News

The Committee “Greece 2021” and the "Athena" Research Centre announce the creation of the new research unit on artificial intelligence, data science and algorithms “ARCHIMEDES” with the top scientists, C. Papadimitriou, K. Daskalakis and T. Sellis, leading the initiative.  
 

“ARCHIMEDES”, founded as an independent unit of "Athena" Research Centre, is an emblematic initiative for Greece that will create new opportunities for Greek researchers. The Unit will be funded with over 21 million euros by the National Recovery and Resilience Facility.    
       

The announcement of “ARCHIMEDES” took place during an event organized by the Committee “Greece 2021” at the Cultural Center of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, on December 22, 2021. The event was attended by the President of the Committee “Greece 2021” Gianna Angelopoulou – Daskalaki, the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the Secretary General for Research and Innovation Athanasios Kyriazis, Professor Konstantinos Daskalakis, Professor Christos Papadimitriou, the General Manager and Chairman of the Board of the “Athena” Research Center, Ioannis Emiris, and the Board Member & Co-Chair of Innovation Committee of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV), Markos Veremis.
 

Concerning the goals of the committee, G. Angelopoulou – Daskalaki, mentioned: “Because our logic was that we can not only celebrate 200 years, a year of honor and memory, but this should also be a window to look into Greece of the future, with the leadership of Greek experts. The new unit of "Athena" RC will blossom and will bring the change”.   
  

A. Kyriazis, referring to the role of GSRI and "Athena" RC, said: “It is a great honor for us, being trusted for such an important initiative. ARCHIMEDES will serve the basic and applied research on Artificial Intelligence. The big idea is to attract in Greece important scientists from abroad”.

 

“What we wanted to achieve with this unit, in fact, is the connection between Greek scientists and scientists from the Diaspora. We want to strengthen this interaction between the talent of Greece and the opportunities that this talent has under the guidance and the scientists of the Diaspora. To become part of the global science ecosystem and disseminate their know – how to the productive sectors of the country”, said K. Daskalakis.
 

"The main purpose of “ARCHIMEDES” is to become an entrance gate that will gather the best scientists in Artificial Intelligence, will create opportunities and will facilitate the transfer of research results to the society and the economy” added C. Papadimitriou.        
 

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stated that “The possibility of having an artificial intelligence centre that will gather the best minds in Greece, with secured funding for the first 5 years, is an important asset for the country, a vision that is being put into practice and I can only be very satisfied and excited with the prospects that the new effort opens. Greece also offers something else that I think will have a great scientific and philosophical interest: the dialogue between artificial intelligence and the legacy of ancient Greece”.
 

I. Emiris mentioned that “ARCHIMEDES I would say is a lever that will take us to another dimension, will emphasize the extroversion we have as a research ecosystem. Already the research ecosystem is very strong and has an important history. This initiative will give a new impetus to an already dynamic sector”, adding that “In Athena RC we serve the triangle of knowledge: Research-Education-Innovation and the fact that the 50% of the total budget of ARCIMEDES will be dedicated to the education of new scientists is very important”.
 

Finally, M. Veremis referring to the relation between scientific research and entrepreneurship pointed out that “The distinction between a scientist and a businessman is no longer as narrow as it is in the minds of many people. ARCHIMEDES is the best gift that we could ever have”.  
 

The main goal of the “ARCIMEDES” Unit is to serve the basic and applied research, in collaboration with Greek and foreign universities, by financing visiting researchers and doctoral candidates in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, data science and algorithms.
 

It will also act as a global hub that will offer opportunities for collaboration and synergies among distinguished Greek academics and young scientists, in Greece and abroad, adding value in many relevant sectors of the Greek economy.
 

In the field of entrepreneurship, the Unit will cultivate synergies with the rapidly growing start-up ecosystem, facilitating the transfer of research results to the market.