The next lecture of the series, hosted by the School of Mineral Resources Engineering (MRE) of the Technical University of Crete, will be delivered by Christian Frigaard Rasmussen, PhD Fellow with the Department of Ecoscience, Aarhus University in Denmark, and member of the Arctic Environment research group. Christian Frigaard Rasmussen’s PhD research focuses on Arctic mine sites in permafrost-dominated areas, with particular emphasis on the spatial distribution of terrestrial pollution and the effects of climate change on mine-waste redistribution.

Rasmussen' lecture is titled:

"Geochemical Tracers for Identifying Environmental Drivers
of Pollution Distribution in East Greenland"

and is scheduled to take place on:

Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 12:00 EET (11:00 CET)

and can be attended either physically or virtually:

Room M3.108 (School of MRE @ TUC Campus)​
https://tuc-gr.zoom.us/j/96511690683?pwd=BF3BVAhr7YpNSuHBrRf5FWGdrw3EwF.1

The lecture is open to all interested members of TUC and EURECA-PRO. An official, electronic certificate of attendance will be issued to all actual attendees who will register their participation during the lecture.

Abstract

This presentation will indicatively address the use of geochemical tracers to understand environmental controls on pollution distribution in East Greenland, contributing to broader research themes related to environmental geochemistry, mining impacts, Arctic ecosystems, and the sustainable management of mine-affected areas.

Short Bio

Christian Frigaard Rasmussen holds a BSc in geosciences, where he worked with the geomorphology Glacial Curvilineations (GCLs). He also holds a MSc in Geology specializing in arctic geomorphology and geochronology of permafrost landscapes, specifically looking at natural dust deposition in high Arctic environments. For his PhD, he works with mines in Arctic areas dominated by permafrost. He primarily looks at the spatial distribution of terrestrial pollution and the consequences of climate change on mine waste (re-)distribution.

The event may be broadcast live through the official TUC Facebook page and will be recorded, while photographic material will be taken. The digital material will be displayed on the websites and on the official channels of the Technical University of Crete, EURECA-PRO TUC and the European University EURECA-PRO and will be published on social media, press releases and newsletters. For any issue, which concerns your personal data, you can be informed through the page with TUC's privacy policy.

EURECA-PRO is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Are you a PhD student eager to expand your research network and gain international experience?

Join the EURECA-PRO PhD Journey 2026 and take part in a unique blended programme combining online training with an on-site mobility week at either 🇬🇷 Technical University of Crete or 🇫🇷 Université de Lorraine.

✨ Develop research and presentation skills, connect with fellow PhD students across Europe, and explore topics related to responsible consumption and production.

📅 Applications: 1 June 2026 - 10 July 2026

💻 Online programme starts: 5 October 2026

✈️ On-site programme: 23-27 November 2026

🎓 5 ECTS | 🗣️ English

Visit our website to explore the different thematic tracks and apply now to enrich your doctoral journey: www.eurecapro.eu/phd-journey-2026

EURECA-PRO is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

📌 Join us for an engaging lecture with Peter Görlitz, Sustainability Manager Europe at Sonoco Consumer Products Europe GmbH, who will share industry insights into the challenges and opportunities of creating more sustainable packaging solutions.

The lecture will cover:

♻️ Current regulatory developments and requirements for packaging;

🌍 The role of the circular economy in reducing resource consumption and environmental impact;

📦 Advantages and limitations of different packaging materials;

🤝 The contribution of industry associations and standardisation bodies;

🔬 Future challenges and opportunities for research and education;

Whether your interests lie in sustainability, materials science, manufacturing, environmental policy, or the circular economy, this lecture will provide valuable perspectives on the future of packaging.

📌 Register here: www.eurecapro.eu/online-lecture-circularity-in-packaging

• Target audience: Bachelors and master’s students, doctoral students, researchers
• Place of delivery: Online
• Hosted by: TU Bergakademie Freiberg (Germany)
• Date and time: 26 June, 2026 | 11:30-13:00 CET (12:30-14:00 at TUC)
• Language: English

Don't miss this opportunity to learn from an expert at the forefront of sustainable packaging innovation!

EURECA-PRO is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

On Thursday May 7th, 2026 representatives from Technology Transfer Offices (TTOs) of EURECA-PRO partner universities met virtually to share their blueprints for turning ideas into impact. The presentations and discussion highlighted several best practices for successful technology transfer and innovation support across the EURECA-PRO alliance.

The discussion was facilitated from Afroditi Fotiou, member of the EURECA-PRO team at the Technical University of Crete (TUC), who initiated the conversation with a short introduction on EURECA-PRO’s approach to Research and Innovation and Entrepreneurship (I&E), as well as insights from the young and dynamic TTO at TUC.

One key takeaway was the value of a strong and well-integrated support structure. Anneke Kennens, Communication and Projects Manager in Tech Transfer Office of Hasselt University (HU), showcased a centralized TTO of 31 people, where legal experts, spin-off creators, and decentralized business developers work side-by-side with researchers to foster an entrepreneurial mindset. Key highlights include a "Valorization Academy" and a powerful connection to Flanders’ regional ecosystem.

Another important lesson focused on user-centred innovation. Steven Palmaers, Business Developer in the Digital Future Lab of Hasselt University (HU), introduced Flanders Make, a strategic research center with a human centered approach. He tackled the classic dilemma—Tech Push vs. Market Pull strategy —and concluded that the best innovation bridges both worlds. Whether reinventing cleanroom training or monitoring worker well-being, the golden rule remains: validate early and involve real users.

Long-term collaboration emerged as a third success factor. Karin Rehatschek, Director of the Research and Innovation Service of the Technical University of Leoben (TUL), focused on two topics. She introduced the institute and its service portfolio and presented the "TechFair" event as a best practice example to reinforce networking of researchers with the regional ecosystem. The Technology Transfer Office of TUL counts 25 years of operation and 14 staff members. At TUL, technology transfer activities are based on long term relationships with industrial stakeholders. With structured initiatives like "Science Fit" that enable visits in Styrian SMEs and "COoperation INnovation" for technology and know-how development of SMEs, small projects lead to long-term collaborations.

All parties agreed that the human factor is an essential driver of innovation, either on involving people in making tomorrow’s technology, fostering research on adaptive reuse or investing in long-lasting, trustful collaborations, the societal impact of innovation makes the difference. The presented examples illustrated how smaller projects can serve as entry points for lasting partnerships that create value for both academia and industry.

Across all presentations, a common message became clear: successful technology transfer is not only about processes, funding, or intellectual property. It is ultimately driven by people, trust, and collaboration. Whether through entrepreneurship support, user engagement, or long-term partnerships, the most impactful innovations emerge when strong networks connect research with societal and industrial needs.

You may watch the video of the event and read a related article on EURECA-PRO's website.

EURECA-PRO is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

On Tuesday, June 9, 2026, TUC hosted Prof. Dionissios T. Hristopulos, Professor with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the Technical University of Crete (TUC).

Prof. Hristopulos delivered a lecture, following the prestigious 2024 Georges Matheron Lectureship Award he received, on "From Particles to Patterns: An Odyssey from Physics to Geostatistics and Beyond" (all details about this lecture can be found on the linked announcement).

On the right tab of this post, you can view the photo album of the event, as well as watch the video of the lecture.

EURECA-PRO is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

Participants have already joined five online sessions (90 minutes each) in the past months, since January 2026. This week is the concluding in-person Staff Week with a full training program, including lectures, workshops, cultural activities, and networking opportunities, taking place on TUC Campus and the broader area of Chania. 

The expected outcomes of the program are the following:

• Creation of lasting cross-institutional peer networks.
• Improved intercultural awareness and communication skills.
• Strengthened sense of belonging within the EURECA-PRO community.
• Planning of further capacity building activities.

The entire team of EURECA-PRO TUC would like to welcome all participants to TUC Campus!

The EURECA-PRO project is co-funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

This new program is supported with funding from the Greece 2.0 National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Universities Internationalization Program) and is implemented in collaboration with the European University on Responsible Consumption and Production (EURECA-PRO), in which the two organizing institutions participate as founding members since 2020. The new program will commence in the 2026 Winter Semester.

Work meetings and discussions took place between 27.05.2026 and 29.05.2026 and were attended by the visiting delegation from the Technical University of Leoben (TUL), representing the Admissions Office and the Legal Office of TUL:

• Bianca Sieberer (TUL Admissions Office, main spokesperson and contact person)
• Barbara Ott (TUL Admissions Office, implementation of admission process)
• Christina Waldauf (TUL Legal Office, consultant to the Rectorate for academic affairs)
• Erika Rossoll (TUL Legal Office, consultant for Research and Innovation contracts and agreements)

as well as members of the Postgraduate Studies Committee of the School of MRE:

