Speakers

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  Elena Afentouli Undergraduate student in the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering at the University of Western Macedonia
  

  Elena Afentouli

  Undergraduate student in the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering at the University of Western Macedonia

  Elena Afentouli is an undergraduate student in the Department of Product and Systems Design Engineering at the University of Western Macedonia, with a strong interest in innovation, strategic thinking and project management. As Campus Director of the Hult Prize (2024-25), she coordinated a team that achieved global recognition, ranking among the Top 5 in Europe. She has experience in strategic design, event planning and leadership, and is actively developing her skills through academic and extracurricular initiatives in innovation and social entrepreneurship.

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  Nikolaos Th. Papadopoulos Undergraduate student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Western Macedonia.
  

  Nikolaos Th. Papadopoulos

  Undergraduate student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Western Macedonia.

  Nikolaos Th. Papadopoulos was born in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 2005 and is currently an undergraduate student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Western Macedonia. His research interests lie in applied mathematics, numerical methods and the development of computational and mathematical models, with particular emphasis on biomedical engineering and computational medicine. He is the Founder and Team Lead of the Student Research Group BioMec, where he is leading the development of a mechanistic computational model for Breast Cancer. In parallel, he oversees Project Noesis, a brain–computer interface (BCI) system that translates EEG signals (P300) into wheelchair navigation commands using real-time signal processing and machine learning techniques, with the goal of enabling individuals with motor impairments to regain their independence. Papadopoulos has also contributed as an Avionics Engineer in the University’s aerospace team ASPiRE, participating in the development of a student-built M-Class Rocket for the European Rocketry Challenge (EuRoC) 2025, where the team received the Payload Award. Alongside these activities, his research experience includes the ongoing authorship of a comprehensive mathematical handbook for engineers, covering advanced topics in applied and theoretical mathematics. His technical expertise includes differential equations, finite difference methods, computational modeling, and programming in C and MATLAB. He is particularly interested in developing mathematically grounded models to better understand complex biological systems.

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  Elpida T. Samara ssociate Professor at the Department of Accounting and Finance of the University of Western Macedonia
  

  Elpida T. Samara

  ssociate Professor at the Department of Accounting and Finance of the University of Western Macedonia

  Elpida T. Samara is an Associate Professor at the Department of Accounting and Finance of the University of Western Macedonia, Greece. She holds a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, a PhD in Technology and Innovation Management from the University of Western Macedonia, and a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship funded by the Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation. Her doctoral and postdoctoral work focuses on innovation systems, smart technologies, regional development and system dynamics modelling.
  Her research interests include entrepreneurship, innovation management, regional innovation systems, smart specialisation, technology transfer, circular economy, sustainability, and just transition. She has long-standing experience in the scientific coordination, implementation and management of European, national and regional research projects, including Interreg, Horizon 2020, European Urban Initiative and other EU co-funded programmes. She has contributed to projects addressing responsible research and innovation, knowledge transfer, youth entrepreneurship, regional transformation, smart technologies, and climate-neutral development.
  Dr. Samara has extensive teaching experience in higher education, particularly in entrepreneurship, innovation, business planning, technology management, statistics, research methodology, supply chain management and quantitative methods. Since 2021, she has served as a faculty member at the University of Western Macedonia, while she has also taught at the Hellenic Open University and in postgraduate programmes.
  She has published extensively in international peer-reviewed journals, conference proceedings, edited volumes and books. Her academic work includes publications in the fields of innovation systems, regional development, entrepreneurship, smart technologies, responsible innovation and sustainability. She is also actively involved in entrepreneurship support activities, mentoring, business plan development, student innovation competitions and the promotion of university–industry collaboration.
  Through her academic, research and project work, Dr. Samara contributes to strengthening innovation capacity, entrepreneurial culture and sustainable regional transformation, with particular emphasis on Western Macedonia and its transition towards a more resilient, inclusive and knowledge-based development model.

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  Ioannis Antoniadis Vice Rector for Administrative and Financial Affairs & Professor, Department of Management Science & Technology at University of Western Macedonia
  

  Ioannis Antoniadis

  Vice Rector for Administrative and Financial Affairs & Professor, Department of Management Science & Technology at University of Western Macedonia

  Ioannis Antoniadis is Professor of Corporate Governance, Performance, and Investments at the Department of Management Science and Technology, University of Western Macedonia. He holds degrees from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of Reading, UK, and a PhD in Corporate Governance.
  His work focuses on corporate governance, business strategy, digital marketing, and emerging technologies, especially blockchain. He has authored more than 120 scientific publications and has served as Head of Department and Director of the MSc in E-Business and Digital Marketing. He is currently Vice-Rector for Administrative and Financial Affairs at the University of Western Macedonia and responsible for the SPEIRA+ programme of the University’s Technology Transfer and Innovation Office.