Speaker

Georgios Nounesis was the Director & Chairman of the Board of the National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos” (www.demokritos.gr), for the period 2017-2021, re-elected for a second term 2021-2025. During his tenure, he is credited with reforms that led to the rapid growth of technology transfer rates to start ups and multinationals and the creation of successful spin-offs. He pioneered the Stavros Niarchos Industrial Fellowship Program and founded AHEDD, (the Attica Hub for the Economy of Data and Devices), now coordinating “Smart Attica” one the four European Digital Innovation Hubs of Greece. Over the last four years “Lefkippos”, the technology park at Demokritos evolved into a most dynamic organization supporting and accelerating innovative deep-tech entrepreneurship. Since 2020 he has been appointed as a Member of the Board of the Hellenic Space Center, (hsc.gov.gr), a term expiring in 2025. In 2022 he was elected as a member of the NATO Advisory Group on Emerging and Disruptive Technologies. Dr Nounesis studied Physics at the University of Athens (BS) and the University of Minnesota (PhD in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics) and attended executive courses at the Harvard Kennedy School. Other than Demokritos, he held research and academic appointments at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and CNRS (Bordeaux).