Laboratory of Geoinformatics - LabGeo

31/07/2026

We are proud to congratulate our Director, Professor Stratos Stylianidis, on his appointment as a Member of the Supervisory Board of EIT Water.

This appointment is a significant recognition of his long-standing contribution to innovation, and the development of impactful research and policy at the European level.

As the newest Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) of the EIT - European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Water will play a pivotal role in accelerating innovation across the water, marine, and maritime sectors - bringing together academia, industry, entrepreneurs, investors, and policymakers to address some of Europe's most pressing water challenges.

Read the official announcement: https://eitwater.eu/news/press-release-sb-announcement

31/07/2026

Η έρευνα μας που δημοσιεύτηκε σήμερα στην Εφημερίδα Μακεδονία, καταγράφει ένα ιδιαίτερα ενδιαφέρον εύρημα: στην Κασσάνδρα Χαλκιδικής κατασκευάστηκαν περισσότερες από 1.000 νέες πισίνες μέσα σε μόλις οκτώ χρόνια. Πρόκειται για ένα στοιχείο που δεν αφορά μόνο την τουριστική ανάπτυξη. Αφορά τον τρόπο με τον οποίο σχεδιάζουμε το μέλλον των προορισμών μας σε μια εποχή αυξανόμενης πίεσης στους φυσικούς πόρους.

Η πρόκληση δεν είναι να περιορίσουμε την ανάπτυξη, αλλά να διασφαλίσουμε ότι αυτή συμβαδίζει με:
💧 τη βιώσιμη διαχείριση των υδάτινων πόρων,
🌍 την προσαρμογή στην κλιματική αλλαγή,
📈 τη μακροπρόθεσμη ανθεκτικότητα του τουρισμού.

Ευχαριστούμε την Εφημερίδα Μακεδονία για τη φιλοξενία της έρευνάς μας και την ανάδειξη ενός τόσο κρίσιμου ζητήματος.

Συγχαρητήρια και στην ομάδα έργου - Valentini Petanidou, Katerina Stamou, Stratos Stylianidis, Antonis Kokkinakis, George Malandrakis

📖 Διαβάστε το άρθρο: https://www.emakedonia.gr/chalkidiki-kassandra-chilies-nees-pisines-mesa-se-okto-chronia-818985

#Χαλκιδική #ΒιώσιμηΑνάπτυξη

Κατακόρυφη αύξηση κατά 145%, από το 2016 μέχρι το 2024, καταγράφεται σε έρευνα που δημοσιεύθηκε τον περασμένο Ιούνιο στο έγκυρο επιστημονικό περιοδικό Sustainabiliy

27/07/2026

We are pleased to share our latest open-access publication in Sustainability MDPI: "Environmental Challenges of Coastal Tourism: Spatial Patterns and Cartographic Analysis of Swimming-Pool Water Consumption in Halkidiki Region, Greece."

Using GIS techniques and high-resolution satellite imagery from 2016 and 2024, our research mapped the rapid expansion of swimming pools across the Kassandra Peninsula and quantified the associated water losses resulting from evaporation and filter backwashing.

Among the key findings, we documented a 192.4% increase in small private and tourism-related swimming pools, with growth exceeding 400% in certain districts.

These results reveal not only the rapid transformation of tourism infrastructure but also the increasing seasonal pressure on limited freshwater resources, including areas adjacent to environmentally sensitive coastal ecosystems.

The study demonstrates how Geoinformatics, remote sensing, and spatial analysis can transform Earth observation data into actionable knowledge that supports sustainable water management, climate-resilient tourism planning, water reuse strategies, and the protection of vulnerable coastal environments.

As tourism continues to grow, sustainable destination planning must consider not only economic development and visitor numbers but also the environmental carrying capacity and long-term resilience of coastal regions.

Big congratulations to the research team: Katerina Stamou, Valentini Petanidou, Antonios Kokkinakis, George Malandrakis, Stratos Stylianidis and all contributors to this work.

📖 Read the full article:
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/18/14/7413

29/06/2026

We are proud to have successfully hosted the Euro XR Summer School 2026, supported by Alliance4XR, bringing together students, researchers, academics, and professionals from across Europe for an inspiring week dedicated to eXtended Reality (XR).

Throughout the week, participants explored the latest advances in XR through expert lectures, hands-on workshops, collaborative projects, and meaningful discussions, with a special focus on engineering applications and real-world impact.

