News

The 1st Franco-Hellenic Research and Innovation Forum (FFHRI) took place on 22 and 23 June 2026 at the French Institute of Greece, bringing together representatives from universities, research organizations, businesses and funding bodies from both countries. The two-day event was initiated by the Embassy of France in Greece - French Institute of Greece, in collaboration with CCI France Grèce and under the auspices of the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRI).

 

The Forum is part of the Action Plan between Greece and France, aiming to strengthen scientific and academic cooperation in areas of strategic importance, and served as an important opportunity to connect the research and innovation ecosystems of the two countries. Through roundtable discussions, targeted bilateral meetings and thematic workshops, collaboration opportunities were explored in areas such as security, energy, health and digital technologies. 

 

The Athena Research Center actively participated in the event, with Professor Ioannis Emiris, Chairman of the Board and Director General of Athena Research Center, taking part in the session titled “Artificial Intelligence at the Heart of European Digital and Industrial Sovereignty”. The discussion also featured Vassilis Karkatzounis, Special Secretary of Artificial Intelligence, and Henri Verdier, Chief Executive of the Inria Foundation. The session focused on the role of Artificial Intelligence as a key pillar of European digital and industrial sovereignty, as well as on the conditions required for the development of strong European research and innovation ecosystems. 

Throughout the Forum, the importance of strengthening entrepreneurship within Greek universities and research institutions was emphasized, in order for Greece to approach the European average in the development of academic and research spin-offs. At the same time, discussions addressed Greece’s significant progress in renewable energy production, as well as the challenges related to the full utilization of green energy, highlighting the role of storage technologies and AI in managing energy infrastructures. 

 

As part of the bilateral meetings, companies, universities and research organizations had the opportunity to explore synergies and develop new collaborations in the field of digital innovation with major French companies, including Thales, Naval Group, Skynopy, Biomérieux, Servier, EDF and Botanickel. Athena was represented by two of its spin-offs, which held targeted meetings to explore new collaboration opportunities. Specifically, the participating companies were OmniLoc.ai, led by Dr. Aris Lalos, which develops advanced localization technologies for accurate positioning and recently won first place at the Startup World Cup Greece 2026 at the Beyond exhibition, and Symbiolabs, led by its Managing Director Mr. Thanasis Gentimis, which focuses on innovative digital services and products supporting circular economy initiatives. Both companies explored funding opportunities through their innovative applications.