Agenda

Day 1

15 January 2025
@ Benaki Museum

Day 2

16 January 2025
@ CORE Headquarters

Download the Event Guide we prepared for the event

Speakers

Jarkko Soikkeli

Visual Components

With over 25 years of experience in manufacturing simulation and visualization, Jarkko Soikkeli is highly skilled in manufacturing processes and intralogistics. Throughout his career, Jarkko has contributed to a wide range of projects, from small startups to some of the largest companies in the manufacturing world. His expertise spans from initial layout planning and research and development to brownfield digital models, digital twins, and physical implementations. This knowledge and practical experience have enabled him to contribute to numerous projects across the manufacturing sector.

Stefanos Kokkorikos

CORE Group

Stefanos Kokkorikos holds an Electrical and Computer Engineering Diploma from the National Technical University of Athens with a focus on electronics, telecommunications and computer systems. Stefanos uses his extensive experience in deep tech project implementation to design new solutions for the industry, addressing challenges in operations, maintenance and energy management. His interests lie in technologies of Industry 4.0, business modelling and new product development, applied in the manufacturing, mining and infrastructure industries. His CORE vision is to provide the appropriate tools bridging the gap between research, market and society.

Fernando Ubis

Visual Components

Fernando Ubis (MSc. Eng.) is the Research and Development Manager at Visual Components. In this role, he is responsible for all national and international research projects at the company. During his career, he has specialized in production engineering, factory automation, and ICT for manufacturing. He has worked in several projects integrating manufacturing techniques with the latest ICT technologies in simulation, robotics, VR/AR, AI, and IoT. Fernando is actively involved in standardization activities under the IEC standardization committees, SC 65E (Devices and Integration in Enterprise Systems), and SC 41 (Internet of Things and Digital Twin). Currently, Fernando is involved in several research projects to build the Factories of the Future. Smart Factories where the newest 3D simulation and visualization technologies combined with AI assist the workers to integrate and develop their skills in an increasingly automated environment. Smart Connected Factories, where big data is generated, security handled, visualized and analysed using the latest AI/ML technologies to improve productivity along the entire product life cycle, reducing defects and enhancing the ROI.

Dr. Pantelis Papachristou

CORE Group

Pantelis Papachristou leads the Digital Twins R&I Unit at CORE Innovation Centre. The unit develops AI-based models of industrial assets, systems and processes, to enable their precise virtual representations towards real-time monitoring, analysis and simulation.

He holds a diploma (integrated BSc-MSc degree) in Electrical and Computer Engineering, a second MSc in Physics and a PhD in Theoretical Particle Physics and Cosmology. Pantelis has a significant experience in the management of academic research and EU-funded projects, as well as in proposal writing, mainly related to the A.SPIRE European association.

Dr. Nikos Makris

CORE Group

Dr. Nikos Makris is a seasoned expert in Industry 4.0, Automation, and Robotics, with a PhD in Materials Technology from the School of Chemical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens and a degree in Materials Science from the University of Patras. He has extensive experience managing multi-disciplinary research and innovation projects, particularly in the domains of smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0. As the Director of Innovation at CORE, Nikos leads initiatives to drive market adoption of cutting-edge technologies developed through R&I projects. His portfolio includes involvement in 20+ European Commission-funded projects, where he has served as an innovation consultant developing market-entry roadmaps for deep-tech innovations.

Pavlos Stavrou

CORE Group

Pavlos Stavrou is a graduate of the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He was a PhD candidate in the Department of Informatics, focusing on 3D object reconstruction using geometric algorithms and the transmission of compressed images in wireless sensor networks. He has served as a researcher and software engineer in various European and Greek-funded projects for companies such as Zenon S.A., Innora Ltd, iKnowHow Informatics, the Center for Research and Technology Thessaly (CERTH), and CDD Ltd. His main areas of expertise include the development of embedded systems, pattern recognition, and neural networks for applications in non-destructive infrastructure inspection, automation, as well as robotics. Subsequently, Pavlos co-founded and served as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of MuseRobotics, where he focused on developing an ecosystem for robotics development. During this time, he participated in the Qualcomm Robotics Accelerator program and collaborated with animatronics companies in the United States as well as research institutions both in the US and EU. He later worked at Augmenta Agriculture for five years, holding positions including Software Engineer, Vice President of Software, and Head of Data Science. His contributions played a key role in the company's successful acquisition by CNH Industrial. Currently, Pavlos is the Director of Research and Development at Core Group, where he leads advanced projects in cutting-edge technology domains.

