Category: Advanced ICT systems

Venture Studio – Build with AI: From Idea to Prototype

Build with AI - AETHON Engineering

Ongoing

Build with AI: From Idea to Prototype

Stepping into the world of AI can feel exciting, but also overwhelming. That’s exactly where we come in.

Build with AI: From Idea to Prototype by AETHON Engineering is a practical online course designed to help you understand how AI can support innovation, business development, and early-stage building.

Over one practical live online session, you’ll learn how to:

  1. Understand how AI is changing innovation and entrepreneurship and where it can create real business impact.
  2. Use AI for business development, including market research, competitor analysis, idea validation and structured thinking.
  3. Explore real AI workflows used in practice at AETHON, with examples of how we use AI tools in everyday work.
  4. Learn the logic of rapid prototyping, even if you are not technical and see how AI can support early product or software exploration.
  5. Evaluate the benefits and limitations of AI tools, so you can use them more effectively, critically and responsibly.

This course is designed for people who want to move beyond AI curiosity and start using AI as a practical tool for building, validating and communicating ideas.

Whether you are an early-stage founder, a startup team member, or a non-technical professional exploring AI for business use, this course gives you a structured and accessible starting point.

Who Is This Program For?

This course is designed for builders, founders and curious professionals who want to use AI in practical ways, not just understand the hype around it. If you have ever thought, “I know AI is important, but how do I actually use it in my work or ideas?”, this program is for you.

Ideal participants include:

  • Early-stage founders or startup teams who want to use AI for business development, idea validation and faster prototyping.
  • Non-technical professionals who want to understand how AI can help them explore, structure and communicate ideas more effectively.
  • Innovation-minded individuals who want practical exposure to AI tools, real use cases and guided experimentation.
  • Business and product-oriented participants looking for a more structured way to use AI for research, validation and early-stage execution.

Whether you are exploring a new idea, refining an early concept, or simply trying to understand how AI can become a useful business tool, this course gives you the practical examples, frameworks and hands-on exposure to get started with more clarity and confidence.

Book your spot!

Program Schedule

A focused 3-hour live online course designed to help participants understand how AI can support business development, idea validation and early prototyping in practical ways. The course combines discussion, live examples, demos and guided interaction in one structured evening session, on Wednesday 22nd of July, at 18:00.

The program is structured in two main sections:

  • Section 1: Entrepreneurship, innovation and AI in practice
    A guided introduction to how AI is reshaping entrepreneurship business development and early-stage idea building , supported by practical examples and real use cases.
  • Section 2: Tool-focused, hands-on exploration
    A more applied session built around the AI tool we will work with, including demonstrations, guided exploration and practical discussion on how participants can use them in their own context.

The exact flow of the session may be slightly adjusted depending on the profile, needs and level of the participants, in order to keep the experience relevant and interactive.

Instructors

  • Alex Papacharalampous | CEO-CTO
  • Vicky Katsara | Innovation Associate

Investment in Your Future

Standard Ticket — €99

Full access to the live online course, including practical examples, demos, and guided discussion.

Early Bird — €79 (use coupon “AIEARLYBIRD“)

A limited discounted rate for early registrations, up to 30th of June, 2026.

Partner Ticket — €69

Available for selected partner communities and collaborations. Contact us at v.katsara@aethon.gr for more information.

Book your spot!

Venture Studio – Ideas to Ventures Course

Ideas to Ventures – AETHON’s Engineering Entrepreneurship Course

Ongoing

Ideas to Ventures

Taking the first step into the world of entrepreneurship can feel overwhelming—but that’s exactly where we come in. The Ideas to Ventures course by AETHON Engineering is your launchpad to turn ambition into action.

We don’t just teach theory; we give you the tools, guidance, and confidence to start, move forward, and make your idea happen.

