Greece Collects International Science Awards

Greece's scientific community is making significant advances in developing new technologies. Recently, two research projects were cited for their contribution to the global environment and sustainable development, recognized as today's most pressing issues.

Among hundreds of nominations from countries around the world, two Greek candidates received two of the “Global 100 Eco-Tech” awards at the International EXPO 2005 held in Aichi, Japan. The awards are given to research projects that contribute to environmental protection and sustainable development. Five Greek nominees participated in the competition. The examination committee consisted of University Professors, representatives from the Institute of Innovative Technologies for the Earth, from the Institute of Integrated Environmental Strategies of Japan and a group of 20 Japanese and foreign specialists.

The winning candidates were:

"Production of Hydrogen Through the Splitting of Water with Solar Energy” at the Aerosol and Particle Technology Laboratory (APTL) of CERTH/CPERI Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH)

The Aerosol and Particle Technology Laboratory (APTL) of CERTH/CPERI has led in the development of the nominated innovative hydrogen production technology which is based on exclusively renewable resources: solar energy and water, within the European project HYDROSOL (http://www.hydrosol-project.org).

Dr. Athanasios G. Konstandopoulos, APTL’s Director and Coordinator of the HYDROSOL project ,said: “We are very happy to receive this Award at a moment when we are preparing to celebrate the 10 years from the foundation of our laboratory. The Award represents an important recognition of our research accomplishments and it will boost further our efforts to contribute to the long term energy and economic future of our country, as well as other regions of the world, which have the privilege to be endowed by an enormous solar potential.

“Transparent Thermal Insulation” by Dr. Theophilos Ioannides, Principal Researcher at FORTH/ICE-HT

According to Dr. Ioannides, the technology refers to the production of transparent, thermal insulation plates for applications where a combination of low thermal conductivity and high optical transparency is desired (glazings in windows of buildings, glass doors of freezers, greenhouses). The plates have chemical composition identical to that of sand and they are 10-20 times lighter than water. Their thermal conductivity is the lowest among all known insulation materials, while their optical transparency is as high as 97% ,rendering the plates almost invisible. The technology was developed in collaboration with the company Frigoglass in the framework of a project funded by the General Secretariat for Research and Technology.


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