PRESS RELEASE
EXCELLENCE IN INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP 2016
INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURSHIP – THE HOPE IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY
AWARD OF EXCELLENCES – DISTINCTIONS
JANUARY 31, 2017
The National Research Foundation , the General Secretariat for Research and Technology and the Hellenic Business Incubator (THEA) together organized the Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship Awards 2016 with the support of the European Commission Representation in Greece .
The Awards Ceremony took place on Tuesday, January 31, 2017 at 12:00 at the National Research Foundation , "Leonidas Zervas" Amphitheater.
The aim of the Awards is to highlight and reward original proposals that contribute to the development of systems and applications based on new technologies, to the integration of the environmental dimension in the design of innovative products and services, to the spread of the use of new information and communications technologies, and to the creation of new businesses in traditional sectors of development using innovative systems or by providing additional modern services.
The event was welcomed by Messrs . Dr. Vasilios Grigoriou, Director and Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic National Research Foundation, Dr. Patricia Kyprianidou, Secretary General of Research and Technology, Dr. Haris Lambropoulos, President of the Research & Studies Institute of the Central Union of Chambers of Greece as well as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hellenic Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and Mr. Argyris Peroulakis, Deputy Head of the European Commission Delegation in Greece.
Dr. Vasilios Grigoriou , stated “ We are very happy that another Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship event was a success. The goal of the National Research Foundation is, through such actions, to promote entrepreneurship based on research and innovation and to provide opportunities to young people who dare to put their ideas into practice. We hope in this way to contribute to the multiplication of such proposals .”
Dr. Patricia Kyprianidou stated , “ A central objective of the Research and Innovation sector of the Ministry of Education, Research and Religious Affairs and the General Secretariat for Research and Technology is to encourage and finance innovation resulting from research activity. Specific actions are being planned and implemented for this purpose: to support the country’s scientific and research potential, especially young people, to address the phenomenon of the single-minded flight abroad, the development of innovative business activity, such as the establishment of the Co-Investment Fund in cooperation with the European Investment Fund and the creation of the Hellenic Innovation Foundation (ELIDEK) .”
Dr. Haris Lambropoulos stated, “ According to the statistics recorded by the Bank of Greece, Greece is currently experiencing the 3rd largest wave of migration. The number of permanently emigrating Greeks (aged 15-64) exceeds 427,000, which implies a direct annual cost of brain drain alone of over 7 billion Euros. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Greece is the largest chamber in Greece, representing over 100,000 businesses. Through its actions, it supports the operation of the Athens Startup Incubator. It is the first at both the national and European levels to undertake such an initiative. The most important bet is to turn to the new generation by proposing entrepreneurship as a positive choice, excellence as a life ambition and innovation as a catalyst for creativity .”
Mr. Argyris Peroulakis stated “ Entrepreneurship and innovation are of key importance for the European Union since they are the flagships of the recovery and improvement of the competitiveness of its Member States. They also represent, for Greece, the hope for another development model that will be based on young scientists! In this context, we supported the effort of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology, the National Research Foundation and the Hellenic Association of Startups and Entrepreneurs to reward excellence in innovation and entrepreneurship in our country! ”
After completing the process of selecting the most outstanding proposals from a multitude of remarkable ideas, the National Research Foundation announced the proposals of the teams and the names of the members in order of distinction .
The 1st Prize was awarded to the business proposal entitled " Mobile diagnostics: a portable diagnostic analysis laboratory connected to your mobile phone ", inspired by Gizeli Electra (Professor of the University of Crete) & Papadakis George, researchers at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology of the Foundation for Technology and Research. The above proposal was submitted in the "Information and Communication Technologies" sector.
The 2nd Prize was awarded to the business proposal entitled " Transparent photovoltaic panel for electricity production, placed on a solar water heater for hot water production" by Minou Garifalia, Electronic Engineer – PhD Candidate at Harokopio University, MBA International AUEB . The above proposal was submitted in the "Environment and New Forms of Energy" category.
Subsequently, in the same field, the 3rd Prize was awarded for the proposal entitled "Offshore hybrid system for generating electricity from wind and wave energy", the initiator of which is Kapnopoulos Sotirios, Electrical Engineer.
The National Research Foundation and the collaborating bodies (GSRT, EVEA & THEA), congratulate the winners and thank all the participants who, with their worthy ideas and proposals, contributed to the successful realization of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Excellence Awards 2016. An act with many benefits, both socially and economically, which paves the way for young people who dare to work for a better tomorrow for themselves and their fellow human beings.
National Research Foundation
For more information, please contact Ms. Vasiliki Kollia at 210 7273767 (EIE) or visit the Awards page www.awards.eie.gr