Angelos Alexopoulos

CORE Group

Angelos is the Knowledge and Community Engagement Manager at CORE Group. With many years of experience at CERN, the world’s largest physics laboratory, he has extensive expertise in managing EU-funded projects, fostering collaboration across diverse sectors, and driving innovation in research and technology policy. Angelos has served as President of the Sectorial Scientific Council on Human Resources and Upskilling at the National Council for Research, Technology and Innovation, the supreme government advisory body responsible for shaping and implementing a national strategy for Research, Technological Development and Innovation. A critical thinker with a passion for connecting ideas and people, Angelos is committed to shaping a future that bridges technological progress and human values, ensuring balanced growth and transformation.

Konstantina Tsioli

CORE Group

Konstantina Tsioli leads the Digital Transformation R&I Unit at CORE Group, driving the development of cutting-edge, technology-driven solutions that empower organisations to transition into Industry 4.0. Her work focuses on enabling end-users and stakeholders to optimise operations, enhance process monitoring, reduce costs, and sustain a competitive edge in an evolving industrial landscape. With a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens and an MSc in Project Management from University College London, Konstantina brings nearly a decade of experience in the industrial sector. Her career spans roles in R&D, Quality Control, and Project Management. Passionate about innovation and the transformative potential of technological advancements, to foster progress in the EU industrial sector.

Dr. Nikos Kyriakoulis

CORE Group

Nikos is a Production and Management Engineer and has a PhD in Robotic Vision Systems. Since 2014 he has been working on the adoption of Industry4.0 and how these technologies can be applied in the factories seamlessly and effectively, participating in more than 70 EU funded projects. He has collaborated with more than 150 top organisations and manufacturers succeeding more than €80Million of funding for innovative Industry4.0 solutions. His vision is to make innovation easy for individuals and organisations by providing access to infrastructure, funding, data, network, experts, and live demonstrations so that they meet their true potentials. In 2016 Nikos co-founded CORE Group aiming at providing this opportunity to people and in 2020 co-founded CORE Innovation Center having succeeded more than €20M of funding. Now, he is working to build the Greek Smart Factory, a trusted platform to test and demo new technologies by joining forces with Academia, Tech providers, and industry.

Valia Iliopoulou

CORE Group

Valia Iliopoulou is the Leader of the Energy and Resource Efficiency R&I Unit at CORE Innovation Centre. The unit develops and applies advanced machine learning algorithms for process optimisation in sectors such as extraction, processing, the built environment and infrastructure. She holds a degree (BSc and MSc) in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a second MSc in Energy and Environment Project Management. Valia has significant professional experience in energy systems, including battery storage, and market experience from Europe and the US. She also has experience in the management of EU-funded Horizon smart energy projects spanning a range of topics such as energy flexibility, energy storage, electric mobility and decarbonization.

Jose Valdes

ITA (Aragon Institute of Technology)

Jose Valdes holds a graduate degree in Physics (1992) and a PhD in Computational Mechanics (2012). He has been involved in EC-funded programs since 2003 (FP5) and has coordinated several projects: TDM-SEALS (FP7), STREAM-0D, MOULDTEX, LEVIS (H2020), and MANUREFINERY (HE). His technical expertise includes Computational Fluid Dynamics, Dynamic Systems Simulation, and the development of reduced-order models for multi-physics systems. With over 20 years of experience managing projects across diverse industries such as automotive, home appliances, machinery, lifts, and hydraulic valves, he has served as Head of European Projects at ITA for the past 7 years. He is the author or co-author of 22 papers published in international peer-reviewed journals and 15 contributions to national and international scientific conferences.

Prof. Pedro Maló

UNPARALLEL

Professor at the Electrotechnical Engineering and Computers Department (DEEC) of the NOVA School of Science and Technology (FCT NOVA), Senior Researcher at UNINOVA research institute and Entrepreneur at UNPARALLEL Innovation research-driven hi-tech SME. Graduated and MSc in Computer Science and holding a PhD in Computer Engineering with research interests on interoperability and integrability of (complex) systems with special emphasis on Cyber-Physical Systems / Internet of Things. Pedro coined novel methods and tools such as the Plug’n’Play Interoperability (PnI) solution for large-scale data interoperability or the NOVAAS (NOVA Asset Administration Shell) that establishes the guidelines and methodology for industry digitisation by integrating industrial assets into a Industrie4.0 communication backbone. As an entrepreneur, Pedro initiated the development of the IoT Catalogue that aims to be the whole-earth catalogue of the Internet of Things (IoT) - the one-stop-source for innovations, products, applications, solutions, etc. to help users (developers/integrators/advisors/end-users) to take the most advantage of the IoT for the benefit of society, businesses and individuals. Pedro has 20+ years practice in the management, research and technical coordination/development of RTD and innovation projects in ICT domains especially addressing data technologies, systems' interoperability and integration solutions. Pedro is a recognised Project Manager and S&T Coordinator of European/National RTD and industry projects with skills in the coordination of both co-localised and geographical dispersed work teams operating in multidisciplinary and multicultural environments.

