05/05/2023
Yesterday, Prof. Nikolaos Michailidis, Director of the Physical Metallurgy Laboratory AUTh contributed to two panels of the “Innovation in Northern Greece and the Institutions that support it 4.0” (May 4-5, 2023 - OKThess).
The conference is the third one in its series and is organized by OK!Thess, the program of the National Bank of Greece, the Municipality of , the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH, Εθνικό Κέντρο Έρευνας και Τεχνολογικής Ανάπτυξης), TECS Capital, the Athens Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation | AUEB, the Archimedes - Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship of NKUA (Αρχιμήδης- Κέντρο Καινοτομίας και Επιχειρηματικότητας), Endeavor Greece, Uni.Fund, Metavallon VC, Bayer Hellas, the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and the Hellenic Development Bank of Investments and supported by the Microsoft for Hub platform. The event is one of the activities of the Smart Attica European Digital Innovation Hub.
The first panel was on Innovation Competitions. Prof. Michailidis talked about Invent for the Planet ( ), an intensive and program for students, which started in 2018 at the College of Engineering of Texas A&M University. IFTP grew from 14 universities to nearly 40 by 2020. Each university organizes a local innovation and the winning team is further evaluated by experts in Texas A&M. The best teams overall represent their university in the Finals, which take place in Texas. Winning projects have resulted in companies as they continue to work toward . Students are empowered and inspired by the intensity and collaboration when engaged with other student teams across the globe. The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) has been part of IFTP for three years, further showcasing its multilateral collaboration with Texas A&M through the Physical Metallurgy Laboratory.
The second panel was about Thess INTEC - Thessaloniki Innovation & Technology Center, a 4th generation and Park, that will stimulate and host synergies amongst universities, R&D institutions, companies, the public sector, and local communities. Its main aim is to promote the culture of innovation and the competitiveness of its associated businesses and knowledge-based partners, resulting in cutting-edge and for the world markets. During the panel, Prof. Michailidis talked about the representation of and in Thess INTEC through the and Mega Project and the importance of in the Project, which will be highlighted through initiatives employing recycled and .