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The event for the Innovation Competition of the "Archimedes" Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), on "The Prevention, Management and Recovery of the Effects of Natural Disasters as a Consequence of Climate Change", which was supported by ElvalHalcor, was successfully held today. During the award ceremony that took place at the NKUA "Kostis Palamas" Building, the submitted innovative solutions were presented and three outstanding proposals won prizes.

Taking into account the enormous destruction that our country has suffered recently from wildfires and floods, as well as the significant challenges with environmental, health, social and economic impact that they bring up, the "Archimedes" Center invited the NKUA research community to examine practical applications of its research results, in an effort to address this important impact. This way, the practical value that can be derived from applied research at a Public University to benefit both society and the economy is highlighted.

The invitation to the competition was met with significant response from the NKUA research community, gathering nine (9) innovative solutions, which were evaluated by a committee chaired by the Professor of Dynamic Tectonic Applied Geology & Natural Disaster Management of the Department of Geology and Geoenvironment of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Mr. Efthimios Lekkas. Following their presentation to the packed hall of the "Kostis Palamas" Building, the three proposals that were awarded and won a prize money were announced.            

The first award was won by the proposal "Nature4Nature", a green practice for the protection of beaches from coastal erosion, led by Department of Geology and Geoenvironment Professor, Niki Evelpidou. The second award was won by the innovative system "Plato" for fire risk management in Greece using artificial intelligence, led by Department of Informatics and Telecommunications Professor, Manolis Koumbarakis. The award ceremony closed with the third winning proposal for an integrated fire early warning, detection and prediction system using satellite means, IoT, sensors and drones, headed by Department of Aerospace & Technology Professor, Vaios Lappas.

The Vice-Rector for Research, Innovation and Lifelong Learning of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Christos Karagiannis, stressed that the Innovation Competition represents the intellectual strength and the quest for excellence that characterize the spirit of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, taking it one step further. It puts the University at the service of society, as it should do, by proposing and implementing evidence-based solutions that prevent or even remedy important consequences of the climate crisis.

The Emeritus Professor of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and Academic Advisor of the "Archimedes" Center, Nikolaos Mylonas, on the occasion of ElvalHalcor's sponsorship, underlined the importance of synergies between the scientific community and the private sector, stating that these synergies can lead to mutually beneficial collaborations that promote scientific research and innovative entrepreneurship.

The Vice-Chairman of the BoD ElvalHalcor, Dimitris Kyriakopoulos, stated: "At ElvalHalcor, we invest in research and development as well as advanced technology, aiming to offer innovative products that will contribute to improving the quality of life of our society, responding to the demand for a more sustainable future. Having set sustainable development as our strategic choice, we are pleased to support this effort that connects entrepreneurship with university research and innovation, achieving synergies that create and return real value to society." Mr. Kyriakopoulos congratulated all participants for the commendable solutions that they submitted for the prevention and handling of natural disasters that increasingly affect our country and the whole world as a result of climate change, while at the same time he commented: “The innovation competition of the "Archimedes" Center and the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is an excellent initiative that shows how applied research and innovation can contribute to a better future for all of us."