HERON SPONSORS & NETWORKING EVENT
05-12-2025
On Wednesday, December 3, 2025, HERON hosted its 1st Sponsors & Networking Event at Divani Caravel, a full-day event dedicated to its sponsors, supporters, and prospective partners. The event brought together companies from the fields of Robotics and AI with the founders of HERON, its research personnel, and key government representatives, aiming to foster open dialogue, interaction, and the promotion of critical applications for Greece.
Professor Petros Maragos, HERON Director & Scientific Coordinator, gave an opening speech while greetings were delivered by Stavros Kalafatis, Deputy Minister of Development responsible for Research and Innovation, Professor Ioannis Emiris, President of the Board and Director General of the Athena Research Center and Coordinator of the HERON project, and Professor Emmanouel Varvarigos Vice Rector for Research, Innovation and Outreach and President of the Technology Transfer Office at the National Technical University of Athens.
The event, held as an open roundtable discussion, comprised four thematic panels aligned with HERON’s areas of activity:
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Healthcare Robotics, moderated by Prof. Costas Tzafestas - HERON Executive Committee Member,
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Field & Space Robotics, moderated by Prof. Evangelos Papadopoulos - HERON Deputy Director,
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Marine & Maritime Robotics moderated by Dr. Gregory Yovanof - HERON Executive Manager,
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National Robotics Reforms moderated by Dr. Vasileia Filidou - Head of Strategy, Athena Research Center, and HERON Collaborator.
The panels included executives from Greece’s robotics sector, as well as senior officials from the national authorities supporting HERON’s strategic vision.
During the event, a shared vision and a strong commitment to collaboration were cultivated, aiming to create strong ties between HERON advancing the science and technology of robotics in the AI era, the scientific robotics community, academia and diaspora, public institutions, and industry. The event aimed to promote a sustainable and innovative robotics ecosystem in the country, fostering technological innovations with significant benefits for the economy, technological advancement, and social well-being in Greece.
