Putting wealth of research to good use
Five of the country’s top scientific organizations have joined forces in the creation of a technology transfer hub that seeks to tap into the wealth of research being produced by Greek institutions.
An initiative of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), the Athens University of Economic and Business (AUEB), the Demokritos and Athena research centers, and the Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS), the “Science Agora” is being hailed as one of the most comprehensive centers of its kind in Europe.
“It’s a milestone that is taking us into a new age,” NTUA Rector Andreas Boudouvis told Kathimerini after the official presentation of the initiative in Athens on Wednesday.
“From now on, innovative entrepreneurship will be supported in a targeted manner, contributing to the business exploitation of the wealth of research being done at our institutions,” added Dimitris Bourantonis, head of the AUEB.
The scheme is expected to benefit more than 10,000 scientists, academics and researchers and to link the five institutions’ technology transfer offices and entrepreneurship centers, allowing them to make inroads on vital issues like intellectual property rights, economies of scale, greater interdisciplinary cooperation, more effective communication with the industry and better access to international funding resources.
“The transfer of technology from research labs to society is one of the most powerful tools we have for attracting international investments in research and for the competitiveness of the economy,” Dr George Nounesis, director of Demokritos, told Wednesday’s presentation.
“The Science Agora significantly augments our ability to disseminate and apply innovative results by interacting with the other top institutions and using the knowledge that has already been generated by them,” added Ioannis Psarras of the ICCS.
