Join us for a revolutionary event that combines innovation and sustainability - the Blue & Circular Economy Hackathon
- 29/ 30 September and 1st October
The Hackathon!
An opportunity to connect with entrepreneurs, market executives, and experts from the academic community – and learn about the latest innovations across the related ecosystems.
The Hackathon is being implemented in the context of Odysseas’ Re-SAIL initiative, supported by the A. C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation, a body that focuses on the protection of the marine environment and supports employment and micro-entrepreneurship.
Blue
Economy
Circular
Economy
Reasons to get involved!
Interactive workshops, talks from industry leaders, mentoring sessions, and a chance to showcase your ideas are some of the perks of the Blue & Circular Economy Hackathon!
The Ηackathon will culminate with an exciting awards ceremony, recognising the most innovative and impactful ideas. Don’t miss this opportunity to drive innovation, entrepreneurship, and social change!
Are you passionate about making a positive impact in the blue and circular economy? Do you have innovative ideas that can reshape industries and contribute to a more sustainable future? Participating in our hackathon offers you a unique opportunity to turn your ideas into reality and make a difference.
The industry and themes!
At our hackathon event, we’re exploring the intersection of the blue economy and circular economy!
The blue economy refers to economic activity that takes place in and around the ocean, including fisheries, maritime transport, and tourism. The circular economy, on the other hand, is an economic model that aims to minimize waste and promote sustainable consumption and production. By combining these two concepts, we hope to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in a way that is socially and environmentally responsible.
Sustainable Shipping
Sustainable Fishing and Marine Biotechnology
Port-City: Sustainable Transportation and Mobility
Climate Change and Energy Saving
Sustainable Coastal and Maritime Tourism
Digital Transformation of Sustainable Blue Economy
Our Speakers
Angus Whiston is the Communications Director at DeepSea Technologies. He is part of the international team building DeepSea and bringing world-class AI to the shipping industry. He likes to shout about the incredible – and proven – benefits of this technology for the shipping industry and the planet.
Prof. Stella Kyvelou-Chiotini Prof. Stella Kyvelou-Chiotini is a Greek senior expert in Spatial Planning and Sustainable Development, Blue economy and Maritime Spatial Planning (MSP). As part of the MSP Assistance mechanism (DGMARE/CINEA), she is the geographical expert for the Eastern Mediterranean. Professor and Head of the Postgraduate and Doctoral Studies at the Department of Economic and Regional Development of Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, she carries out research and teaching of MSP and blue economy at the aforementioned Department. Her research activities include European territorial development and cohesion. She has been involved as an expert in several MSP/blue economy projects, and currently she is principal investigator of the HER-SEA national research project.
Dr. Maria Boile is Professor of “Port and Inland Terminal Policy and Management”, Director of the MSc in Shipping and Director of the Quantitative Analysis in Shipping Laboratory, at
the University of Piraeus, Department of Maritime Studies. She is Research Director of the Transport Economics and Environment, Maritime and Air Transport Sector, at the Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT), Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH). She is Affiliated Faculty at the Center for Advanced Infrastructure and Transportation, at Rutgers,
the State University of New Jersey, and Coordinator of the European Waterborne
Technology Platform.
She has a diploma in Civil (Transportation) Engineering from the National Technical
University of Athens, Greece, M.Sc. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Rutgers
University, US, and Ph.D. in Transportation Engineering from the New Jersey Institute of Technology, US.
Her research interest and expertise is in the areas of transport network modeling, freight and maritime logistics, port and inland terminal operations and management. She has participated in over 80 sponsored research projects in the U.S. and Europe. She has authored and co-authored over 170 technical articles, 12 book chapters and two books.
Our Mentors
Maria Petropoulou holds a degree in Finance and Banking Administration from the University of Piraeus. She has extensive experience in the Banking Industry, as she worked for 12 years as a Branch Manager at Piraeus Bank, mainly as a Green Banking Partner and Small Business Professional Partner. In addition, she has worked in the private sector as a Procurement Manager and Financial Advisor. Since April 2021, she has been working at The People’s Trust Organisation as a Development Officer, where she is responsible for communicating with applicants, processing and evaluating cases within the region of Attica, as well as the Organisatons’ representation to possible partners.
Parianos Avgoustinos is the co-founder and the creative director of Designature. Before that, he was working as an Environmental Engineer for the Hellenic Center of Marine Research. He Studied Environmental Engineering at Technical University of Crete and Water Management at Technical University of Athens. As a graphic designer and communication officer, he has participated in numerous creative projects. His professional expertise includes a perfect knowledge of design methodologies and technical tools and also an optimal usage of design, communication & video-editing software.