Over six dynamic sessions, you’ll learn how to:

  1. Unlock the entrepreneurial mindset and discover where innovation begins.
  2. Build teams that last, because great ideas need great people.
  3. Shape your vision into a solid business model using the Business Model Canvas.
  4. Validate your idea with real-world feedback and lean testing.
  5. Pitch like a pro, mastering storytelling and investor-ready presentations.
  6. Create your MVP, the first tangible version of your product.

This is your first step into entrepreneurship, and we’re here to make sure you take it with confidence.

Whether you’re an early-stage startup, team or an individual with a bold idea, this program is designed to help you start strong and succeed.

Who Is This Program For?

This course is designed for dreamers ready to take action and teams eager to turn ideas into reality. If you’ve ever thought, “I have an idea, but where do I start?”—this is your answer.

Ideal participants include:

  • Early-stage teams or startups with an idea in its infancy, looking for structure and guidance.
  • Individuals with a bold concept who want to find co-founders and build a strong team.
  • Curious innovators who may not have an idea yet but want to learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and venture building.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or refining an existing concept, this program gives you the tools, frameworks, and expert support to take your first confident step into the entrepreneurial world.

Program Schedule

Your entrepreneurial journey unfolds through six core sessions (plus an optional premium upgrade), blending online flexibility with hands-on workshops at AETHON’s offices.

  • Session 1: Innovation Unlocked – Exploring Entrepreneurial Mindsets & Venture Studios
  • Session 2: Dream Teams – Building Teams That Thrive
  • Session 3: Blueprint for Success – Mastering the Business Model Canvas
  • Session 4: Reality Check – Validating Your Big Idea
  • Session 5: Pitch Perfect – Storytelling That Wins Investors
  • Session 6: From Concept to Creation – Building Your MVP
  • Session 7: MVP Plus – Hands-On Creation for Visionaries (Premium)

Sectors

We focus on ideas that drive innovation in high-impact industries. Our preferred sectors include:

  • Smart Cities – Sustainable, connected urban solutions using IoT and AI.
  • Logistics – Digital frameworks for efficient, interoperable supply chains.
  • Urban Mobility (EIT Urban Mobility) – Transforming how people move in cities.
  • Energy – Smart systems for efficiency and reduced emissions.
  • AI Technologies – Intelligent automation and data-driven decision-making.
  • Transport & Mobility – Advanced transport systems and infrastructure innovation.
  • Process & Data Optimisation – Streamlining operations through analytics and automation.
  • Industry 5.0 – Human-centric, sustainable automation and smart manufacturing.
  • Health – Improving healthcare delivery and patient outcomes.
  • Maritime – Advancing technologies for shipping and marine operations.
  • Agrifood – Driving efficiency and sustainability in agriculture and food systems.

Have an idea outside these sectors?

You’re still welcome to apply! We recommend contacting us first at v.katsara@aethon.gr to ensure we can provide the right support before you enrol.

Investment in Your Future

For more information or if you are interested in a collaboration to created a tailor-made entrepreneurial course, please contact us.

Contact us!

PROSPECTS 5.0

PROSPECTS 5.0

Ongoing

Abstract

PROSPECTS 5.0 is a smart study on the analysis and identification of practices, drives, success factors, and obstacles of transition towards industry 5.0 for SMEs, start-ups, and scale-ups. PROSPECTS 5.0 aims to support the transition to Industry 5.0 by providing practical guidance, reports, tools, solutions, and a collaborative platform for industry stakeholders to remove the barriers for industry to opt into the I5.0. To provide real-world examples the project will analyze 14 use cases from different European Union countries and 6 different industries, covering various types of manufacturing, service providing, education, energy, aviation transport, and automotive. The use cases from these sectors will ensure a focused and effective transition to Industry 5.0.

PROSPECTS 5.0 results are expected to encourage collaboration between different entities, including companies, universities, research centers, and government agencies, to co-create solutions and innovations, improve the skills and mindsets of individuals regarding Industry 5.0 and study pilot projects to test, validate, and measure the impact of I5.0.

