ACG-RC is a not-for-profit legal entity operating as a Research Center whose purpose is to perform research and explore innovation opportunities spanning a broad range of scientific areas: natural, social, and computational sciences, technology, education and communications, as well as the liberal and fine arts.
ACG-RC fosters a diverse range of research, learning and innovation-oriented activities, hosts researchers and scholars from different countries and backgrounds, participates in collaborative projects — such as research grants funded by various entities — and collaborates with an array of partners from the academic, research, industrial, non-governmental and other domains.
ACG-RC also serves as a vehicle for supporting funded research activities (such as European Commission-funded projects) involving the faculty members of ACG’s educational divisions, as well as the members and fellows of ACG’s Institutes, Centers of Excellence and other units.
Professor Constantinos Papadias ([email protected]) is ACG-RC’s Scientific Director, overseeing its Research and Innovation activities. For more information and questions related to the ACG-RC, please contact Mr. Aristotelis Alexopoulos, [email protected], 210 8964531, ext. 2270.
EU-Funded Projects
ERASMUS+ project RISE
RISE (Rise Empowered Above Sexual Violence in Sports) is an Erasmus+ project aiming to address the issue of sexual violence in sports. RISE focuses on combating sexual violence within the realm of sports, taking a multi-pronged approach. It plans to formulate and advocate for a comprehensive framework consisting of policies, guidelines, and resources designed to prevent sexual violence. It also seeks to foster awareness, sensitivity, and knowledge among individuals and entities involved in sports and to equip them with the necessary tools and expertise to prevent instances of sexual violence effectively. Particular emphasis is placed on educating young individuals within the sports domain, particularly athletes, about sexual violence. Through a comprehensive strategy, it aims to empower the youth and protect them from the perils of sexual violence within the sports sphere. The RISE project is coordinated by Social Policy and Action Organization from Cyprus, in partnership with, besides ACG-RC, organizations from Austria, Bulgaria, Italy and Spain. ACG-RC participates through the ACG150 Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism and Leisureled by Professor Athanasios Krystallis, Executive Director of the CoEFTL, whereas the scientific lead on the side of ACG-RC is Dr. Tatiana Chalkidou, Department Head of Tourism, Hospitality and Sports. Other members of the scientific team include Dr. Ritsa Ventouratou, Dr. Chrisanthi Nega, Dr. Stella Leivadi and Ioanna Mitropoulou. The project was formally kicked off in Cyprus on Nov. 26, 2023. For more information, please see https://en.bulsport.bg/projects_en/RISE_EN/view?nwid=44254.
Horizon Europe project ISLANDS
ISLANDS (Integrated Sensing and Communications for future vehicuLAr environments – a Network of Doctoral Students) is a Horizon Europe project funded by the European Commission as a Doctoral Network under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) program. The ISLANDS Doctoral Network, with a total budget of 2.7M€, will recruit, train and supervise 11 doctoral students who will pursue their PhD degrees on research topics related to the emerging area of integrated sensing and communications, which bridges the fields of wireless communications and radar. The envisioned applications will target the vehicular and automotive domains. The network comprises 8 beneficiary partners (4 academic and 4 industrial), as well as 12 associated partners that come from the European Union, the UK, the US, Israel and China. ACG-RC participates as a beneficiary partner through the Smart Wireless Future Technologies (SWiFT) Lab. Professor Constantinos Papadias will be the project’s Technical Coordinator. The project will start formally on Jan. 1, 2024.
CoEFTL qualified to run Consumer Engagement Labs in Greece for 2nd year in a row
At a recent EIT Food Call, the ACG-RC / CoEFTL (CoE Food, Tourism & Leisure) was qualified to run for a second consecutive year the Consumer Engagement Labs (CEL) in Greece for 2023. EIT Food CEL is the largest food co-creation initiative in Europe, funded by Horizon Europe framework program. In 2019-2022, the co-creation processes involved 82 consumer panels and 43 companies from 16 European countries, who worked together to design, develop and introduce to the market 22 innovative food products.
In 2023-2025, the methodology will be applied to societal challenges linked to targeted nutrition and protein diversification. Labs in Greece will be implemented by the CoEFTL and the leading food company E. J. Papadopoulos, aiming to develop and introduce to the Greek market food products that address a specific societal challenge. The co-creation approach of the Labs will be conducted by Dr. Chrysanthi Nega and Dr. Chryssoula Karakitsou, faculty of the Deree Department of Psychology, with the support of student scholars and the scientific coordination of Dr. Toula Perrea. The Greek consortium (ACG-RC/CoEFTL & E. J Papadopoulos) are awarded the amount of € 31,250 for organizing the CELs.
