Emerging Tech Conference Edge Intelligence 2025: Empowering Europe’s Chips Ecosystem Through Emerging Technologies
Athens, Greece – October 24-25, 2025
The Emerging Tech Conference Edge Intelligence 2025 (ETCEI 2025) took place on 24–25 October 2025 at the Ancient Olive Grove Campus Conference Centre of the University of West Attica in Athens, Greece. The event was organized by the Hellenic Emerging Technologies Industry Association (HETiA), in collaboration with the University of West Attica, the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, and the National Technical University of Athens, under the umbrella of the Hellenic Chips Competence Centre (HCCC), with the support of the Chips Joint Undertaking (Chips JU) and the Greek Government.
A Premier Technical Forum on Emerging Technologies
This year’s edition, themed “Empowering Europe’s Chips Ecosystem through Emerging Technologies,” established ETCEI 2025 as a leading technical and scientific conference highlighting Greece’s growing role in microelectronics, artificial intelligence, and edge computing. The programme combined academic research, industry presentations, and workshops on Intelligent Devices, Edge AI, Robotics, Smart Energy Systems, and Innovation Management.
Technology, Talent & Innovation Highlights – Day 1
The first day of ETCEI 2025 opened with welcoming remarks by Prof. Ioannis Voyiatzis and Prof. Cleo Sgouropoulou (University of West Attica), Dr. Emmanuel Zervakis (President, HETiA) and Eleftherios Kritikos (General Secretary for Industry, Ministry of Development & Investments).
Opening Session
The opening keynote, delivered by Dionysios Diamantopoulos (IBM Research Europe) on “The Great Chips Act: From Silicon to a Thinking AI World,” set the tone for a forward-looking dialogue on Europe’s semiconductor and AI landscape.
Keynote Speech delivered by Dionysios Diamantopoulos (IBM Research Europe)
Following the keynote, the special session “Smart Batteries for Smart Energy”, featured George Konstantoulakis (Power Factors), George Palaiologou (M Renewables/Metlen Energy & Metal), Evangelos Galinas (ESS Technical Advisor) and Panagiotis Zapartas (Kenotom), and was moderated by Dr. Gregory Doumenis (University of Ioannina). The discussion focused on emerging technologies in smart energy systems and storage solutions.
Special Session by Power Factors
Parallel sessions featured peer-reviewed papers on Smart Energy & System Resilience and Innovation & Technology Management, highlighting cutting-edge academic research driving sustainability and digital transformation.
The programme also included an Invited Talk by Dr. Christoforos Kachris (University of West Attica) on “Skills for the Semiconductor Industry: Unlocking New Careers in Microelectronics,” highlighting the importance of talent development and reskilling in Europe’s chips ecosystem.
Invited Speech delivered by Christofos Kachris (University of West Attica)
A series of Technical Business Presentations and Workshops followed, by Power Factors, Renesas, and MEAZON showcased practical applications of AI, edge computing, and cybersecurity, demonstrating how innovation enhances efficiency across industries.
Technical Business Presentations -Workshops
Career Day & Exhibition
The Career Day on 24 October proved to be one of the most dynamic elements of ETCEI 2025. Hundreds of students and young engineers had the opportunity to meet with leading technology companies such as Power Factors, Renesas, MEAZON, Intracom Defense, OHB Hellas, ArgoSemi, EFA Group, and Theon Group, exploring current employment needs, innovation challenges, and career paths within the Greek tech ecosystem.
Running alongside the sessions, the exhibition foyer hosted company booths, research projects, and student innovation teams, including Poseidon Team, TALOS, MicroLab and IEEE NTUA, who presented and demonstrated their latest engineering achievements to the audience.
Career Day at ETCEI 2025
The day concluded with a networking cocktail event, which fostered vibrant discussions and potential collaborations among attendees.
Research, Innovation & Industry Highlights – Day 2
The second day opened with a presentation by John Kikidis (Vice President, HCCC Executive Board) on “The HCCC Initiative: Opportunities and Impact for the Greek Semiconductor and Emerging Tech Ecosystem.” The session underscored HCCC’s role in strengthening Greece’s position within the European semiconductor landscape and promoting collaboration across academia, research, and industry.
Opening Presentation by John Kikidis (Vice President, HCCC Executive Board)
It was followed by parallel technical sessions presenting research papers and posters on AI hardware, edge intelligence, robotics, digital twins, and energy-efficient systems from Greek and international teams.
The programme continued with a keynote address by Prof. Costis Daskalakis (MIT) on “A World of Interacting AIs,” which captivated the audience with thought-provoking insights into the future of artificial intelligence, human–machine collaboration, and the evolving frontiers of computational intelligence.
Keynote Speech delivered by Costis Daskalakis (MIT)
The day concluded with the side event “Chips Act Greece: Research, Innovation and Industrial Opportunities”, featuring a keynote speech by Romano Hoofman (imec) on “EUROpractice and Beyond: Empowering Europe’s Semiconductor Innovation under the Chips Act.”
Keynote Speech delivered by Romano Hoofman (imec)
The keynote was followed by two discussions: a panel on “Chips Act: New Opportunities for Research, Industry and Startups,” with Romano Hoofman (imec), John Kikidis (Renesas), Katerina Tzortzatou (NCSRD), and George Kalantzis (Industrial Edge Engineering), moderated by Dr. Emmanuel Zervakis (HETiA/HCCC) and a round table on “Strengthening the Semiconductor Value Chain: From Research to Industry,” featuring Alexis Birbas (University of Patras), Chrissavgi Dre (Intracom Defense), Grigoris Zisis (OHB Hellas), and Michalis Dritsas (Strategy & Implementation Coordination Service), moderated by Prof. Dimitris Kenourgios (NKUA).
Panel & Round Table Discussion at ETCEI 2025
Collaboration and Support
ETCEI 2025 reflected a strong collaboration between academia, research, and industry, advancing Greece’s and Europe’s capabilities in microelectronics and intelligent systems. Organized under the Hellenic Chips Competence Centre (HCCC), the conference strengthened cooperation within the European Chips Act framework, promoting technological excellence and knowledge exchange.
Looking Ahead
ETCEI 2025 underscored the vital synergy between academia, research, and industry in shaping Europe’s emerging-tech future and reaffirmed HETiA’s mission to foster collaboration, knowledge exchange, and technological sovereignty. Building on this year’s success, HETiA and its partners are already preparing ETCEI 2026, which will take place in Ioannina and will be co-organized by HETiA and the University of Ioannina, further strengthening the dialogue between research, innovation, and industry across Europe.
