PRAXI Network is an established technology transfer organization with long-standing experience in assisting SMEs and research organisations throughout Greece to achieve cross-border technological cooperation. It is a distinct administrative unit operating within the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), the most active research organisation of Greece. It started out in 1991 as a partnership between FORTH and SEV Hellenic Federation of Enterprises with the mission to link industry with academia. This strategic alliance of the research and industrial world of Greece was reinforced four years later, when the Federation of Industries of Northern Greece (FING) joined the partnership. Since 2008, PRAXI Network provides innovation and technology transfer services, initially as a member and currently as coordinator of the Greek consortium of the Enterprise Europe Network, the largest network of integrated business support to Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

FORTH, through ICS and PRAXI, is in charge of setting up the mechanisms and interactions necessary to support technology transfer in Greece in terms of HPC know-how, applications, tools and mechanisms. Thus, it will support all stakeholders (users and providers) and provide them with consulting in terms of best practices to get on the market and to establish business relationships and a valuable business around their respective products. It will also examine opportunities for putting into market mature technologies and ideas, levels of interest (early adopters, mature, conservative) for related technologies and will propose actions and further steps.

In order to do so, FORTH aims at mobilizing industrial associations and PRAXI Network’s extensive network of business organisations in 5 Greek cities with vibrant entrepreneurial activity, to address industry needs and identify potential users. Furthermore, FORTH will engage in the internationalization of mature technologies and services offered in Greece by capitalizing on the existence of established EU networks (i.e. Enterprise Europe Network). The aim is to achieve commercial, technological and research collaboration between Greek and EU partners. Links creation with other national TT initiatives for the creation of a pan-European TT network on HPC/HPDA, will enable collaborations, knowledge exchange, and business development.

Additionally, FORTH will organise virtual workshops on issues related to technology transfer activities and business development. ICS is also an instrumental partner in that, as it is internationally recognised and has received several citations in scientific journals. Furthermore, it has adopted an evolving strategy towards promoting the commercial exploitation of R&D results by providing services, licensing specific products to industrial partners, contracting with industrial partners to jointly develop new products, and participating in start-up / spin-off companies and joint ventures.

Finally, an important contribution concerns the training of users of HPC infrastructures. The Laboratories of ICS are staffed with specialised scientific and technical personnel and possess state of-the-art equipment. Activities cover important research and development areas, taking into consideration new perspectives, emerging fields of research and technological challenges worldwide. FORTH will take advantage of this expertise in order to be able to provide training to potential HPC users.

Official Partner’s website:   https://www. forth.gr