Signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation and Athena Research Center
19-01-2026
The Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation (HCDI) and Athena Research Center signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The MoU was signed at HCDI’s headquarters on Thursday, 15 January 2026, by HCDI’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Pantelis Tzortzakis, and the Chair of Athena’s Board of Directors and General Director, Professor Ioannis Emiris.
The Memorandum of Understanding marks the launch of a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening research, technological development and innovation, with a focus on the fields of defense, security and dual-use technologies.
Objectives and key pillars of the collaboration.
The coperation between the two organizations focuses on the following pillars:
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Showcasing and leveraging research outcomes, through mapping and maturing selected research results in order to support and commercially exploit them.
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Boosting innovative entrepreneurship, by promoting collaborations between researchers and businesses and creating partnerships in the fields of defense, security and dual-use technologies.
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Developing synergies and an innovation ecosystem, through the exchange of knowledge and expertise, accelerating collaborations between Greek companies and spin-offs, and co-organizing thematic events, webinars and training programs.
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Participating in national and international initiatives, with the aim of strengthening Greece’s presence in international research and development collaborations and promoting Greek innovative solutions in a broader international environment.
Professor Ioannis Emiris, Chair of the Board of Directors and General Director of Athena Research Center, stated:
“At Athena Research Center, we systematically invest in partnerships that support the exploitation of research results and technology transfer. Through our collaboration with HCDI, we aim to establish a shared framework of actions to highlight research outcomes and support intellectual property, while at the same time strengthening bridges with innovative entrepreneurship, with an emphasis on critical technological applications and dual-use technologies. We believe the benefits will be substantial both for our organizations and for the country’s broader technology ecosystem.”
Mr. Pantelis Tzortzakis, Chief Executive Officer of the Hellenic Center for Defense Innovation, underlined:
“Greece has high-level research and a strong base of applied know-how, as demonstrated by the steady participation of Greek organizations in highly competitive European programs such as Horizon and the European Defense Fund. Nevertheless, it has historically struggled to turn this knowledge into applied value.
With the HCDI - Athena collaboration, we are taking a practical step to bridge this gap in the field of dual-use technologies. Together, we are creating a mechanism that brings mature research closer to real defense and security needs and transforms Greek expertise into solutions that can stand up both operationally and internationally.”
The Memorandum of Understanding sets the framework for future specific agreements and joint actions, leveraging the scientific, research and business potential of both organizations, for the benefit of the national economy and the country’s technological development.
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19-01-2026