Programme: ERASMUS2027 
Topic: ERASMUS-EDU-2025-CBHE-STRAND-2

The EQUALCity research project ("Networking Green and Innovative Development Consultation Labs for Equal, Resilient, Human-Centred Urban Communities") officially launches as part of the ERASMUS 2027 program and the "Capacity Building in Higher Education (Strand 2)" sector. It is being implemented by the Energy Management in the Built Environment Research Lab (EMBER Lab) of the School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering. The Technical University of Crete is the coordinating body, and the project will run for three years. The project aims to strengthen the capacity of Higher Education Institutions in the Southern Mediterranean region by transferring knowledge and experience in the area of sustainable urban development. The project's actions focus on advancing teaching staff's skills and comprehensively upgrading curricula across educational institutions in South Mediterranean countries by implementing advanced teaching methods, enhancing research and innovation, and fostering international collaboration. The European partners will actively participate in developing new curricula and modernising existing ones, with an emphasis on sustainable urban design.

The objectives of EQUALCity will be accomplished by:

•    Establishing six Consultation Centres across Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan to assist policymakers, urban planners, and stakeholders in the making of a comprehensive urban policy. 
•    Developing six Urban Digital Labs located in Egypt, Jordan, and Tunisia, equipped with advanced technologies like Geographic Information Systems -GIS, Artificial Intelligence -AI, and applications of smart cities. 
•    Implementing six Pilot Urban Innovation Projects in selected cities across Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan. 
•    Developing eight new curricula, which will be conducted to build capacity in sustainable urban development. Two of these programs will occur at partner European universities, while six will be held at beneficiary universities in Egypt, Tunisia, and Jordan. 
•    Modernising and updating twelve Urban Curricula to align with the latest trends in sustainable urban planning and climate resilience. 
•    Organising six Technical and Administrative Workshops in Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan to equip participants with the tools and knowledge needed to deal with the consultation centres and the Urban Digital Labs.

The consortium consists of: Technical University of Crete (EL), Izmir University of Economics (TR), Arab Academy of Science, Technology and Maritime Transport (EG), Nahda University (EG), Al-Balqa Applied University (JO), Aqaba University of Technology (JO), University of Manouba (TN), University of Carthage (TN), and Centre de Calcul El Khawarizmi (TN).

Through cross-sector collaboration and alignment with EU priorities, EQUALCity offers a valuable opportunity for educational advancement and encourages social inclusion by reducing regional disparities and ensuring equitable access to urban services for all citizens, regardless of their socio-economic status.

Project Coordinator: Prof D. Kolokotsa
Project Manager: Dr T. Glytsos
 

The Programmatic Agreement entitled “Investigation and Evaluation of Suitable Sites for the Installation of a Waste Transfer Station (WTS) in the Municipality of Apokoronas” was signed on Wednesday, 17 December 2025, at the Rectorate of the Technical University of Crete by the Vice Rector of Research and Innovation, Professor Konstantinos-Alketas Ouggrinis, the Scientific Supervisor of the project, Professor Emeritus Evangelos Gidarakos of the School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at the Technical University of Crete and the Mayor of Apokoronas, Charalambos Koukianakis.

The selection of suitable sites for the installation of a WTS is a demanding process, as it stems from the evaluation of multiple parameters (both environmental and non-environmental) and the optimization of criteria imposed by legislative, economic, environmental, public health, and social constraints. 

More specifically, key criteria include the availability of sufficient land area, easy accessibility of the site for heavy vehicles, a centrally located position in relation to the service area, the hydrogeological characteristics of the site, and the level of visual impact.

In the search for the most suitable site for the installation of a WTS, multiple alternative options are evaluated among areas that meet the suitability criteria, often utilizing technologically available decision-support tools. Incorrect assessment of site selection criteria may lead to results contrary to those anticipated, causing adverse environmental impacts as well as protests from local communities.

It should be emphasized that the selection of the most suitable site for the installation and operation of a WTS can only be implemented once the characteristics and the required capacity of the necessary facility have been clearly defined. 

The activities that will take place at the station, as well as the quantities and flows of waste it will receive, will determine the minimum required land area, which will then be sought while taking into account both current and future needs.

The awarded poster, entitled “CO₂ methanation over Ni nanoparticles dispersed on CeO₂ supports: the effect of support synthesis method and the resulting nano-configurations”, was carried out within the framework of the research project “Innovative design of stable, efficient, and in-situ regenerable nanocatalysts for CO₂ recycling through CO₂ methanation and dry (CO₂) reforming of methane – StableCO₂Nanocat”, coordinated and scientifically supervised by Professor Ioannis Yentekakis. The project is funded by the H.F.R.I. (ELIDEK) under the Action “Basic Research Financing -Horizontal support for all Sciences (Hellenic Foundation for Research & Innovation, H.F.R.I) - National Recovery and Resilience Plan (Greece 2.0), funded by the European Union– NextGenerationEU (Project No.: ELIDEK 16916).

The presentation of the work at the conference was delivered by Professor Michail Karakassidis.

The Technical University of Crete is participating as a research partner in the European project INTEGRATES – Intelligent Digital Tools for Green Renovation, Assessment, Transformation, Efficiency and Sustainability, which is funded by the Horizon Europe program.

The project aims to develop innovative digital tools based on building information modelling (BIM) and digital twins, contributing to the sustainable and circular retrofitting of buildings and improving energy efficiency. Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning methods, the project automates data analysis, predicts energy behaviour, optimises design, and enhances user interaction with the digital tools.

An integrated digital platform will be developed as part of the project, combining the design, construction, operation, and demolition phases, along with the management of the building's life cycle. This platform will provide a unified environment for data management and informed decision-making, promoting greater sustainability in the construction sector.