Dr. Mario Pichler

Software Competence Center Hagenberg GmbH

Dr. Mario Pichler leads the International Cooperations activities at the Software Competence Center Hagenberg (SCCH), Austria. He has more than 23 years of experience in application-oriented research in the areas of Digital Transformation, Software Science and Data Science.

His current work focuses on the development of international cooperations and projects in the areas of Green and Digital (Industrial) Transformation and Artificial Intelligence with a personal interest on formal knowledge representation and reasoning. Mario recently coordinated the Interreg AT-CZ project PredMAIn (AI-based Predictive Maintenance) and the international project outreach in the H2020 project TEAMING.AI.

Dr. Foivos Psarommatis

Zerofect GmbH

Foivos Psarommatis is a passionate engineer and a highly active researcher in the area of quality management in manufacturing systems. Currently, he is the founder and CEO of Zerofect GmbH, a company based in Switzerland and focusing on providing digital technologies for sustainable manufacturing. Foivos is specialized in sustainable and circular manufacturing using Zero Defect Manufacturing, digital twins, dynamic scheduling tools, and Digital Product Passports. With a strong academic and industrial background, he excels in interdisciplinary collaboration, manufacturing systems design, optimization and driving advancements in circular and sustainable manufacturing. Included in the list of top 2% researchers in the world from 2022.

Dr. Dominic Gorecky

Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne (SIPBB)

Dominic Gorecky is a partner and executive board member at Switzerland Innovation Park Biel/Bienne AG. He co-founded and leads the Swiss Smart Factory, Switzerland’s first and foremost test and demonstration platform for Industry 4.0. He also founded the International Smart Factory Academy (IFSA) and co-founded the Swiss Cobotics Competence Center (S3C), where he serves as President of the Board. S3C is a national hub for industrial and academic partners to collaboratively develop and test next-generation robotic solutions. Previously, Dominic was the head of research for the Innovative Factory Systems department at the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) in Kaiserslautern, Germany. In this role, he coordinated R&D for the living lab SmartFactoryKL. Dominic contributes to the World Economic Forum (WEF) agenda and advises several Industry 4.0 start-ups. He co-founded the Swiss CxO Forum and chairs the International Smart Factory Summit. In 2022, he was recognized as a Digital Shaper in Switzerland. Dominic is passionate about driving responsible digital transformation for a sustainable society. He teaches various technology topics, including digital twins, cobotics, and IIoT in manufacturing. His PhD focused on the use of semantic technologies in the context of the digital factory.

Prof. Dimitris Kyritsis

University of Oslo (UiO)

Dr. Dimitris Kyritsis is Professor Emeritus of ICT for Sustainable Manufacturing at of EPFL(https://people.epfl.ch/dimitris.kiritsis?lang=en) and Senior Advisor at SIRIUS labs of the Department of Informatics of the University of Oslo. His research interests are Closed-Loop Lifecycle Management, Sustainable Manufacturing, Cognitive Digital Twins and Industrial Ontologies. He has more than 250 publications. Dimitris is co-founder of the Industrial Ontologies Foundry https://www.industrialontologies.org/) and the Knowledge Graph Alliance (https://www.kg-alliance.org/) and since 2019 he is actively involved in the WEF Platform on Advanced Manufacturing and Supply Chains.

Michail Dritsas

Greek Ministry of Economy & Finance

A seasoned executive in both the private and the public sector. Mechanical Engineer, BSc/MSc/MBA, Chartered Engineer, Economist and Marketer (MCIM). Founder and CEO of Elevate Greece S.A., currently serving the Greek Ministry of Economy and Finance, working as the National Contact Point (NCP) for Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (S.T.E.P. EU Platform). Acting as Senior Policy Advisor to Ministers accountable for Research and Innovation since 2010 and Head of the Cabinet Office of Dr Christos Dimas (2020-2022). Speaks and writes articles about Science, Technology, Innovation and Competitiveness. Innovation advisor, startup mentor, and co-author of the book “Startups: from A to Exit”.

