31st.

You will find the video of the event here.

For more details here.