A heartfelt thank you to all our distinguished lecturers for sharing their expertise, passion, and experience. Your commitment created an exceptional learning environment that inspired the next generation of XR professionals.

Congratulations to all participants for your enthusiasm, creativity, and collaborative spirit. We hope the knowledge, connections, and experiences gained during the Summer School will continue to inspire your future work and research.

A wholehearted thank you to our sponsors (GEOSENSE, Lioncode, Dotsoft, arx.net) as your support elevated the quality of the summer school.

Finally, thank you to everyone from our Laboratory of Geoinformatics - LabGeo | Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki, Euro XR and the AVR Lab, involved in the organization and delivery of this event. Hosting such an international initiative is a true team effort, and we are proud of what we achieved together.

We look forward to seeing the ideas and collaborations that will grow from this year's Summer School.

26/06/2026

We were delighted to host the 5th Alliance4XR Project Meeting at the Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki (AUTH), bringing together consortium partners from across Europe to review our progress and shape the next steps of this exciting Erasmus+ initiative.

Throughout the meeting, we engaged in productive discussions on:

🔹 The XR platform development and content enrichment
🔹 Communication and dissemination activities like the A4XR Ambassadors Board
🔹 Future milestones and collaborative actions for the Alliance4XR project

The meeting also coincided with the Euro XR Summer School, providing an excellent opportunity to strengthen collaboration, exchange knowledge, and further our shared vision of integrating Extended Reality (XR) into Higher Education and Vocational Education & Training.

A heartfelt thank you to all our consortium partners for their active participation, valuable contributions, and continued commitment, and especially to Konstantinos Smagas and GeoImaging Ltd for the smooth cοordination of the project. Together, we are building innovative learning ecosystems that will equip future professionals with the digital and immersive skills needed in tomorrow's workforce.

We look forward to the next milestones of the Alliance4XR journey!

17/06/2026

Be among the first to test the ZOE Platform!

What if cultural heritage could come alive through Augmented Reality?

On 24 June, we are opening the doors of the ZOE Multiplier Event and invite everyone to experience the project's first prototype, explore its innovative features, and help us improve it through pilot testing and feedback activities.
During the event, participants will have the opportunity to:
· Experience the first prototype of the ZOE platform
· Explore interactive cultural heritage scenarios powered by AR technologies
· Participate in a live demonstration of the project's innovative features
· Test the prototype and share valuable feedback through questionnaires and surveys that will help shape the next generation of ZOE services

Your opinion matters! By participating, you will directly contribute to improving an innovative educational and cultural experience designed for adult learners, tourists, educators, and cultural heritage enthusiasts.

📅 Date: 24 June 2026 at 10:00am
📍 Location: KEDEA building, Tritis Septemvriou University Campus, Thessaloniki 54636

Join us and become part of the future of immersive cultural exploration!

02/06/2026

On May 6-7, Laboratory of Geoinformatics - LabGeo | Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki members gathered with the ARTIFIGEN consortium in Kaunas, Lithuania, for the 4th Transnational Meeting, hosted by Lietuvos inžinerijos kolegija.

Over two highly productive days, the consortium reviewed the overall progress of the project, discussed ongoing developments across all work packages, and coordinated the next implementation steps.

Particular focus was given to the progress of the 2nd prototype of the ARTIFIGEN Platform (https://www.artifigen.info/sign_in), including updates on chatbot integration and the development of the coaching toolkit (https://artifigen.eu/courses/coaching-development-toolkit/).The meeting also included in-depth discussions and rehearsals related to the upcoming field tests, allowing partners to collaboratively evaluate procedures, identify challenges, and refine mitigation strategies ahead of the user testing phase.

In addition, the consortium exchanged updates on dissemination activities, sustainability planning, exploitation strategies, and project management milestones, reinforcing our shared commitment to achieving impactful and sustainable project outcomes.

A highlight was the 2nd Multiplier Event on May 7th, where Laboratory of Geoinformatics - LabGeo contributed a presentation titled "Contemporary Methodological Techniques for Data Collection, Processing, and Visualization: Case Studies from the Laboratory of Geoinformatics at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH)." In addition to the presentation, the team supported the showcase of the ARTIFIGEN Platform and facilitated a seamless, hands-on testing session for the participants.

The meeting and multiplier event were an excellent opportunity for collaboration, technical exchange, and strengthening the partnership among the consortium members. A sincere thank you to Lietuvos inžinerijos kolegija for the warm hospitality and excellent organization in Kaunas!

