GreenTech Challenge by ESU NTUA
The Chair in collaboration with Mantis Beyond Innovation, a spinout company from the ESU Research Unit, has proceeded to carry out a series of innovation programs with the aim of utilizing academic knowledge and research results to find solutions to environmental issues. Through open innovation processes, the connection between the academic community and the market or the productive sector is achieved. From 2018 until today, six innovation programs have been organized under the name “GreenTech Challenge by ESU NTUA”, in connection with class “Special Ιssues of Technological Economy” of the School of Mechanical Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens.
GreenTech Challenge by ESU NTUA is the leading national green innovation program in Greece, for finding technological solutions to environmental issues.
The Programme is carried out under the scientific responsibility of the UNESCO Chair on green Innovation and Circular Economy, with Innovation Enabler and organizational manager the company Mantis Beyond Innovation and under the auspices of the Ministry of the Environment and Energy
"Changing the World one Green Innovation at a time"
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200+ submissionsby innovative teams, strartups and SMEs -
60 Semi-finalistswho pitched their innovative greentech solutions -
13 universities representationconsisted of participants, mentors and members of the scientific committee
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6,000+ hours of trainingon how to turn an innovative idea into a business -
5,000+ participantsengaged with the greentech innovation community -
21+ innovative business establishmentsby students, researchers or innovative teams
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175% increase of Greentech Partnerssince 2028
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280% increase of Mentorssince 2028 -
139% increase of Scientific Committeesince 2018.
GreenTech Challenge's History
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May 2018
1st GreenTech Challenge
- 21 Submissions
- 296 Attendants
- 21 Mentors
- 8 Official Partners
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Dec 2018
2nd Greentech Challenge
- 36 Submissions
- 386 Attendants
- 36 Mentors
- 9 Official Partners
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Dec 2019
3rd Greentech Challenge
- 40 Submissions
- 410 Attendants
- 50 Mentors
- 10 Official Partners
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Dec 2020
4th Greentech Challenge & 1st Virtual
- 143 Submissions
- 1028 Attendants
- 90 Mentors
- 15 Official Partners
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Dec 2021
5th Greentech Challenge & 1st Hybrid
- 159 Submissions
- 1124 Attendants
- 120 Mentors
- 17 Official Partners
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Dec 2022
6th Greentech Challenge
- 202 Submissions
- 1564 Attendants
- 95 Mentors
- 22 Official Partners
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Dec 2023
7th Greentech Challenge
- 297 Submissions
- 2100 Attendants
- 103 Mentors
- 18 Official Partners
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Dec 2024
Coming Soon...
GreenTech Challenge by ESU NTUA was initially organized inside the community of National Technical University of Athens and then, through successive and successful conductions, evolved into the largest inter-university national innovation program.
The ecosystem and the experience developed, combined with the contemporary environmental challenges facing the country, were the inspiration and foundation for the creation of the GreenTech Hub, a center for green innovation and environmental technologies, with the aim of strengthening the national green innovation ecosystem. It consists of the innovation program GreenTech Challenge by ESU NTUA, the GreenTech Incubator and the scientific conference GreenTech Symposium.
The purpose, initially, is to find and develop innovative solutions that address environmental challenges through the GreenTech Challenge by ESU NTUA, then to incubate the best of them through the GreenTech Incubator and finally, to disseminate the research results and to highlight the environmental challenges, through GreenTech Symposium
This goal is achieved through presentations and discussions aiming to disseminate research results, present successful innovative ventures around environmental technologies and create networking conditions between representatives from the academic community and representatives of businesses and organizations.
It was organized for the first time in Athens in 2019, as part of the StartupNow Forum 2019, a multi-conference of entrepreneurship and innovation with a great impact of 1200 attendees. GreenTech Symposium 2019 counted over 350 delegates from different backgrounds, who were in the same space, discussed and exchanged opinions with the aim of finding solutions to research, social and, of course, environmental issues.
The second time it was held in 2021 in Elefsis, within the framework of the multi-conference StartupNow Forum 2021, achieving likewise success and impact.
Through educational presentations, mentoring, consulting and networking events, participants develop their technology readiness level (TRL), solve the business challenges that arise during the development of their business, and advance the necessary partnerships to realize their business plan.
GreenTech Partners