By integrating these technologies, INTEGRATES aims to optimise energy efficiency, reduce the carbon footprint, and promote a circular approach to the management of the built environment, with an emphasis on material reuse and sustainable resource utilisation throughout the life cycle of buildings.

EURAC Research coordinates the project in Italy and involves 18 partners from 9 European countries, including the Technical University of Crete, through the Laboratory of Built Environment and Energy Management of the School of Chemical Engineering and Environmental Engineering, with Professor Dionysia Kolokotsa as Project Leader. The team also includes Assistant Professor Nikos Diangelakis and researchers Dr Katerina Lilli, Dr Elisavet Tsekeri, Filippos Ligerakis, and Thanasis Malisovas. The Technical University of Crete plays a decisive role in the development of Knowledge Graphs and machine learning methods for building data management and analysis, enhancing the transparency and reliability of Artificial Intelligence.

The INTEGRATES innovations will be implemented in four pilot cities: Bolzano (Italy), Genk (Belgium), Sofia (Bulgaria), and Madrid (Spain), which represent different climate zones with diverse local social characteristics, allowing the solutions to be evaluated in real-world conditions.

The project's kick-off meeting will take place on November 5 and 6, 2025, in Bolzano, Italy, marking the start of an important European collaboration for sustainable and digital transition.

Professor Gidarakos’ presentation, titled “PFAS Toxicity in Fibers”, focused on the mechanisms of PFAS release from fibers, the pathways of human exposure, as well as the impacts of PFAS on human health and the environment.

The organization of the MICRO/FORCE Workshop is the result of collaboration between the Technical University of Crete, TU Vienna, and the University of San Diego (USA), as part of the strategic effort to connect the Technical University of Crete with internationally recognized higher education institutions. The initiative bridges science, industry, and policy to foster constructive, solution-oriented discussions.

Further information is available on the official conference website: www.dornbirn-gfc.com

Lecture Announcement [pdf]

The conference will feature more than 200 scientific presentations by distinguished scientists and researchers from 38 countries around the world. In addition, it will host a special two-day Greek-language session focused on national challenges and developments in the field. This event will include talks by representatives from some of the largest companies in Greece and will be held entirely in Greek on May 29–30. 

The thematic scope of CRETE 2025 is broad, covering a wide range of industrial and hazardous waste categories (e.g., hospital waste, batteries, plastics, textiles, mining by-products, etc.), as well as topics related to environmental management in general (e.g., climate change, risk assessment, waste and natural disasters, and more). 

CRETE 2025 offers a unique opportunity for the exchange of knowledge, the presentation of innovations, and the strengthening of collaboration between academia, industry, and public authorities in the field of waste management. 
 

• The full program of the international conference [pdf]
• The full program of the Greek session [pdf]
• A list of the organizers and sponsors [pdf]

For more information, including detailed participation and registration instructions, please visit the official conference website: https://hwm-conferences.tuc.gr

Prof. Gidarakos’ speech was part of a special session titled “Oncology and the Environment”, focusing on the relationship between cancer and the environment in which humans live and develop — a set of factors now increasingly recorded and studied under the term exposome.

The conference was organized by the Hellenic Society of Medical Oncologists, in collaboration with the following organizations:

• Hellenic Society of Radiation Oncology

• Hellenic Society of Surgical Oncology

• Hellenic Society of Pathology

• Hellenic Nurses Association – Oncology Nursing Section

More information is available on the official conference website: https://www.esko2025.gr

The congress will be held by the PhD candidates of the School with their presentations. The purpose of the congress is to present the pioneering research work of the ongoing PhD theses. Topics aimed at developing innovative solutions to current major environmental challenges will be presented. From managing wastewater and solid waste, addressing tomorrow's energy needs to water resources management and climate change. The research has been developed through creative collaborations with leading research institutions and universities around the world.

The event is open to the public who wish to attend in Room K2.A1 of the ChEnvEng Building - Technical University of Crete.

Organizing Committee/Chair:

- A. Koutroulis, Associate Professor (Director of Postgraduate Studies)
- A. Voulgarakis, Professor (Head of the Department (Head of the Department)).
- A. Stefanakis, Assistant Professor

Conference Programme [pdf]

The Mediterranean climate is known for its highly uneven distribution of rainfall throughout the year. While climate change projections and observational studies have suggested that precipitation will decrease across the region during the 21st century, the new study provides a more nuanced understanding. The research team, led by Sergio Vicente-Serrano, analyzed historical precipitation data and compared it with simulations from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP) 5 and 6. Their findings reveal that while precipitation patterns exhibit strong seasonal and spatial variability, a consistent downward trend is not evident. Instead, fluctuations in precipitation appear to be driven primarily by atmospheric circulation patterns and internal climate variability.

While precipitation has remained consistent, the authors highlight that the region is experiencing increased climatic aridity driven by rising temperatures, leading to enhanced evaporation. Prof. Aris Koutroulis emphasized the importance of the study, stating: "This study underscores the power and necessity of robust, open access in situ data. Accurate, long-term ground measurements are critical for untangling the complexities of climate variability and supporting effective management of environmental resources, agriculture, and water resource strategies in the Mediterranean."

The study reconciles historical observations with CMIP 6 modeling of past precipitation, both of which indicate that there is no predominant decreasing trend in Mediterranean rainfall. These insights challenge existing assumptions and provide a more detailed picture of how climate variability, rather than a steady decline in rainfall, may shape future environmental and economic strategies in the region.

The complete study is published in Nature and accessible online: https://rdcu.be/edntf