UNESCO Chair on Green Innovation and Circular Economy of NTUA at Verde.Tec 2026: Advancing Bioeconomy and Water Resilience
The UNESCO Chair on Green Innovation and Circular Economy of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) participated actively in the 8th International Exhibition of Environmental Technologies Verde.Tec 2026, with an exhibition booth and the co-organization of two thematic events focusing on Bioeconomy and Water Scarcity.
🔹 The Chair organized an event titled “The New Bioeconomy Roadmap for Greece”, in collaboration with CluBE (Cluster of Bioeconomy & Environment of Western Macedonia).
The Chairholder, Professor K. Aravossis, presented in his introductory remarks the Roadmap developed by the Chair in cooperation with CluBE. The Roadmap outlines a systemic strategy with 32 action pillars aimed at transforming Greece into a hub of excellence for sustainable bioeconomy.
In his address, the Professor emphasized that the bioeconomy represents a horizontal development pathway, requiring institutional alignment, investment readiness, and policy consistency.
The panel discussion featured Konstantina Kottaridi (Professor, University of Piraeus), Nikos Damatis (ITA Group, President of HELLABIOM), and Mary Atzemi (Break Even Consulting), moderated by Ioannis Fallas (CluBE).
🔹 A second event was organized on “Water Scarcity: From Diagnosis to Solutions”, in collaboration with EnviNow, a team of environmentally engaged students and young graduates coordinated by Christos Kalantzis, a member of the Chair.
In his opening remarks, Professor Arabatzis highlighted water scarcity as a structural sustainability challenge, stressing that the key response lies in water reuse, combined with digital tools, technological solutions, and integrated economic management.
Within this context, the Professor also presented key findings from the Chair’s recent study conducted for diaNEOsis, entitled “Wastewater Management in Greece: Current Situation, Challenges and Policy Proposals.”
The study records:
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the current state of wastewater treatment infrastructure,
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existing institutional and economic gaps,
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and proposes specific policy interventions to strengthen water reuse and the circular management of water resources.
The full study is available on the diaNEOsis website (www.dianeosis.org).
The panel discussion on water scarcity included Georgios Stergiou (President, EYDAP), Anastasios Stamos (Professor, NTUA), Ioanna Xanthopoulou (President, SMYE), and Konstantinos Goliopoulos (President, PEDMEDE), moderated by Katerina Tsopanoglou (envinow.gr).
Verde.Tec 2026 reaffirmed the role of the UNESCO Chair of NTUA as a bridge between science, policy and the market, contributing to the acceleration of Greece’s green and circular transition.