Raimund Klein

International Centre for Industrial Transformation (INCIT)

Raimund Klein is a highly skilled individual with experience in manufacturing design and global supply digitization across Europe and Asia. He excels at identifying opportunities to improve, enhance and optimize processes through data analysis. His strong business acumen, solid education and progressive executive management experience enable him to build highly efficient teams in multinational organizations that work collaboratively to meet organizational goals efficiently.

Key areas of expertise and achievements:
Business transformation, business growth models, commercial strategy, corporate communications, stakeholder engagement, product management, digital services, process changes, strategic sales planning, factory management, industrial marketing, regulatory development, key performance indicators, global team building, staff education programmes.

Prof. Paolo Pedrazzoli

TTS

Paolo Pedrazzoli is partner at T.T.S. srl, working in the field of simulation of manufacturing systems. As member of several expert panels (e.g. ManuFuture HLG; SATW expert group on sustainability) he is constantly committed to propose and develop RTD strategies capable of speeding up the rate of industrial transformation. In parallel he is scientific head of the Sustainable Production System LAB (47 employees, active along three main research topics 1- Industrial sustainability; 2- Human centric manufacturing; 3- Industrial internet of things) by SUPSI, where he is Professor of “Modelling and simulation of industrial production systems”.

Dr. Jacopo Cassina

Syxis

Dr. Jacopo Cassina has been partner of General Consulting Society for 7 years, funder and Innovation Manager of Equivolution for 3 years, funder and CEO of Holonix since 2010, partner of i-Deal and S2Y and Director of Syxis since 2022. He has been graduated in Mechanical Engineering and received his PhD in Management and Industrial Engineering at Politecnico di Milano. He is author of more than 40 papers and of three books. His main know-how are PLM, Serious Games and IoT (Internet of Things) applied to the product/service, sustainability, predictive maintenance and Zero Defects. He’s IDSA Ambassador.

Santiago Cuesta Lopez

ICAMCyL foundation & IBERIAN SUSTAINABLE MINING CLUSTER

Santiago Cuesta – López is General Director of the private non-profit Foundation ICAMCyL: International Center for Research in Advanced Materials and Raw Materials of Castilla y León, and General Director and executive member of the Iberian Sustainable Mining Cluster.

Spanish representative as a Member State in the Operational Groups within the European Association for Innovation in Raw Materials of the EC, appointed by the permanent Embassy of Spain in Brussels.

Awarded Doctor Honoris Causa in September 2021 by the University of Miskolc (Hungary) in recognition of his contribution to internationalization and Innovation Ecosystems.

Ignacio Montero Castro

AIMEN

Ignacio Montero Castro holds a degree in Chemical Engineering (2007-2012) from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), a Master in Process Systems Engineering (2013-2015) from the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) and a Postgraduate Degree in Innovation Management & Entrepreneurship from HEC Paris (2020). He is currently working for AIMEN Technology Centre leading the business development team for providing business management services oriented towards the award and exploitation of innovation projects on ICT, manufacturing and circular economy sectors, the expansion of the R&D clients portfolio, as well as the definition of the centre R&D strategy.

Kostas Botsialas

AuroraGeo

Kostas Botsialas is the founder and owner of AuroraGeo Consulting. He is an experienced Engineering Geologist and Hydrogeologist. Kostas has more than 20 years of experience in the mining industry. His expertise lies in mitigating geohazards to enhance mining productivity and safety and promote environmental sustainability within the mining industry. He has been involved in various high-profile projects, including the MASTERMINE, the TERRAVISION project (Horizon EU Projects), and DePOPS project funded by the Norwegian Research Council, which focuses on innovative solutions for European sustainable mining.

Efstathia Ziata

Halcor

Environmental Engineer and Project Manager specializing in circular economy, sustainability, and environmental initiatives. With expertise in leading innovative projects and implementing digital solutions, I am dedicated to driving impactful results that align with sustainability goals and environmental responsibility.

Ass. Prof. Antonis Peppas

NTUA

Dr. Eng. Antonis Peppas is an Assistant Professor at the School of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering of NTUA, in the field of energy and environmental optimisation technologies applied to metallurgical industries. He has extensive research experience in decarbonisation technologies for industrial processes, carbon capture combined with alternative fuels production and sustainability analysis (LCA, LCC, sLCA), having an active role in more than 45 EC funded projects. He is a Member of Sustainable Transport Forum appointed by European Commission's (MOVE) and coordinates PRIM-ROCK, an EC funder project, for developing efficient processes, to enable a competitive and sustainable extractive industry.