Additionally, PROSPECTS 5.0 will raise awareness of Industry 5.0 through workshops, seminars/webinars, and collaborative online platforms and web applications. PROSPECTS 5.0 is relevant to the worker Horizon Europe Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry, Space) specifically to destination 6: A human-centers and ethical development of digital and industrial technologies since the project results will lead to a more inclusive and sustainable EU industry, and indirectly, the project findings will facilitate the understanding of the required skills needed to support the twin transition.

Role of AETHON

AETHON will have a significant role in the project by developing the PROSPECTS 5.0 platform and providing Industry 5.0 reports, due to its specialization in software engineering and data analytics. More specifically, AETHON will lead the following tasks:

  • Development of the Industry 5.0 Assessment reports
  • Development of the PROSPECTS 5.0 platform
  • Data Management Plan

AETHON will lead Work Package 3 (WP3): Uncovering Patterns and Trends.

Partners

Flanders Make
University of West Bohemia
INEGI
Tecnalia
NEROSUBIANCO
Eurecat
UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIA
FIR e. V. at RWTH Aachen University
Octave Energy
EFESTO Energy
I2M UNTERNEHMENSENTWICKLUNG
ZEUKO
FUNDACJA PARTNERSTWA TECHNOLOGICZNEGO TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS
STIRTEC
HUBERT SCHMITZ
B.BRAUN AVITUM ITALY
SINTEF
INTRACT INOVASYON DANISMANLIK LIMITED SIRKETI
TEKNOROT OTOMOTIV URUNLERI SAN. VE TIC. A.S.
LATVIJAS TEHNOLOGISKAIS CENTRS NODIBINAJUMS
KNOWIT OBJECTNET AS
CAMELEO
TRYGONS
AMF
ELMI SIA
GTW BEARINGS S.R.O.
KU Leuven
Ghent University
SMARALD

Public Results

Public Deliverables:

Project Information

Duration: 1/1/2024 to 31/12/2026 (36 months)

Budget: €3,999,335.00

Project link: https://prospects5-0.eu/

NOUS

NOUS

Ongoing

Abstract

NOUS will develop the architecture of a European Cloud Service that allows computational and data storage resources to be used from edge devices as well as supercomputers, through the HPC network, and Quantum Computers. NOUS will be an Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)/Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) cloud provider, harnessing edge computing and decentralisation paradigms to incorporate a wide array of devices and machines in its computational flow to provide leaps in Europe’s capability to process vast amounts of data. The pipeline of the NOUS in the project will include three types of components: i) computational components that are responsible for executing computations, ii) edge components that are responsible for communicating with edge devices (such as IoT sensors/ actuators/ devices), iii) data storage components that are responsible for data storage and storage management. Components are researched individually, expecting to yield breakthroughs, and jointly, to create the architecture and cloud-level services such as syndication with other platforms and virtual labs. The project has defined 4 use-cases that will allow the testing of the developed technologies in real-world scenarios that industry leaders face. The NOUS architecture will be made open source to allow the capitalization by companies and organisations. Furthermore, a set of workshops and collaboration activities is envisioned with Data Spaces Support Centre, Gaia-X, FIWARE and EOSC powered by a strong consortium of 21 partners from 11 European countries.

Role of AETHON

AETHON will have a significant role in the project by leading Work Package 6: ‘Towards the creation of the NOUS architecture’. Furthermore, AETHON will lead the T2.2 task which comprises of the requirements elicitation and prioritisation for the NOUS architecture and NOUS components. AETHON will also create an Auto-Standardiser tool for translation to data standards within T5.4 and will deliver a Virtual Lab for data collaboration within T6.4. Finally, AETHON will also overview all the data related activities as an assigned Data Protection Officer.