Looking forward to the next phase of the project and the upcoming pilot activities.

27/05/2026

Θα θέλαμε να σας προσκαλέσουμε να συμμετάσχετε στο θερινό σχολείο EuroXR Summer School 2026, το οποίο θα πραγματοποιηθεί από 22 έως 26 Ιουνίου 2026 στο Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki.

Το θερινό σχολείο διοργανώνεται στο πλαίσιο του ευρωπαϊκού έργου Alliance4XR από το Laboratory of Geoinformatics - LabGeo | Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki και προσφέρει μια μοναδική ευκαιρία γνωριμίας με τον ταχέως αναπτυσσόμενο χώρο της Εκτεταμένης Πραγματικότητας - Extended Reality (XR), μέσα από:

* πρακτικά εργαστήρια και hands-on δραστηριότητες,
* διαλέξεις από διεθνώς αναγνωρισμένους ειδικούς,
* εφαρμογές XR σε πραγματικά σενάρια,
* ευκαιρίες δικτύωσης και συνεργασίας με φοιτητές, ερευνητές και επαγγελματίες από όλη την Ευρώπη.

Το πρόγραμμα απευθύνεται σε φοιτήτριες και φοιτητές, ερευνήτριες και ερευνητές, και επαγγελματίες που ενδιαφέρονται για τις τεχνολογίες επαυξημένης, εικονικής και μικτής πραγματικότητας, την καινοτομία και τις σύγχρονες ψηφιακές εφαρμογές.

📍Τοποθεσία: Αριστοτέλειο Πανεπιστήμιο Θεσσαλονίκης, Κέντρο Διάδοσης Ερευνητικών Αποτελεσμάτων - ΚΕ.Δ.Ε.Α.
📅 Ημερομηνίες: 22-26 Ιουνίου 2026

Περισσότερες πληροφορίες και δηλώσεις συμμετοχής είναι διαθέσιμες στον ακόλουθο σύνδεσμο: https://summerschool.euroxr.org

25/05/2026

R-Map: Policy Workshop for Remote Work in Thessaloniki

On 21 May, Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki hosted a Policy workshop as part of the EU-funded R-MAP Project EU, which is coordinated by Laboratory of Geoinformatics - LabGeo. The aim of the workshop was to explore, in an open way, solutions to address the different challenges or opportunities that arise in the regional unit of Thessaloniki due to remote work, and to suggest measures and policies for mitigating the adverse effects of this.

Through participatory cooperation, several stakeholders and experts from Thessaloniki (e.g. academics, urban planners, local authorities, representatives of businesses, etc.) had fruitful discussions that led to actionable policy solutions, which were based on how feasible and impactful they would be in lowering the urban-rural divide in Thessaloniki over the next 5-10 years.
Many thanks to all our participants for their time and efforts.

Learn more about R-Map: https://r-map.eu/

18/05/2026

Explore the future of AI-powered education with the ARTIFIGEN Platform and Coaching Development Toolkit!

We invite you to test and evaluate the ARTIFIGEN Platform and discover the potential of chatbots in educational environments.

Through the Coaching Toolkit Development course (https://artifigen.eu/courses/coaching-development-toolkit/) and handbook (https://artifigen.eu/sdc_download/9350/?key=c8n1l7tqf2bcsjjz7sgl144vpnayfe), participants will have the opportunity to explore topics such as prompt , of AI-powered solutions, critical of AI-generated information, practical for using advanced language models, and more.

The ARTIFIGEN Platform (https://www.artifigen.info/sign_in) offers an innovative online environment for chatbot consultation, together with training materials designed to support learning, research, and professional development. After exploring the platform and interacting with the chatbots, we kindly invite you to share your feedback through our online survey (https://forms.office.com/e/QM0TrciDYd). Your anonymous input is extremely valuable and will help us refine the final version of the platform according to real user needs, expectations, and future opportunities.

Participation is open to everyone, especially students, researchers, academics, professionals, business representatives, and NGO members.

Join us in shaping innovative AI tools for education and professional practice across Europe through the Erasmus+ ARTIFIGEN project (https://artifigen.eu/). ARTIFIGEN is an Erasmus+ initiative designed to bridge everyday AI use with education and training. As digital learning evolves, the project empowers educators, learners, and stakeholders to use AI chatbots in a responsible, ethical, and user-friendly way.