HIAS Symposium 2026

Engineering the Future: Intelligent Health and Resilient Infrastructure Systems

July 16-17, 2026

Athens Conservatoire, Athens, Greece

HIAS Symposium 2026

You are cordially invited to the Symposium 2026 – Engineering the Future: Intelligent Health and Resilient Infrastructure Systems of the Hellenic Institute of Advanced Studies (HIAS), taking place July 16–17, 2026 at the Athens Odeon in Athens, Greece.

Bringing together researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and innovators, the symposium will explore how advanced engineering can address critical challenges in health, infrastructure, and resilience.

Discussions will highlight intelligent systems, adaptive technologies, resilient built environments, and integrated approaches aimed at enhancing safety, efficiency, and societal well-being.

About HIAS

The Hellenic Institute of Advanced Studies (HIAS) fosters scientific excellence to advance knowledge and support human well-being.

Create bridges and foster scientific exchanges between the Hellenic diaspora and their peers in Greece.
Establish international and interdisciplinary collaborations on challenges related to Energy, Health, Water, Transport, Climate, Agriculture, and Education.

HIAS integrates the strengths of the Hellenic scientific community independent of political or personal affiliation.

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Topics

AI and Biomedical Imaging

This session will examine the role of AI in advancing biomedical imaging technologies. Attendees will learn about the latest developments in AI-driven image analysis, including applications in diagnostics and treatment planning.

Engineering In Medicine: Women’s Health

This session will explore the application of engineering principles in addressing women's health challenges. Attendees will learn about innovative approaches to diagnosing and treating conditions that disproportionately affect women, as well as the role of technology in improving healthcare outcomes.

Intelligent Infrastructure

This session will examine the role of AI in creating intelligent infrastructure systems. Attendees will explore how AI can enhance the efficiency, sustainability, and resilience of infrastructure, including smart cities and transportation networks.

Infrastructure Intelligence for Decision Support

This session will explore how intelligent infrastructure systems can provide valuable decision support for urban planners, policymakers, and stakeholders. Attendees will learn about the latest technologies and methodologies for collecting, analyzing, and visualizing infrastructure data to inform decision-making processes.

Speakers - Panelists

George Alexopoulos

HELLENiQ ENERGY

Georgios Arampatzis

Technical University of Crete

Costas Cartalis

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Eleni Chatzi

ETH Zurich

Konstantinos Cholevas

HEDNO

Christos Davatzikos

University of Pennsylvania

Gerasimos Filippatos

Athens University Hospital Attikon

Elisa Konofagou

Columbia University

Despina Kontos

Columbia University

Christos Makropoulos

National Technical University of Athens

Clio Mavragani

National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Konstantina Nikita

Νational Technical University of Athens

Costas Papadimitriou

University of Thessaly

Panagiotis Papastamatiou

Hellenic Wind Energy Association

Nikos Paragios

Université Paris-Saclay

Marios Polycarpou

University of Cyprus

Program

DAY 1: ENGINEERING IN MEDICINEJuly 16

8:00 - 9:00

Registration & Networking Breakfast

Welcome coffee and introductory networking

9:00 - 11:00

Presentations and Panel

Engineering In Medicine I: AI and Biomedical Imaging

Chair and Moderator

Elisa Konofagou, Columbia University

Invited Speakers

Christos Davatzikos, University of Pennsylvania

Despina Kontos, Columbia University

Konstantina Nikita, Νational Technical University of Athens

John Kymissis, Columbia University

Pavlos Vlachos,, Purdue University

Panel Discussion

The role of AI in Biomedical Imaging

How has AI recently transformed diagnosis based on biomedical imaging?
What are some of the challenges in medicine embracing AI?
What is the impact in the patient’s diagnosis and overall healthcare of imaging aided through AI?

11:00 - 11:30

Coffee Break

11:30 - 13:30

Presentations and Panel

Engineering In Medicine II: Women’s Health

Chair and Moderator

Konstantina Nikita, Νational Technical University of Athens

Invited Speakers

Elisa Konofagou, Columbia University

Gerasimos Filippatos, Athens University Hospital Attikon

Clio Mavragani, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Nikos Paragios, Université Paris-Saclay

Panel Discussion

What are the main challenges in Women’s Health?

How can biomedical engineering technology help better monitor high risk pregnancy?
What are some of the challenges in monitoring post-menopausal symptoms?
How can female patients be better aided in their medical care?

13:30- 14:30

Lunch Break

14:30 - 17:30

Afternoon Event

Lab 2 Market

Bridging Innovation and Entrepreneurship is a new initiative between Columbia University and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) aimed at empowering a new generation of scientist-entrepreneurs in Greece.

The initiative is run by the Columbia Global Center in Athens, led by Columbia University’s Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), with the support of Columbia Business School, Endeavor Greece, and the Hellenic Institute of Advanced Studies (HIAS).

The Lab to Market Pitch Competition marks the culmination of an intensive entrepreneurship journey, where teams present their ventures to investors, industry experts, and mentors.

Building on the Business Foundations training, the Pitch Competition showcases innovative ideas at the intersection of research and real-world application.

Winning teams will receive monetary awards to support the next stage of their business development and growth.

17:30- 18:30

Reception

DAY 2: Smart / Resilient InfrastructuresJuly 17

9:00 - 9:15

Opening & framing

Introductory talks

9:15 - 11:00

Presentations and Panel

Foundations of Intelligent Infrastructure

Chair and Moderator

Eleni Chatzi, ETH Zurich

Invited Speakers

Costas Papadimitriou, University of Thessaly

Christos Makropoulos, National Technical University of Athens

Costas Cartalis, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

Marios Polycarpou, University of Cyprus

Georgios Arampatzis, Technical University of Crete

Panel Discussion

11:00 - 11:30

Coffee Break

11:30 - 13:00

Panel Discussion

Infrastructure Intelligence for Decision Support

Moderator

Vassilis Antoniades, Boston Consulting Group

Panelists

Panagiotis Papastamatiou, Hellenic Wind Energy Association

George Alexopoulos, HELLENiQ ENERGY

Konstantinos Cholevas, HEDNO

Guiding questions

What data can be reliably gathered at scale from operating infrastructure, and how do we ensure its quality, trustworthiness, and continuity over time?
How do data security, system integrity, and cyber–physical risks shape the design of monitoring and control strategies for critical infrastructure?
What parts of infrastructure operation benefit most from intelligence and automation today and where does human oversight remain essential?

13:00 - 14:00

Lunch Break

Organizing Committee

Andreas Boudouvis

National Technical University of Athens

Eleni Chatzi

ETH Zurich

Elisa Konofagou

Columbia University

Petros Koumoutsakos

Harvard University

Advisory Board

Vassilis Antoniades

Boston Consulting Group

Eugenia Giannini

Eugenia Giannini & Associates Law Firm

Theodora Varvarigou

National Technical University of Athens

Information

Symposium Format

The Symposium will be held in-person only.

Official Language

The official language of the Symposium will be English. No translation facilities will be available.

Registration Fees

Registration to the Symposium is free of charge.

Internet Access

Free Wi-Fi will be available in the Symposium auditorium.

Venue

The symposium will take place at the Athens Conservatoire Arts Centre, Rigillis and Vasileos Georgiou B 17-19, 106 75 Athens, Greece.

The Athens Conservatoire (AC) is housed in the iconic building designed by renowned architect Ioannis Despotopoulos. Located in the heart of Athens, it is within easy walking distance of Syntagma and Kolonaki squares, and close to the Presidential Mansion, the Greek Parliament, and the National Gardens. It is also next to Aristotle’s Lyceum and the Byzantine Museum, and near the Panathenaic Stadium, where the first modern Olympic Games were held in 1896. View the location on the map.

The building is easily accessible by public transport or car, with several parking facilities nearby. More information is available on how to get there.

The Athens Conservatoire Arts Centre comprises several venues, each with a distinctive aesthetic and architectural identity, ideal for hosting cultural, corporate, and social events, as well as exhibitions, conferences, and conventions.