The event brought together representatives of the academic, research, institutional, and innovation ecosystem of Thessaloniki and the Region of Central Macedonia, as well as participants from the IFS Awards, the SPIERA+ Network, the environmental organisations Mamagea and Incommon, and members of the student community. The workshop was also attended by Mr. Spyros Tzelepís, Deputy Mayor for Innovation, Startup Entrepreneurship, Volunteering, and Youth of the Municipality of Thessaloniki, representing OK!Thess.
The main objective of the meeting was the co-creation of realistic and implementable proposals that can be translated into educational activities, pilot projects, and collaborative initiatives with tangible regional and European impact.
Within this context, participants worked in three thematic workshops, focusing on three key challenges, which resulted in concrete and exploitable outcomes.
Challenge 2: Collaborative Innovation and EU Networks
The second workshop focused on structured collaborative innovation and the development of tools that enhance the connection between universities and innovation ecosystems.
Key proposals included:
the creation of a BAUHAUS4EU Research Resources Matchmaking Platform, a digital platform featuring:
research profiles of project partners,
mapping of institutional comparative advantages,
a robust and scalable architecture,
horizontal development (universities) and vertical development (ecosystems),
the use of an AI agent for intelligent search and matchmaking,
strengthening the local footprint of collaborations.
Indicative next steps discussed:
integration of the platform into living labs,
further discussion and co-design with project partners,
involvement of students in collaborative activities,
systematic communication with ecosystem stakeholders,
exploitation of best practices from similar initiatives.
Challenge 3: From Research to Impact – Knowledge Transfer, Exploitation & Digital / AI-enabled Innovation
The third workshop focused on bridging research with social and economic impact, placing particular emphasis on knowledge, digital tools, and networks.
Key proposals included:
development of short, targeted courses,
activation and utilisation of the IFS Awards of the Region of Central Macedonia as a knowledge transfer hub,
creation of a digital platform/repository for research outputs of the participating universities,
use of artificial intelligence for easy and intelligent information retrieval,
active engagement and mobilisation of alumni networks.
Conclusions and Next Steps
The 1st BAUHAUS4EU Regional Workshop hosted by the University of Macedonia highlighted the strong potential of collaboration between universities, regional authorities, and innovation ecosystems, producing concrete and actionable proposals. The outcomes will be taken forward in the next implementation phases of the project’s work packages, contributing to the development of a joint innovation hub that both supports and is supported by the BAUHAUS4EU European University, with a strong regional and European impact.
