The participation of the representatives of the Greek team “InnoGo” from the Technical University of Crete in the international competition Smart City HACK 2025, which took place in Nova Gorica, was crowned with great success. The two international teams, in which the Greek representatives participated, won 3rd and 4th place in the final ranking, confirming the high level of expertise and innovation of the Greek universities.
The competition, which focused on shaping smart and green cities of the future, was organized by POPRI and the Primorski Technoloski Park of Slovenia, and with the support of top mentors, from Danfoss.
The Greek presence was distinguished with two top places and multiple awards:
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- 3rd Place & Most Original Idea Award: Stergios Chaitoglou, a member of the Balkans and Beyond team (Greece, Serbia, Bosnia, Hungary), was distinguished for the innovative idea ECO TOP. The system concerns the smart heat recovery from HVAC systems combined with the utilization of green roofs, using AI and the principles of urban symbiosis for the exchange of surplus energy between buildings.
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- 4th Place, Best Data Utilization Award & Most Innovative Idea Award: Christos Papanastasiou, a member of the comfAI team (Greece, Slovenia, North Macedonia), won 4th place with the idea for a smart HVAC system management system in large building infrastructures. The solution utilizes AI, smart sensors, and machine learning for visitor prediction and the optimization of the buildings’ energy operation.
The two-day event constituted a hub for knowledge and idea exchange. Furthermore, the participants had the opportunity to experience a fantastic tour and experience at ECoC 2025 Nova Gorica/Gorizia, discovering how culture, innovation, and technology shape a unified European identity without borders.
We warmly thank all the contributors and mentors who contributed to the success of the event and warmly congratulate the representatives of the InnoGo team for their exceptional distinctions.
P.s. All of the photos are courtesy of Jana Birsa! If you want to explore more of her portfolio or find out more about the Hackathon experience, visit the link: