The “Researcher’s Night,” organized for the twelfth consecutive year by the National Technical University of Athens, was successfully completed on Friday, September 26, 2025, with broad public participation.

For the first time, the event was organized and held at the facilities of National Technical University of Athens in Zografou, with the aim of attracting even more citizens and young people in order to highlight the innovative efforts of researchers from all institutions in Attica and to involve them in research projects and scientific and technological innovation.

The event lasted from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. In the area in front of the NTUA Central Library, thousands of visitors watched presentations and experiments, toured laboratories, and learned about research projects and innovative applications.

A total of 245 fully equipped exhibition spaces were made available and organized, where experiments, high-tech applications, artificial intelligence projects, and scientific arsenals were presented. The event was attended by research teams from the National Technical University of Athens, universities and research centers in Attica, start-ups, techno-clusters, collaborating organizations, and sponsors. There was also a live link to CERN, which attracted a lot of interest.

The Laboratory of Industrial and Energy Economics (LIEE) of the National Technical University of Athens actively participated in the event, with the aim of informing the public about its operation, research programs, and initiatives. The laboratory team, led by Professor Angelos Tsakanikas, welcomed visitors, presented selected research results, and answered visitors’ questions about research applications in industry, energy, and innovative solutions and collaborations.

The evening was filled with enthusiasm, discussions, and lively interest in research. The participation of the public strengthened the connection between the academic community and society and highlighted the contribution of researchers to progress and innovation.

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We are delighted to announce the successful completion of the 37th Annual Conference of the EAEPE – European Association for Evolutionary Political Economy, which took place from September 24 to 26, 2025, in Athens, at the facilities of the National Center for Scientific Research “DEMOKRITOS.”

The central theme of this year’s conference was «The Janus face of AI. Opportunities and threats» and was co-organized by the Laboratory of Industrial and Energy Economics (LIEE) of the National Technical University of Athens and the Department of Business Administration of the University of Thessaly.

The event brought together prominent academics, researchers, and policymakers, who discussed the dual dimensions of artificial intelligence and its impact on our economies and societies. The program included thematic sections and presentations on:
• Artificial Intelligence and the Labor Market
• Regulatory Frameworks and Ethics of Artificial Intelligence
• Innovation, Resilience, and Sustainable Development
• Evolutionary Economics and Digital Transformation

A special moment was the moving opening speech in memory of Richard Nelson, a pioneer and leading scholar in the field of evolutionary economics and innovation studies, delivered by his distinguished student, Professor Franco Malerba. The speech highlighted not only Richard Nelson’s academic legacy, but also his human side as a role model and mentor for young scientists.

We would like to express our warmest thanks to all the speakers and participants for their valuable contributions, meaningful discussions, and active participation, which contributed significantly to the enrichment of the conference and the promotion of dialogue on critical issues.

Special mention should be made of the exceptional team of student volunteers, whose dedication, professionalism, and tireless support throughout the conference were instrumental to its success. From the secretariat to accompanying participants to the conference rooms at the foot of Mount Hymettus, they demonstrated in practice what Greek hospitality means.

Finally, the LIEE team that participated in the local organizing committee consisted of A. Tsakanikas, A. Protogerou, P. Panagiotopoulos, P. Dimas, and T. Tzoumanika.

Faithful to its appointment with the capital of Cyclades for the 20th consecutive year, the Ermoupolis Seminar on the Information Society & Knowledge Economy, organized every year by the Laboratory of Industrial & Energy Economics of NTUA, opens its doors to the public from the afternoon of Thursday 10 July to the morning of Sunday 13 July at the Conference Hall “Valma” of the Cyclades Chamber of Commerce.

For more information you can see the press release HERE

On 2 July 2025, the Laboratory of Industrial & Energy Economics – LIEE of NTUA successfully hosted an online workshop to present and gather feedback on the “Train-the-Trainer” programme, developed under the AI-THOS project.

This programme offers educational material aimed to enhance the awareness, knowledge, and skills of higher education teaching staff on the responsible use of AI in both teaching and research, in full alignment with Ethics and Research Integrity (ERI) principles.

Over 40 professors, researchers, and PhD students from NTUA and other universities and research institutions actively participated in the event. The workshop featured lively interaction and high levels of engagement, with participants actively responding to targeted questions and contributing thoughtful feedback that enriched the discussion. We owe a huge thanks to all attendees for their valuable insights and collaborative spirit.

What was covered in the workshop?
Aimilia Protogerou and Panagiotis Panagiotopoulos introduced the structure and development of the “Train-the-Trainer” programme and presented three of the programme’s key components:
1.     EU Code of Conduct for Research Integrity: Introduction to ERI principles contextualized for AI use in research and teaching.
2.     AI Tools in Higher Education: Overview of widely used generative AI tools, their educational applications, prompt engineering techniques, and best practices for responsible use.
3.     Using AI to Support Alternative Teaching Methods: Real-world case studies of university educators using AI to implement innovative teaching methods, highlighting both pedagogical opportunities and ethical challenges.

The workshop fostered a collaborative and reflective environment, where participants shared experiences and critically engaged with each section.
This workshop is part of a broader initiative, with similar national workshops organized by our project partners: Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences (Poland), Vilniaus universitetas / Vilnius University (Lithuania) and University of Ljubljana Faculty of Theology (Slovenia)

What’s next?
Feedback gathered from the four national workshops will be used to refine and finalize the “Train-the-Trainer” programme, which will be disseminated through a dedicated platform across European higher education institutions.

Let’s continue to explore and responsibly integrate AI in higher education, balancing its transformative potential with responsible use.

On July 2, 2025, PromethEUs convened a closed event in Brussels at the European Parliament offices, bringing together policymakers, experts and stakeholders for the conference “SIMPLIFICATION FOR COMPETITIVENESS: Redefining EU legislation for a digital future.”

Hosting MEP Antonio López-Istúriz White (AFET) opened the event, arguing that clear, balanced regulations—paired with stakeholder input and strong oversight—must streamline rules, ensure interoperability, and shield global supply chains.

The floor then passed to Stefano da Empoli, President of I-Com, and Professor Steffen Hoernig (Nova School of Business & Economics / IPP-Lisbon), who unveiled PromethEUs’ new publication.

Following this presentation, Serge Le Gal, Horizontal Coordinator for Better Regulation at the European Commission, delivered a keynote focusing on the Commission’s strategy to streamline the legislative framework based on 4 pillars – effectiveness, simplicity, better law making and cooperation.

A moderated discussion led by Aggelos Tsakanikas (Director, LIEE) showcased perspectives from three Members of the European Parliament: Jonás Fernández Álvarez (ECON), Pablo Arias Echeverría (IMCO) and Mariateresa Vivaldini (ITRE).

The conversation broadened with a tour-de-table, steered by Darío García de Viedma of the Elcano Royal Institute, that brought together voices from consumers, standards bodies, industry associations and think tanks. Speakers (Euroconsumers; CEN-CENELEC; ITI; Digital SME Alliance; CCIA; Vinces; Euromines) converged on the view that regulatory clarity and strategic investment will decide whether Europe seizes the second half of the Digital Decade.

LIEE report, co-authored by Professor Angelos Tsakanikas and Postdoctoral Researcher Petros Dimas, concerns strategies for semiconductors and quantum technologies.

The report can be found here

The video can be found here