Partners

AIR Institute
University of Salamanca
National Centre For Scientific Research Demokritos
ICOOR
Politecnico di Torino
University of Modena and Reggio Emilia
Telecom Italia
Netcompany - Intrasoft
ITML
University of Pisa
UNPARALLEL
KU Leuven
F6S
Public Power Corporation
ARCTUR
AEGIS
CS Group
INESC TEC

Public Results

Public Deliverables:

  • D1.3 Data Management Plan – View pdf

Project Information

Duration: 1/1/2024 to 31/12/2026 (36 months)

Budget: €8,428,875.00

Project link: https://nous-project.eu/

SIGN-AIR

SIGN-AIR

Ongoing

Abstract

SIGN-AIR will develop and pilot a new platform for an orchestrated sharing of data in multimodal traveling. The platform will provide the means for Transport Service Providers (TSPs) to register, reach Data Sharing Agreements with other TSPs and manage their contractual relationships. While the SIGN-AIR platform will only manage the contractual aspects through the types of data offered by the TSPs, the TSPs will continue managing their data and that of their customers. As an added value, the SIGN-AIR platform will provide a number of advantages and services to the stakeholders of multimodal travel for the B2B2C chain through the analysis and exploitation of the contracts: (i) templates for contracts to simplify the legal management, (ii) electronic management and information provision about each specific contract, (iii) routing information for Travel Companions (TCs) with enriched information about the specific contracts for their traveler customers, and (iv) facilitation of single ticketing through the comprehensive understanding of the contracts and the data managed, among others. The whole concept will be moved from TRL2, reached by the mother project SYN-AIR, to TRL 7. This will be done with an intensive evolution of the software and a continuous evaluation and piloting of the software with different important stakeholders that are present in the consortium. The development of the software will generate a Minimum Valuable Product in the first 12 months of the project and, in parallel, it will be piloted and improved through continuous development of the technologies in the following 21 months, reaching a TRL7 platform in month 33 of the project. The partnership is formed by knowledgeable teams in the areas of IT, legal and mobility; including airports TSPs and Transport Authorities on the piloting side.

Role of AETHON

AETHON will have a significant role in the project by designing and implementing a series of functionalities and added value services of the SIGN-AIR platform, main project’s outcome, due to its specialization in software engineering and data analytics. More specifically, AETHON will lead the following tasks:

  • 2 ‘Data Standardization and Harmonization aspects’
  • 6 ‘Templating mechanism’
  • 9 ‘Monitoring Dashboards of TSPs for the contracts’ management’
  • 11 ‘Analytics Services’
  • 15 ‘Validation and demonstration of SIGN-AIR platform’

Finally, AETHON will lead LOT 3: ‘Post settlement and added value services’.

Partners

UPC
Sparsity
University of Belgrade
European Passengers Federation
CARNET
Timelex
ATM CAT
Smart Ticketing Alliance
Airport of Bologna
TPER
AMTU
Swiss Aeropole
Hellenic Seaplanes

Public Results

Public Deliverables:

  • D2.2 Standardisation (STAND) – Initial – View pdf

Project Information

Duration: 1/6/2023 to 31/5/2026 (36 months)

Budget: €6,255,977.50

KEYSTONE

KEYSTONE

Ongoing

Abstract

The overreaching goal of KEYSTONE is to support the development of a sustainable, efficient, and safe transport system, allowing enforcement authorities to access data for the purpose of checking compliance with rules applied in the transport of goods and passengers.

The aim is to tailor standardised digital solutions that can be used from several realities to standardize the transport system.

To demonstrate the validity of the solutions proposed, an app will be developed so that two highly diverse pilots can prove the efficiency of the KEYSTONE’s innovation. Using the gained experience to develop a seamless, interoperable, and intermodal digital transport ecosystem that can be replicated at European level, the KEYSTONE digital solutions consist of standardised APIs for data and information sharing between transport enforcement authorities and logistics operators.

The concept is based on a federated approach that allows:

  • to reduce the costs of logistics thanks to more efficient operations and interoperability;
  • to reduce the impact on the environment thanks to data sharing;
  • to consolidate flows and to improve safety thanks to seamless information exchange with enforcement authorities;
  • to foster the acceptance of the CCAM solutions (Cooperative Connected and Automated Mobility).