Horizon Europe Project LIKE-A-PRO
LIKE-A-PRO is a collaborative innovation action project funded by the European Commission’s Horizon Europe program (under grant agreement # 101083961). The project started on Nov. 1, 2022, and will last for four years. It is coordinated by CTIC CITA in Spain and brings together key representatives along the entire alternative edible protein value chain (protein producers, ingredient & product developers, culinary centers, food clusters), scientists and market & communication experts and European consumers in a cross-disciplinary consortium (42 entities in 17 countries). ACG-RC participates through the ACG150 Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism and Leisure (CoEFTL), led by Prof. Athanasios Krystallis, Executive Director of the CoEFTL. ACG-RC will be responsible for the organization of a “Living Lab” on its premises, whereby consumers will have the chance to test and evaluate several food recipes based on alternative proteins. More information about the project can be found here.
ERASMUS+ project REFOCUS
REFOCUS (REthinking and FOstering Competence and skills for sUstainable transport, Shipping, and logistics) is an Erasmus+ project, funded under Key Action 2 (Cooperation Among Organizations and Institutions), and specifically, Call 2022 on Cooperation partnerships in higher education (KA220-HED). The project aims at developing student-centered educational material in the transport, shipping and logistics sectors, focusing on the environmental protection and fight against climate change while enhancing inclusion and diversity of students. As such, REFOCUS will target University dropouts, people located in isolated rural/island areas, as well as students belonging to disadvantaged groups with an interest in transport, shipping and logistics sectors in order to assist them in building skills. The project will engage an innovative, engaging design-thinking approach to develop a future-oriented curriculum and new training material for transport, shipping and logistics that will lead to a micro-credential (certificate). REFOCUS is coordinated by the University of the Aegean and comprises, besides ACG-RC, the University of Antwerp in Belgium, Cambiamo Sociedad Cooperativa Madrilena in Spain, Andaira in Spain, and Delft University of Technology in The Netherlands. ACG-RC participates through the ACG150 Center of Excellence in Logistics, Shipping, and Transportation (CoELST), led by Prof. George Kokosalakis, Executive Director of the CoELST, whereas the Scientific Lead on the side of ACG-RC is Prof. Athena Tsirimpa, CoELST Fellow.
ERASMUS+ project SDG4U
SDG4U (Engaging SDGs for Transformative Education and Enhanced Sustainability in Universities) is an Erasmus+ project, funded under Key Action 2 (Cooperation Among Organizations and Institutions), and specifically, Call 2022 on Cooperation partnerships in higher education (KA220-HED). A main priority of the project is to stimulate innovative learning and teaching practices through engaging SDGs for transformative education, which lead to enhanced sustainability in universities at all levels. The project is coordinated by the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and comprises, besides ACG-RC, the Panteion University in Greece, the University of Murcia in Spain, the University of Cork in Ireland and UniMed in Italy. The participation of ACG-RC is coordinated by the ACG150 Center of Excellence in Sustainability (CoES), led by Prof. Stella Apostolaki, Executive Director of the CoES.
EIT Food RIS Consumer Engagement Labs 2022
The EIT Food RIS Consumer Engagement Labs are pre-competitive co-creation sessions carried out by a group of consumers (selected based on specific segmentation criteria) in a joint place and limited in time, focused on ideation and development of new product concepts. They operate under the European Institute of Technology (EIT) Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS), which was introduced in 2014 in order to boost the innovation performance of countries with moderate or modest innovation scores as defined by the European Innovation Scoreboard. The RIS is steered by the EIT and implemented through the EIT’s Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs). The activity contributes to the implementation of the EIT Food RIS Strategy, Action Line 2, by strengthening the innovative ecosystems of targeted EIT RIS countries. In 2022, EIT Food joined forces with EIT Climate-KIC, EIT Manufacturing, and EIT Urban Mobility in a joint initiative aimed at bolstering collaboration and enhancing the circular economy approach in the region. ACG-RC has participated, since June 2022, through the ACG150 Center of Excellence in Food, Tourism and Leisure (CoEFTL ), led by Prof. Athanasios Krystallis and implemented by Dr. Toula Perrea, member of the CoEFTL. More information can be found here.