Ploumis Angelos is the co-founder and the managing director of Designature. His studies are related to Engineering at Technical University of Crete, University of Bradford and University of Leeds (MSc). He is highly skilled in communication strategy and implementation, graphic design, web design, technical design and branding. He has participated in various creative projects related with the Maritime and Shipping industry, Sustainability, Urban Development, for the public and the private sector, presentations for Municipalities and Regional Governments, and also for European projects.
Manos Koukouvios brings over a decade of experience at sea, navigating various vessel types from cruise ships to LNG carriers, ultimately rising to the rank of Chief Officer. After pursuing postgraduate studies in Shipping Management at the University of Plymouth, he transitioned ashore, excelling in maritime software sales and establishing two successful companies. He also provided valuable consultation for numerous projects. Currently, Manos leads ideation in a maritime venture studio based in Berlin. In his free time, he enjoys watching football and spending quality moments with his two daughters.
Dr Foteini Petraki is a senior Project manager and Sustainability expert in IRES consulting company. She is a self-starter with the ability to think strategically and innovatively, eager to contribute to team success through hard work, attention to detail and excellent organizational skills. As a Sustainability consultant and Project manager in IRES she has a wide experience in the field of innovation research concerning the sustainability of the innovative materials and the related processes. As an Environmental Engineer with MSc and PhD in material science, she specialized in the implementation of environmental aspects in the field of materials including: life cycle assessment (LCA) and eco-design, Circular economy and life cycle costing (LCC). Research interests also include: material science, nanostructured materials, materials testing (using SEM, TEM, XRD etc.), nanocomposites, surface chemistry, biomaterials, R&D, risk management, risk assessment and exposure measurements.
Konstantinos Apostolidis, LLB (DUTH), MSc (Panteion University), PhD (c) (Panteion University), is a legal counsel and ESG manager based in Athens, Greece. He consults companies on how corporate sustainability-related issues should be incorporated into their decision-making processes and how corporate action on the Sustainable Development Goals can be fostered. He has lectured widely on Sustainable Development in Europe and North and South America, raising awareness and promoting the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, as well as engaging potential stakeholders. He has participated in Innovation Hackathons as a sustainability mentor and strongly believes that innovation and youth entrepreneurship can contribute enormously to attaining the Sustainable Development Goals. Moreover, he is a dedicated volunteer for environmental and social causes, supporting organizations that make a difference. He is fluent in English and Spanish.
Anthony Milonas is the Director of Technology Solutions for Programize, a software engineering company, transforming ideas into projects and projects into products, deeply rooted in its work with startups, especially in innovation rich ecosystems such as US and Israel and latest Greece! Anthony’s is a software engineer whose career spans over 20 years, during which he has seamlessly transitioned between roles involving software engineering, team leadership, product development, and VC relations.Having interfaced with many startups worldwide across diverse domains, he has been deeply involved in all aspects of startups lifecycle: from product ideation, product development to VC fundraising
Christos C. Lytras is a Managing Partner at hippocampus.io an innovation consultancy assisting in bridging the gap between Corporates & Startups. Until June 2016, Christos was Product & Service Lead at The Eurobank Innovation Center responsible for developing the Centre Service offering internally across the Eurobank Group and externally with the GR and EU startup ecosystem across verticals such as Fintech, IoT & Big Data Analytics. Prior to Eurobank, Christos worked with various other national & international Financial Institutions across the Consumer Lending, Collections, Equities and Equities linked products portfolios
Our Judges
Dr. Angeliki Kosmopoulou is the Executive Director of the Athanasios K. Laskaridis Foundation. She holds a PhD in Classical Archeology from Bryn Mawr College, USA and an MBA from Leicester University, Great Britain. She worked as an archaeologist and partner of cultural organisations and then turned to the field of communication, as a consultant, content creator and speechwirter. Since 2015, she has been working in the non-profit sector, as an executive and storytelling coach.
She is the Vice-President of the Greek National Tourism OrganiSation, coordinator of the national programme “Greece Without Single-Use Plastics” with the aim of eliminating single-use plastics and a member of the Board of Directors of the non-profit organisation The People’s Trust. She participates in the Supervisory Board of Dianeosis and is a mentor in organisations dealing with the empowerment of women in business and public life. She continues the scientific research in archeology and regularly writes articles in the printed and electronic press. He is the author of the book “HOW TO TELL A STORY”, (published by AA Livani).