• Assistant Prof. Emmanouil Varouchakis (EURECA-PRO TUC Education Lead and RCP-SM Program Coordinator)
• Prof. Panagiotis Partsinevelos
• Prof. Konstantinos Komnitsas
• Prof. Michael Galetakis

and members of the EURECA-PRO TUC team:

• Prof. Konstantinos-Alketas Ouggrinis (TUC Vice Rector for Research and Innovation)
• Prof. Em. Evan Diamantopoulos (EURECA-PRO TUC Coordinator)
• Prof. Michail G. Lagoudakis (EURECA-PRO TUC Deputy Coordinator)
• Dr. Eleni Mylona (EURECA-PRO TUC Education and I&E Representative)
• Aliki Stergianni (EURECA-PRO TUC Joint Study Programs and Accreditation Representative)
• Ioulia Koroptsenko (EURECA-PRO TUC Joint Study Programs and Accreditation Representative)
• Stavroula Panagiotidou (School of MRE Doctoral Candidate and EURECA-PRO Doctoral Training School)

Overall, the meetings focused on key areas that directly affect the longevity and smooth implementation of the new Master’s program: student admissions, international student procedures, educational agreements, legal compliance, research contracts, and funding structures. Bringing together colleagues from the two institutions allows to address both the operational and strategic dimensions of the ongoing collaboration and create a stronger basis for future joint activities.

EURECA-PRO is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The next lecture of the series will be delivered by our own Prof. Dionissios T. Hristopulos, Professor with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at the Technical University of Crete (TUC). Prof. Hristopulos will deliver a celebrated lecture, following the prestigious 2024 Georges Matheron Lectureship Award he received from the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences (IAMG), which recognized his outstanding scientific contributions to spatial statistics and mathematical morphology.

Prof. Hristopulos' lecture is titled:

"From Particles to Patterns:
An Odyssey from Physics to Geostatistics and Beyond"

and is scheduled to take place on:

Tuesday, June 9, 2026 at 16:30 EET (15:30 CET)

and can be attended either physically or virtually:

Room 145.P58 (School of ECE @ TUC Campus)​
https://tuc-gr.zoom.us/j/96511690683?pwd=BF3BVAhr7YpNSuHBrRf5FWGdrw3EwF.1

The lecture is open to all interested members of TUC and EURECA-PRO. An official, electronic certificate of attendance will be issued to all actual attendees who will register their participation during the lecture.

Abstract

Understanding and managing our natural resources requires reliable ways to analyze spatial data—from climate variables and soil properties to pollution levels and ecosystem indicators. This talk explores how ideas from physics, geostatistics, and artificial intelligence (AI) can be combined to support sustainable development through efficient and transparent data modeling. We begin by showing that traditional geostatistical methods, such as kriging, are closely related to modern AI tools known as Gaussian process regression. This connection helps bridge established spatial analysis techniques with newer data‑driven approaches used in environmental and sustainability studies. However, applying these methods to the large datasets now common in Earth observation, sensor networks, and climate science can be computationally demanding. To address this challenge, we introduce an alternative perspective inspired by statistical physics. By formulating spatial dependence through local interactions—rather than large covariance matrices—we obtain models that are both physically interpretable and computationally efficient. These stochastic local interaction (SLI) models function as Markov random fields and are particularly well suited for large‑scale spatial prediction and uncertainty assessment, which are essential for sustainable planning and risk analysis. We further discuss how these ideas extend naturally from discrete data to continuous spatial processes, enabling smooth representations of environmental variables. We also briefly explore how concepts from complex systems and statistical physics, such as the Ising model, can help describe collective spatial behavior, for example in land‑use patterns or ecosystem transitions. We conclude by highlighting how physics‑inspired, computationally efficient spatial models can contribute to more informed, scalable, and sustainable decision‑making in environmental and resource management.