Role of AETHON

AETHON will contribute with its expertise in information technology and management information systems, as well as with its transport, logistics and transport data stadnardisation knowledge and expertise. AETHON will lead the development of an implementation framework for Plug & Play, by creating the API reference model and developing the API standard.

In addition, AETHON will contribute its knowledge and experience in data sharing in the logistics and transport sectors in order to contribute in determining business cases and ultimately affect the development of the API reference model.

Partners

UNIMORE
ICOOR
TTS Italia
T Bridge SPA
RINA CONSULTING SPA
ETELATAR INNOVATION OU
SMART TRANSPORTATION ALLIANCE
UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID
GRUBER LOGISTICS S.P.A.
CENTRO INTERPORTUALE MERCI-C.I.M. SPANOVARA
CEFRIEL SOCIETA CONSORTILE A RESPONSABILITA LIMITATA
CONFEDERATION OF ORGANISATIONS IN ROAD TRANSPORT ENFORCEMENT AISBL
ASOCIACION ESPANOLA DE LA CARRETERA
COVENTRY University

Project Information

Duration: 1/6/2023 – 30/6/2026 (36 months)

Budget: €3,522,881.25

MobiDataLab

MobiDataLab

Completed

Abstract

The overall objective of MobiDataLab is to propose to the mobility stakeholders (transport organising authorities, operators, industry, innovators) a replicable methodology and sustainable tools that foster the development of a data sharing culture in Europe and beyond. MobiDataLab is based on a continuous co-development of knowledge and of technical solutions for data sharing with high involvement of all data producers and consumers in the transport and mobility landscape. This will be put in action through problem-solving oriented Labs, the collection and analysis of advice and recommendations of experts and supporting cities/regions/clusters/associations aided by the incremental construction of a cross-thematic knowledge base and of a cloud-based service platform, which will federate access and usage of data sharing resources.

MobiDataLab leverages on the legal, technological and economic opportunities to:

  • present mobility data providers with recommendations on how to improve the quality, accessibility and usability of their data – how to describe them, how to store them safely and securely, how to make them available, easy to find, and understandable;
  • encourage the reuse of these data and foster users’ trust in the data, contributing to the development and promotion of open tools to the community of innovators;
  • bring together mobility stakeholders (both data providers and data consumers) to find innovative solutions to concrete problems, using open data as a tool.

The MobiDataLab consortium is formed by 10 partners from Industry, Research, Academia, Consultancy and Governance sectors, located in 7 countries. The consortium shares a common view on the values and benefits of open data and open source principles for fostering independence and uptake by communities. The MobiDataLab yet young-and-emerging group of supporting parties allows to consider replicability of approach and results in many more countries, including beyond EU

Role of AETHON

AETHON will have a significant role in the technical tasks due to its specialization in the transport field and data analysis. AETHON will explore the actor’s needs and the cooperation framework and will create and execute the Living and Virtual Labs in order to collect data regarding the data sharing culture and the impact and efficiency of the project.

Partners

AKKA Technologies
CONSORZIO INTERUNIVERSITARIO PER L'OTTIMIZZAZIONE E LA RICERCA OPERATIVA
Consiglio Nazionale Delle Ricerche
KISIO Digital
HERE GLOBAL B.V.
Katholieke Universiteit Leuven
Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Polis Network
F6S NETWORK Ltd

Public Results

Public Deliverables:

  • D3.1 Actors’ needs and cooperation framework report – View pdf
  • D5.1 The Virtual Lab – View pdf
  • D5.5 Report On Living Labs Monitoring – View pdf

Project Information

Duration: 1/2/2021 to 31/1/2024 (36 months)

Budget: €2,999,305.00

Project link: http://www.mobidatalab.eu/

EFFICIOUS

EFFICIOUS

Completed

The project with code Τ2ΕΔΚ-00023 and name EFFICIOUS is executed through the Operational Programme “Competitiveness, Entrepreneurship and Innovation” of the Partnership and Cooperation Agreement (NSRF) for the period 2014-2020 through the Action «ΕΡΕΥΝΩ – ΔΗΜΙΟΥΡΓΩ – ΚΑΙΝΟΤΟΜΩ» (Β’ Κύκλος). The total budget of the project is €199.778,00, while the Public Funding for the project is €151.803,40.