Prof. David Romero

World Manufacturing Foundation

Prof. Dr. David Romero is a Professor of Advanced Manufacturing at the Departments of Industrial Engineering and Mechatronics of the Tecnológico de Monterrey University in Mexico and the Scientific Vice-chairman for the World Manufacturing Foundation. Furthermore, he is an Agenda Contributor at the World Economic Forum (WEF) Council on “Shaping the Future of Advanced Manufacturing and Value Chains”, and a World Manufacturing Forum (WMF) Ambassador. He serves on different technical and scientific committees and advisory boards in academia, industry, and government in the disciplines of business and industrial engineering.

Georgios Tsimiklis

ICCS

Georgios Tsimiklis is a Senior Researcher and Research Manager at the I-SENSE Group of Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) since May 2018. He has received a Diploma degree in Electrical & Computer Engineering and a MSc in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management.He is leading multiple groups of 60+ researchers in the areas of Earth Observation, Environmental Monitoring, Circular Economy, Immersive Technologies and Smart Manufacturing.

Anna Domènech Abella

CELSA

Anna Domènech, an Industrial Engineer with a Master's in International Business Management, has 13 years of expertise in funding and innovation management. Since 2020, she has been Head of Innovation at CELSA Group, leading initiatives across European countries to achieve the Group's Net Positive objectives. Her innovation journey began during six years in Brussels as a consultant, guiding clients through the European innovation landscape and securing grants. Prior to CELSA, Anna spent four years at Nissan Europe, managing collaborative projects funded by national and EU agencies to drive innovation in factories and research centers.

Dr. Vicky Panagiotopoulou

LMS

Vicky Panagiotopoulou is a senior research engineer at the Laboratory for Manufacturing Systems and Automation (LMS), University of Patras, Greece. With undergraduate studies in chemical, environmental and biomedical engineering, she holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering, with focus on mathematical modelling of complex biomedical phenomena. Earlier postdoctoral posts included working in academic, medical and research institutions in the UK and Switzerland, in close contact with the industry. She has published more than 25 peer-reviewed journals and has presented more than 50 times in national and international conferences, with best podium presentation prizes. Currently she is developing environmental, biobased and mathematical modelling approaches for the manufacturing industry. Her main research focus is the environmental impact of the manufacturing sector and how to reduce carbon emissions via considering the environmental, financial and social sustainability aspects of those interventions. In addition, she has been coordinating and managing European projects on circular economy, energy efficiency and sustainability, to increase the use of green technologies in the manufacturing sector, but also to support the companies towards their road to become more sustainable.

Emilios Vazoukis

Terna Mag

Emilios Vazoukis is an Exploration Geologist with a Master’s degree from the National & Kapodistrian University of Athens, specializing in environmental management and mineral resources. He has a strong background in exploration geology and project management and has been working as an Exploration Geologist at Terna Mag S.A. since November 2020. Emilios is experienced in geological mapping, rock and soil sampling, and diamond drilling activities. He possesses expertise in using QGIS and AutoCAD 3D for map creation, Geovia Surpac for exploration planning, and ContextCapture for 3D reconstruction of open-pit and underground mines.

Prof. Hussam Jouhara

Brunel University of London

Prof. Jouhara is a Full Professor at Brunel University of London and a Fellow the Royal Academy of Engineering (raeng.org.uk). Prof. Jouhara obtained his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manchester, UK in 2004 and has a career in both the Industry and Academia since then. He is a Chair of Thermofluids at Brunel and the founder and head of the Heat Pipe and Thermal Management Research Group and the Principal Investigator of many national and international projects in the areas of multiphase heat transfer and fluid dynamics, energy efficiency, renewable energy systems and innovative thermal management systems for electronics, nuclear and biomedical applications. Throughout his academic and industrial career, Prof Jouhara received over £16M in direct grants fundings from the Industry, EPSRC, Innovate UK, EU, Royal Academy of Engineering and UK Atomic Energy Authority. His patents have been adopted and implemented by various multi-national companies such as S&P Coils Products Limited, Econotherm (UK) Limited, Flint Engineering Limited, Solex Thermal Science and Air Products PLC that funds many of Prof. Jouhara’s projects directly. Professor Jouhara’s research has been published in over 200 journal articles and over 300 other publications such as conference papers, keynote lectures and editorials. He has also published many books and his latest books are entitled: Heat Pipes, Sustainable Energy Technology, Business Models, and Policies and Waste Heat Recovery in Process Industries . Prof. Jouhara is the editor-in-chief of the Elsevier International Journal of Thermofluids and Science Talks, Co-Editor of Thermal Science and Engineering Progress and an Editor of the International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer in addition to serving on the editorial boards of many other Elsevier journals. His innovative design methods have led to applications of the heat pipe technology in over 32 countries, and many granted international patents. The development of heat pipe heat exchangers, produced by Prof. Jouhara, has been applied in many industries, from high temperature processes such as recovering waste heat from ceramics, steel industry, food processing, solar PV thermal management and thermal energy storage using PCMs. Recent major projects that deal with the development of water and heat recovery systems include the GeoFlexHeat, which is he coordinates and the iWAYS of which he is the scientific and technical director of. Professor Jouhara was also the technical coordinator of many other H2020 projects such as: ETEKINA and the PI for others such as: INCOMESS, Cultural-E and DREAM. Professor Jouhara is a chartered Engineer and Fellow in both the UK (IMechE) and Ireland (Engineers Ireland) and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineering (CIBSE). He is also a member of the institute of Refrigeration and a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in the UK (SFHEA).