Nikolas Karidis is an experienced business development and operations manager, with exposure to international companies and organisations, retail multi store networks and franchise concepts, start up and entrepreneurial environments. He has assumed broad operational management roles, in charge of multiple company functions such as HR, Marketing, Operations, CS, Accounting. Additionally, he has managed large multicultural teams of diverse backgrounds, accustomed in matrix management. Adept in devising company and departmental Business Plans, P&Ls, KPIs, procedures, and leading implementation.
Alexis Komselis is the co-founder and director of AHEAD – Alba Hub for Entrepreneurship and Development at Alba Graduate Business School, The American College of Greece. Alexis is an entrepreneurship and family business educator, researcher and practitioner with an expertise in business modelling and family business sustainability. He designs and implements programs that support aspiring entrepreneurs, business owners and startup founders, such as VentureGarden and NextGen Mentoring for family business members. Alexis teaches at Alba’s MSc in Entrepreneurship, MBA and executive education programs. He has been an instructor, mentor and judge for several incubators, accelerators, competitions and workshops.
Dr. Dimitrios D. Piromalis is Associate Professor in the Electrical and Electronics Engineering Department of University of West Attica (UNIWA). His research interests include the design and development of electronic embedded systems in application areas such as autonomous vehicles, internet of things (IoT), and Cyber-Physical Systems. He is the author of more than 170 publications in international scientific research journals and conferences with high impact and many citations (h-index = 21). Also, he is author of three books covering engineering subjects. He is founder of the Research Laboratory of Smart Technologies, RES and Quality – STRESQ Lab”.
The Agenda
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Participants arrive and check-in at the event venue.
17:30 – Welcome and Introduction
Opening remarks from the organizers, setting the stage for the hackathon.
18:00 – Speakers
Prominent speakers deliver a talks on the importance of the blue and circular economy.
19:00 – Idea Sharing
Participants share their potential ideas.
19:30 – Networking Session
Participants mingle, meet each other, and form teams.
20:00 – Team Formation
Participants form teams around their preferred ideas.
21:00 – Dinner
Participants have dinner and continue team discussions
9:00 – Recap and Overview
Organizers provide a brief recap of the previous day’s activities and outline the day’s agenda.
9:30 – Ideation Session
Teams brainstorm and refine their ideas, exploring different angles and approaches.
10:30 – Mentoring Sessions with workshops – Group 1
Teams have dedicated time with experienced mentors who provide guidance and feedback and can participate in “speed” workshops to get entrepreneurial insights.
13:00 – Lunch Break
Participants have a break and continue team discussions.
14:00 – Mentoring Sessions with workshops – Group 2
Teams have dedicated time with experienced mentors who provide guidance and feedback and can participate in “speed” workshops to get entrepreneurial insights.
17:00 – Prototype Development
Teams work on developing their prototypes or creating a proof of concept.
20:00 – Presentation Preparation
Teams start preparing their presentations for the final day.
9:00 – Final Preparation
Teams make final adjustments to their prototypes and presentations.
13:00 – Submission of Presentation Slides
Teams submit their presentation slides to the event organizers.
13:00 – Presentations and Q&A
Each team presents their idea, prototype, and business plan to a panel of judges. Judges ask questions.
13:30 – Judges Decision
Judges group to score teams and decide on the winning teams.
14:00 – Awards and Closing Ceremony
Winners are announced, and the organizers deliver closing remarks.
16:00 – Event Conclusion
Hackathon officially ends, and participants have the opportunity to network and exchange contact information.
Prizes!
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Our mission is to provide a vibrant supportive environment for tenant companies allowing them the freedom to concentrate on their core business development.
Whether it’s technology, marketing, finance, legal or HR, we are here to support your company. We don’t run a traditional incubation program. We won’t require you to attend seminars and courses. Often, those are a waste of time. We will however show you what tools great startups use. We will show you what mistakes they made and how you might avoid making them. We will expect you to perform at your best. We expect you to have a relentless sense of urgency.
The Athanasios C. Laskaridis Charitable Foundation was established in 2015 in order to act as a catalyst for important issues concerning Greece and Hellenism. Its action focuses on the protection of the marine environment, the support of employment and micro-entrepreneurship as well as the fostering of initiatives, which defend collective interest and enhance transparency.
