The event «Supporting sustainable development through basic research» was successfully concluded on Monday, 15 December 2025 with great success and significant participation. During the event, the main results of the research projects:
- CATSOLHYDROGEN- Catalysts for Solar Electrolytic Hydrogen Production and Electrochemical Compression (Principal Investigator: Prof. S. Sotiropoulos, Host Institution: AUTH)
- ECoS- Multi-Functional Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells for Renewable Hydrogen Production and Recycling of Carbon Dioxide (Principal Investigator: Dr. S. Balomenou, Host Institution: CERTH)
- FERONIA- Multipurpose solid-state fermentation as an integrated biorefinery approach to valorize orange processing waste for food and animal feed (Principal Investigator: Dr. S. Dougias, Host Institution: DUTH)
- Plastic2Fuels- Plastic Waste Valorization Towards Marine Fuels (Principal Investigator: Dr. S. Bezergianni, Host Institution: CERTH)
- VALORY- Valorizing industrial byproducts to produce high-added-value chemicals by engineering Yarrowia lipolytica microorganisms (Principal Investigator: Dr. A. Makris, Host Institution: CERTH) were presented. These projects were implemented within the framework of the Action of the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.) entitled «Funding of Basic Research (Horizontal Support of All Sciences) », under the National Recovery and Resilience Fund «Greece 2.0».
At this event, which took place in the amphitheater of NOESIS: Science Dissemination Center and Technology Museum (6th km. Charilaou – Thermi, Thermi, Thessaloniki), we were honored with the presence of the Director of the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation (HFRI), Dr. Katerina Kouravelou, who marked the beginning of the conference with her greeting and she highlighted the pivotal role of the Hellenic Foundation For Research and Innovation (H.F.R.I.) in supporting research and innovation in the country, as well as the importance of funding basic research across a broad spectrum of scientific field, ranging from applied engineering sciences to the social and humanities, and art sciences.
The aim of the conference was to highlight the role of basic research in promoting sustainable development, as well as to create a fertile field for the exchange of ideas and discussion on current research and technological developments.
The 5 different programs created two broader thematic areas:
- Energy & Circular Economy and
- Bioprocess & Circular Economy,
through which the main objectives and the most important results of these were presented, which highlighted the high-level research activity taking place in Greece in critical areas for sustainable development, such as the development of catalysts for photoelectrochemical hydrogen production, the solid oxide electrolysis cells for H2 production and utilization of CO2, the utilization of plastic waster for the production of alternative shipping fuels, the biotechnological utilization of agro-industrial orange waste, and the production of high-value-added compounds through genetically modified yeast strains.
This conference was a key milestone for the completion of the 5 ELIDEK projects, while EKETA and the institutes CPERI and IAB were the host institution for 3 of these projects.