Dr. Niki Kousi

ΕΙΤ Manufacturing

Dr. Niki KOUSI is serving as Managing Director of EIT Manufacturing South East , located in Athens, Greece and supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Previously, Dr. Kousi served as Project Manager and Coordinator in numerous industry driven international projects focusing on development and implementation of manufacturing innovation / business strategies. This has been accomplished in cooperation with universities, industry and research institutes and in the context of European R&D&I projects. She has been leading teams of professional staff engaging a broad array of stakeholders in industrial innovation projects as well as private cooperation with industry. She holds a Mechanical and Aeronautics Engineer diploma and a Doctor of Philosophy focusing on cutting edge enabling technologies for flexible and hybrid manufacturing systems. She was Finalist of the Innovation Radar Prize (2019) organized by European Commission, under the category Woman Led Innovation.

Stefan Estermann

Embassy of Switzerland to the Hellenic Republic

Stefan Estermann was born on 12 December 1967 in Sursee, Switzerland. He studied political science at the University of Lausanne and has a Master in Public Administration. In 1992 he started his professional career as a Junior Assistant at the Conflict Prevention Center in the OSCE Secretariat in Vienna. In 1996, he joined the Federal Department for Foreign Affairs (FDFA) of Switzerland. He was posted as a Deputy Head of Mission in Ukraine (2001 – 2005) and in Russia (2010 – 2014). From 2005-2009, he worked as the Chief of Staff of the State Secretary of the FDFA. He was the Swiss Ambassador to Croatia from 2014-2018. From 2018 - 2022, he was heading the Prosperity and Sustainability Division in the FDFA, responsible for global sectoral affairs.

Since September 2022, he is the Swiss Ambassador to Greece. He is married and has one daughter.

Dr. John Soldatos

Netcompany

John Soldatos holds a PhD in Electrical & Computer Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (2000) and is currently Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow, UK (2014-present). He was Associate Professor and Head of the Internet of Things (IoT) Group at the Athens Information Technology (AIT), Greece (2006–2019), and Adjunct Professor at the Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA (2007–2010). He has significant experience in working closely with large multi-national industries (e.g., IBM Hellas, INTRACOM S.A, INTRASOFT International S.A, Netcompany-Intrasoft S.A, Merck S.A, ExpertiseFrance) as R&D consultant and delivery specialist, while being scientific advisor to various high-tech startup enterprises. Dr. Soldatos is an expert in Internet-of-Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies and applications, including applications in digital finance, smart cities, and industry (Industry 4.0 / Industry5.0). Dr. Soldatos has had a leading role in the successful delivery of more than eighty (80) (commercial-industrial, research, and business consulting) projects, for both private & public sector organizations, including complex integrated projects. He is co-founder of the open-source platform OpenIoT. He has published more than 200 articles in international journals, books, and conference proceedings. He has also significant academic teaching experience, along with experience in executive education and corporate training. Dr. Soldatos is regular speaker in international conferences, as well as contributor to various international magazines and blogs, on topics related to Artificial Intelligence, IoT, Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0, and cybersecurity. Moreover, he has received national and international recognition through various appointments in standardization working groups, expert groups, and various boards. He has recently coedited and coauthored ten books and edited volumes on Artificial Intelligence, Internet of Things, and Cybersecurity related themes, including a recent edited book about “AI in Manufacturing” published by Springer Nature.

