News

On Friday, March 20, 2026, faculty members of the Hellenic Army Academy (HAA) visited Athena Research Center, in the context of exploring potential areas of collaboration between the two institutions.

 

The HAA was represented by Dionysios Mouzakis, Professor at HAA and Dean of the Non-Commissioned Officers Academy (Hellenic NCOs Academy), Nektarios Nasikas, Associate Professor at HAA and Director of the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory, and Eirini Karanasiou, Professor at HAA and Director of the Electronics Laboratory.

 

Mr. Panagiotis Papageorgiou, Executive Advisor at the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation (HCDI), also participated in the meeting, contributing to the discussion on fostering synergies in the field of defence innovation, in light of existing collaborations with both institutions.

During the meeting, the main areas of activity and research directions of Athena Research Center were presented by its President of the Board and Director General, Professor Ioannis Emiris, who highlighted the Center’s role as a national center of excellence in Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), with a strong focus on translating research into innovative products and services and strengthening links with industry.

 

This was followed by presentations from Professor Chrysostomos Stylios, Director of the Industrial Systems Institute (ISI) at Athena Research Center, who outlined the Institute’s activities in areas such as cybersecurity, 6G networks and artificial intelligence, with applications in industrial digital transformation and defence systems. Dr. Vassilis Katsouros, Director of the Institute for Language and Speech Processing (ILSP) at Athena Research Center, presented research activities in artificial intelligence for language, including large language models, natural language processing and dual-use applications in both civilian and defence contexts.

 

The HAA faculty members, in turn, presented their research activities and scientific interests, with emphasis on work conducted in their laboratories and on the potential of advanced technologies in defence and security applications, including unmanned systems, advanced materials and their applications, smart antennas and telecommunications, as well as the use of sensor technologies and machine learning for real-time monitoring of personnel health and mental condition.

 

The meeting took place in a highly positive atmosphere and provided a first substantial opportunity for the exchange of views, with a focus on identifying potential areas of collaboration. During the discussion, specific axes of cooperation were highlighted in fields such as artificial intelligence, data analytics, autonomous systems, language technologies, smart communications, and advanced materials and electronics processing technologies, as well as the exploration of collaboration at both research and academic levels, including joint research projects and co-supervision of doctoral studies.

The visit marked the first step towards the development of a more structured collaboration between Athena Research Center and the Hellenic Army Academy, with a view to establishing joint initiatives in the near future.