Focused on the challenges and opportunities emerging in the age of Artificial Intelligence, the National Technical University of Athens and, in particular, the NTUA entrepreneurship team Odyceo — which promotes innovation and bridges the academic community with the labour market — organised the three-day student conference «Engineering the World 2026 Powered by METLEN», from 28 to 30 April, with the central theme of “Data Scarcity” in cutting-edge technologies.
The conference was a dynamic initiative aimed at connecting the University with the labour market, offering participants meaningful networking opportunities with leading companies and industry professionals. In parallel, students had the chance to explore the startup ecosystem first-hand and discover professional prospects that could lead to their next collaboration, job position, or even the creation of their own startup. Participants could choose between taking part in the Hackathon and the conference’s parallel activities, such as talks, workshops, corporate side events, and innovation showcase booths.
The session titled «Innovators Blueprint», held at the Zografou Polytechnic Campus on 28 April, brought together prominent figures from the fields of research, entrepreneurship, and innovation: Professor Yannis Emiris, Chairman of the Board and Director General of the Athena Research Centre; Dr. Giorgos Nounesis, Partner in the Advisory Services division of EY Greece; Markos Veremis, Chairman of the Innovation Committee of the Hellenic Federation of Enterprises (SEV); Dr. Vassilis Nikolopoulos, PhD Engineer of NTUA and Head of Applied Research & Development / Innovation – Energy Unit, Mytilineos SA; and Katerina Glava, Senior Partner in the Advisory Services division of Deloitte Greece. During the discussion, the pivotal role of basic research and human capital in the development of Artificial Intelligence applications and deep tech technologies was highlighted. Particular emphasis was placed on the importance of data quality, availability, and proper organisation as fundamental factors for the effective development and utilisation of advanced technological solutions.
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