George Panagiotopoulos

EY

George is a Partner in the Consulting service line of EY Greece. He has extensive consulting experience, over 29 years, in the optimization of Supply Chain and Business Operations. He has supervised and coordinated the implementation of numerous related projects in large companies in Greece and abroad, specializing in the sectors of Industrial Products, Consumer Products and Retail, Energy, Infrastructure, Transport and Logistics.

At EY he has the role of Industrial Products sector leader in the CESA region, Logistics & Fulfillment solution leader in the EMEIA region, Business Consulting Supply Chain & Operations and Sustainability Corporate leader in Greece. He holds a Diploma in Production Engineering and Management from the Technical University of Crete.

Dr. Dimitrios Panopoulos

Suite5

Dr. Dimitrios Panopoulos is a co-founder and partner at Suite5 Data Intelligence Solutions, a distinguished company at the forefront of innovation in data-driven intelligence. He holds a Ph.D. in Information and Communication Technologies and Decision Support Systems, along with an MSc and Diploma from the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). With a wealth of experience in research and innovation, Dr. Panopoulos has been instrumental in leading and managing Horizon Europe projects, driving advancements in artificial intelligence, big data, and digital transformation. His expertise encompasses information systems engineering, decision support, and production management. As a partner, he is dedicated to fostering strategic collaborations and delivering transformative solutions to clients across public and private sectors throughout Europe.

Prof. Konstantinos Karantzalos

Ministry of Digital Governance

Konstanιnos Karantzalos is a Professor of Remote Sensing at the National Technical University of Athens. His teaching and research interests include geoscience and earth observation, geospatial big data, hyperspectral image analysis, computer vision and machine learning with applications e.g. in environmental monitoring and precision agriculture. He has several publications in top-rank international journals & conferences and a number of awards and honors for his research contributions. He has more than 20 years of research experience, involved with more than 30 EU and national excellence/ competitive research projects. Dr. Karantzalos, IEEE Senior Member, serves as Scientific/ Program Committee and reviewer for top rank international journals/ conferences and as an Evaluator/ Panel Member for the evaluation of EU and national research programmes (H2020, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Israel Science Foundation, Belgian Science Policy Office, Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research, etc). Dr. Karantzalos is currently Chairing the ISPRS Working Group WGIII/2 ‘Spectral and Thermal Data Processing and Analytics’.

Moderators

Agenda

Day 1 - January 15th 2025

09:00 - 09:30 Registration & Coffee

09:30 - 09:35
Welcome by Hosts
What is CORE Innovation Days and what is our aspiration?
Stefanos Kokkorikos Stefanos Kokkorikos
CORE Group
Nikos Kyriakoulis Dr. Nikos Kyriakoulis
CORE Group
09:35 - 09:40
Greetings from the Ambassador of Switzerland
estermann Stefan Estermann
Embassy of Switzerland to the Hellenic Republic
09:40 - 09:45
Greetings from the Secretary General of Telecommunications & Post at the Ministry of Digital Governance
karantzalos Prof. Konstantinos Karantzalos
Ministry of Digital Governance
09:45 - 09:50
STEP Programme, and how Greek and European Organisations can get benefitted.
Michalis Dritsas
Ministry of Economy and Finance
09:50 - 10:00
Twin4Twin: Exchange of expertise on Digital Twin technologies
The philosophy of Twin4Twin, a Horizon Europe Widening Work Programme. Collaboration, know-how transfer and the use of cutting-edge Industry 4.0 technologies are the key ingredients that drive innovation in manufacturing forward.
Stefanos Kokkorikos
CORE Group
10:00 - 10:10
Digital transformation in Greek industry
What’s the starting point and which are the key pain points that the Greek industry of tomorrow needs to address?
George Panagiotopoulos
EY
10:10 - 10:20
The SIRI framework: A tool for digital transformation
The SIRI framework as a significant first step towards digital transformation. SIRI can provide manufacturers with a vital framework, defining priorities for each organisation through a holistic approach.
Raimund Klein Raimund Klein
INCIT
10:20 - 10:30
The SSF paradigm
The Swiss Smart Factory shows us where the road can lead. How does one secure funding for their Industry 4.0 investments and what’s the next step?
Dominic Gorecky Dr. Dominic Gorecky
SSF
10:30 - 10:40
Introduction to the Greek Smart Factory
The Greek Smart Factory, CORE Group’s newest endeavour. A platform for manufacturers, tech providers, and academia, allowing them to network, innovate, and advance in a real industrial environment.
Nikos Kyriakoulis Dr. Nikos Kyriakoulis
CORE Group
10:40 - 11:00
Panel discussion: The requirements for a Digital Transformation journey in Greece: the puzzle pieces fall together.
makris Moderator
Dr. Nikos Makris
CORE Group