Abstract

The project’s goal is to create an online platform, that will connect the companies (through their representatives) that want to exchange not useful products, or unused equipment or even services. This platform will also provide the opportunity to recycle or even donate to charity or other organizations. In this way, the platform will try to tackle the problem of unused resources and unused equipment of companies and especially in the construction field.

The project will analyze and describe the needs of the market and the users, and the architectural design of the platform (the modules, requirements and functionalities of EFFICIOUS). At the same time, a smart algorithm will be developed in order to match demand and supply. Then the implementation of the platform will be initialized, the corresponding database will be created, and the interface will be configured. Finally, a pilot will be carried out with the help of construction companies and a feasibility study along with a business plan will be produced.

The creation of the platform aims to re-use surplus products or services through their exchange, aiming at enhancing the circular economy, waste management and reducing energy footprint of companies. EFFICIOUS’s goal is to offer a holistic solution that will generate profit for the companies by creating value for unused products and thus reducing the companies’ costs.

Visit efficious: https://efficious.com/

Role of AETHON

AETHON is the only beneficiary and coordinator of the project

Public Results

Open Publications:

Project Information

Project ID: Τ2ΕΔΚ-00023

Duration: 28/7/2020 to 27/7/2023 (36 months)

Budget: €199,778.00 €

My TRAvel Companion (My-TRAC)

My TRAvel Companion (My-TRAC)

Completed

Abstract

My-TRAC project aims to deliver an innovative application for seamless transport and an ecosystem of models and algorithms for Public Transport – PT user choice simulation, data analytics and affective computing. My-TRAC stands out from other technologies due to three main reasons. First, My-TRAC fosters unprecedented involvement of users during, before and after a trip through a smart Human-Machine interface and numerous functionalities such as crowdsourcing, group recommendations, data exchange. Second, the application implements a vast array of technologies, such as affective computing, Artificial Intelligence and user choice simulation, that fuse expertise from multiple fields. Third, My-TRAC facilitates engagement of multiple stakeholders by seamlessly integrating services and creating connections between Rail operators, Mobility-as-a-Service and other PT providers.

My-TRAC application is a travel companion designed to operate similarly to a human companion; understanding traveller’s attributes and state-of-mind to derive conclusions from vague information as any human does. In addition, My-TRAC will be the traveller’s gateway to various services related to using PT, having Rail in the epicentre. My-TRAC application will also provide predictive information concerning disruptions and disturbances. It will not only display data but analyse them through innovative algorithms to provide improved recommendations.

My-TRAC also involves PT operators through the “operators’ interface” where they can retrieve and visualize aggregated data on users’ movements and state-of-mind that will assist in strategic and dynamic operations. Data that the operators retrieve are aggregated and anonymized while all models and algorithms are applied on the mobile device of the user, seamlessly integrating the “privacy-by-design” concept.

The consortium will test the idea in 4 pilot locations with the cooperation of local operators: NS (NL), ATTIKO Metro (GR), FGC (SP), Fertagus (PT).

AETHON is the initiator of the My-TRAC project idea.

Role of AETHON

AETHON is leading technical tasks related to user-centric technologies of the My-TRAC application. AETHON performs multiple tasks related to behavioural analytics of passengers and participates actively in the data collection processes (design and implementation of questionnaire survey, analysis of mobility patterns etc.). Furthermore, AETHON works on the development of the My-TRAC smartphone application and is leading the development of the “operator’s interface”. Finally, AETHON participates in pilot’s design and execution in 4 countries: Greece, the Netherlands, Spain and Portugal.

Partners

Project Information

Duration: 1/9/2017 to 31/8/2020 (36 months)

Budget: €3,494,476.25

Project link: http://www.my-trac.eu/ (Project website), http://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/211972_en.html (Publication in CORDIS)

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