HERON - Hellenic Robotics Center of Excellence Inaugural Event

The HERON - Hellenic Robotics Center of Excellence Inaugural Event will take place on Thursday, April 3, 2025, at the Basil and Elise Goulandris Foundation (13 Eratosthenous, Athens), from 09:30 AM to 3:00 PM. 

The event will be attended by political leaders, international partners of HERON, over 70 organizations and companies committed to contributing to the Center, and the robotics scientific and business community in Greece. The event will provide participants with the opportunity to learn about this groundbreaking new institution. 

HERON’s founding team of renowned professors in Robotics and Artificial Intelligence, supported by an elite group of researchers and collaborators, secured competitive European funding for the establishment and operation of Greece's first Center of Excellence in Robotics Technologies during the era of Artificial Intelligence. 

The long-term funding for HERON, amounting to over 35 million euros, is sourced from the European Horizon Program – Teaming for Excellence, the Greek funding from the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation, and several private sponsors. HERON is hosted at the Athena Research Center (Coordinator), with major supporting partners including the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT). 

HERON’s primary goals include advancing the science and technology of robotics in the age of Artificial Intelligence, with applications in safety and rescue robotics, field robotics (agriculture, shipping, transport), healthcare robotics, and social robotics, as well as establishing Makerspaces. The organization of the Greek robotics ecosystem (academics, researchers, industry), its connection with the Greek Diaspora in robotics, and positioning as a hub in Southeast Europe are key elements of the expected impact. 

HERON is an iconic project with high objectives in critical areas of robotics in the AI era, aiming to positively impact technology, economy, security, education, health, and ultimately the prosperity of Greece. 

Event Agenda: Available here.