11:00 - 11:30 Coffee break & visit to demos

11:30 - 11:50
The 2024 World Manufacturing Forum Report: New Perspectives for the Future of Manufacturing: Outlook 2030
The 2024 WMF report provides a strategic framework for future-proofing manufacturing companies and their supply chains in the face of a foreseen volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous business environment.
Prof. David Romero
World Manufacturing Foundation
11:50 - 12:00
Information Modelling framework, Ontologies and more
The foundation for all the data. A modelling used by machines using human philosophy to classify data in categories. The digital fabric to connect digital assets.
Dimitris Kyritsis Prof. Dimitris Kyritsis
EPFL, University of Oslo
12:00 - 12:10
Generative AI in Industry and how LLMs speed the Modelling of everything
Large Language Models are the new game changer, an efficiency booster, and a key milestone for industrial data systems.
John Soldatos Dr. John Soldatos
Netcompany
12:10 - 12:20
Digital Product Passport For Industry 4.0
The product passport will be necessary for all products by 2027. What will the industry need to be ready to meet this regulation?
Foivos Psarommatis Dr. Foivos Psarommatis
Zerofect GmbH
12:20 - 12:30
Asset Administration Shells, the requirement for Industry 4.0
A mandatory requirement for Industry 4.0 and the interface between physical and digital worlds as well as the interface to the industrial metaverse and digital twins.
Ignacio Montero Castro Ignacio Montero Castro
AIMEN
12:30 - 12:40
Industrial Data Spaces and data rooms for cognitive production
Data structures that enable sovereignty and link digital threads, connecting stakeholders across supply and value chains.
Jacopo Cassina Dr. Jacopo Cassina
Syxis
12:40 - 12:50
Digital Twin: combining technologies to maximise productivity
The term digital twin has been around for a long time, and despite the large number of publications and definitions there are different perspectives as it has been applied in various domains.
Fernando Ubis Jarkko Soikkeli
Visual Components
12:50 - 13:15
Questions to Speakers
Romero Moderator
Prof. David Romero
World Manufacturing Foundation

13:15 - 14:30 Lunch break & visit to demos

14:30 - 15:00
Digital and Green Transition of Manufacturing
Innovative projects for Circular, Connected, and Digital Twin manufacturing (MODUL4R, M4ESTRO, Circular TwAIn, DaCapo, AUTO-TWIN, SM4RTENANCE, RE4DY, DigiTwinGreen).
Jacopo Cassina Dr. Dimitris Panopoulos
Suite5
Paolo Pedrazzoli Prof. Paolo Pedrazzoli
TTSN
Pedro Malo Prof. Pedro Malo
Unparallel
Niki kousi Dr. Niki Kousi
ΕΙΤ Manufacturing
panagiotopoulou Dr. Vicky Panagiotopoulou
LMS
Moderator
Dr. Pantelis Papachristou
CORE Group
15:00 - 15:30
Energy and Sustainability of Processes with Industry 4.0
Innovative projects for energy-efficient and sustainable processes (TRINEFLEX, METAWAVE, StreamSTEP, ALCHEMHY, THESEUS, CARDIMED).
George Tsimiklis George Tsimiklis
ICCS
Mario Pichler Dr. Mario Pichler
SCCH
Abella Anna Domènech Abella
CELSA
Jouhara Prof. Hussam Jouhara
Brunel University of London
Moderator
Valia Iliopoulou
CORE Group
15:30 - 16:00
Digital Transformation of Mines with Industry 4.0
Innovative projects that transform the mining industry (PRIM-ROCK, TERRAVISION, DEXPLORE, MASTERMINE, OPTIMINER).
Antonis Peppas Ass. Prof. Antonis Peppas
NTUA
Jose Ramon Valdés Dr. Jose Ramon Valdés
ITA
Kostas Botsialas Kostas Botsialas
AURORA
Santiago Cuesta Lopez Dr. Santiago Cuesta Lopez
ISMC
Santiago Cuesta Lopez Emilios Vazoukis
Terna MAG
Moderator
Konstantina Tsioli
CORE Group

16:00 - 18:30 Networking Drinks

Day 2 - January 16th 2025

Day 2 of CORE Innovation Days will be a closed, invitation-only workshop designed to foster collaboration and support consortium building for upcoming research and innovation calls. This exclusive event will gather focused groups of partners to explore specific funding opportunities in dedicated sessions.

It’s an invaluable chance for participants to forge connections, share insights, and lay the groundwork for funded future projects.