Short Bio

Dionissios Hristopulos is a Professor in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Technical University of Crete (TUC) in Greece. He holds a Diploma in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens (1985) and a PhD in Physics from Princeton University (1991), where he did his PhD research in the group of the Nobel Laureate in Physics Philip W. Anderson. Following mandatory military service in Greece, he worked at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill for two years as Post-doctoral Researcher and for five years as Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering. In 2000, Dionisis moved to the Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada (currently, FPInnovations). For his research he was awarded (jointly with T. Uesaka) the 2003 Johannes A. Van den Akker International Prize for Advances in Paper Physics. Recently, in 2024 he received the Georges Matheron Lectureship Award from the International Association of Mathematical Geosciences. In 2002, Dionissios moved to the Technical University of Crete as Associate Professor in Geostatistics and was promoted to Professor in 2007 in the School of Mineral Resources Engineering (MRE). In 2020, he joined the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) at TUC. Dionissios teaches courses in Probability, Statistics, Geostatistics, Time Series, and Random Fields. He has co-authored 202 publications (journal articles, conference proceedings and abstracts, and technical reports) as well as the books “Spatiotemporal Environmental Health Modelling" (Kluwer, 1998) and "Random Fields for Spatial Data Modeling" (Springer, 2020). Dionissios is on the Advisory Board of the journal Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment (Springer) and the Associate Editor board for Computers and Geosciences (Elsevier). He has served as Director of Graduate Studies in the School of MRE at TUC (2004-2009), as Director of the Master's program in Machine Learning and Data Science (MLDS) in the School of ECE at TUC (2022-2026) and as Member of the University Council of TUC (2012-2017 and 2022-2026). His research explores the intersection of spatiotemporal statistics, time series analysis, statistical physics, and machine learning, along with their practical applications. Dionissios has coordinated and participated in several national and European research projects. He collaborates with engineers, statisticians, mathematicians, physicists, and geologists on the development and application of novel methods for the analysis of spatial and spatiotemporal data. Dionissios also regularly reviews articles that involve interdisciplinary applications of statistical physics, stochastic methods, spatial statistics and signal processing for various international journals. Dionissios has held short visiting professor appointments in the Division of Applied Mathematics, Brown University (2013) and the Space Physics Program in the Department of Astrophysical Sciences, Princeton University (2025).

The event may be broadcast live through the official TUC Facebook page and will be recorded, while photographic material will be taken. The digital material will be displayed on the websites and on the official channels of the Technical University of Crete, EURECA-PRO TUC and the European University EURECA-PRO and will be published on social media, press releases and newsletters. For any issue, which concerns your personal data, you can be informed through the page with TUC's privacy policy.

EURECA-PRO is funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

🧑‍💻 Full-day contest focused on physiological signal analysis using supervised and unsupervised analysis techniques

⚙️ Develop a model that best fits the data provided and achieves the best performance

📍 Online or on-site at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences, Germany

📍 Part of the IEEE MetroXRAINE 2026 Conference in Chemnitz, Germany

👉 Find more info and register by 15th June 2026 at www.eurecapro.eu/ieee-metroxraine-2026-youth-pre-contest

The Youth Pre-Contest is a full-day hands-on challenge focused on physiological signal analysis using supervised and unsupervised analysis techniques. Participants will receive a dataset to train and evaluate their own model on their personal device. The goal is to develop a model that best fits the data provided and achieves the best performance according to the evaluation criteria defined by the organizers. The contest offers students, PhD’s and researchers under 36 years the opportunity to test their skills, work on a practical data-based challenge, and exchange ideas with other young researchers. The contest will take place in a hybrid format: participants can join online via Microsoft Teams or attend on-site at Mittweida University of Applied Sciences if they live close-by (snacks and drinks will be provided). Students, PhD’s and researchers under 36 years can work individually or in teams of up to three members. Participation is free of charge.

About the IEEE MetroXraine

The MetroXRAINE conference brings together researchers from around the world who are working on cutting-edge research topics in the field of metrology for eXtended Reality – an umbrella term for immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality – artificial intelligence (AI) and neural engineering (NE).

The EURECA-PRO project is co-funded by the European Union under the Grant Agreement No 101124439 "EURECA-PRO 2.0". Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

The webinar will explore key topics in hydrometallurgy through two high-level expert presentations:

• "The Lindy Effect in Hydrometallurgy"
  Prof. Koen Binnemans, KUL (11:00-12:00 CET)
  
  The presentation discusses why established hydrometallurgical technologies remain dominant and why the adoption of new approaches can be challenging. This concept explains industrial hesitation to adopt, as capital-intensive projects favor low-risk, established methods over novel, often less-durable alternatives.
  
   
• "Reagent Recovery and Recycling by Bipolar Membrane Electrodialysis (BPED)"
  Emma-Liisa Lappalainen, Research Scientist VTT (12:00-13:00 CET)
  
  The presentation discusses the use of bipolar membrane electrodialysis for sulphate treatment and the regeneration of acid and base products. It explores its potential to support more sustainable and resource-efficient hydrometallurgical processes.

The webinar is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students, researchers, and all those interested in expanding their knowledge on current developments in hydrometallurgy.

Register for the webinar here 

Registration will close on 20.05.2026 and participants will receive the Zoom link prior to the webinar.