Beyond Innovation Arena 2025 | BEYOND Expo | 3 April 2025 | Metropolitan Expo, Athens International Airport "El. Venizelos", Spata 190 19, Greece

This event is an international digital technology and innovation exhibition taking place in Thessaloniki since 2021. It is the leading meeting place of the most brilliant minds in the region, the most innovative companies, as well as cutting edge technologies, with the main goal of becoming the leading event of its kind in south eastern Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. From artificial intelligence to virtual reality, the exhibition serves as a hub for networking, knowledge sharing, and hands on experience with pioneering innovations. Its goal is to promote collaboration and the exchange of knowledge and ideas among participants, and to foster the development of innovative technologies and business opportunities.

It would focus on confronting the practical and sometimes harsh realities of artificial intelligence as it integrates into various aspects of society. The theme revolves around addressing both the promises and challenges of AI, emphasizing transparency, practical impact, and real world implications. The conference will explore the dual nature of AI technology: its potential to transform industries and improve lives, alongside the real challenges and limitations that come with its implementation and use. The theme highlights the contrast between the optimistic vision of AI and the practical, sometimes difficult realities that practitioners and users face.

In order to increase the impact of Beyond and penetrate even more markets and even larger target groups, the exhibition will be organized in odd years in Athens and even in Thessaloniki. Beyond 2025 will be organized in Athens, seeking to exploit all those comparative advantages of the city, which will complement those of Thessaloniki for the benefit of the exhibition. Thessaloniki and Athens have different and special characteristics, from which arise capabilities that can support BEYOND targeting different demographics of the public, but also other scales of exhibitors.

Beyond: A Testing Ground for Innovation & Partnership Building

Tech industry Leaders:
• Prominent tech industry leaders converge at BEYOND, showcasing their pivotal roles in steering the 4th Industrial Revolution. Presenting innovative new products and services, they also participate in discussions on the impact of emerging technologies (AI, IoT, quantum computing etc.) paving the way for a digitally integrated world so that we may harness technology for societal advancement, epitomizing the tech industry’s evolving role in the 21st century

Startups & Scaleups:
• Startups and scaleups take center stage at BEYOND, showcasing groundbreaking solutions and disrupting industry norms. Startups, marked by agility, present novel concepts, ranging from AI driven analytics to innovative applications. Scaleups, having traversed initial challenges, demonstrate scalable technologies ready for market integration. Beyond provides a fertile ground for networking, fostering collaborations between emerging players and established industry leaders.

Research centers & universities:
• Distinguished research centers and universities enrich Beyond with intellectual prowess and cutting edge discoveries. Leading academic institutions showcase groundbreaking research into emerging technologies, emphasizing their potential impact on various industries. Beyond serves as a knowledge exchange hub, fostering dialogue between research luminaries and industry professionals.

Visionaries & thought leaders:
• Trailblazing visionaries and thought-leaders illuminate Beyond with their profound insights and future-oriented perspectives. Beyond provides a platform for these luminaries to share their forecasts and inspire a collective vision for the digital era and a tech-infused tomorrow.

2025 Speakers

George Pagoulatos
Ambassador of Greece, OECD

Ioannis Mastrogeorgiou
Special Secretary for Strategic Foresight, Hellenic Government

KS Pua
Founder & CEO, Phison Electronics

Afrodite Sevasti
Chief Technology Officer, Growthfund SA

Alexandros Bechrakis
Managing Director, Digital Realty Greece

Anastasia Krithara
Researcher & Head of BioHIT, NCSR "Demokritos"

Antonia Vogt
Leading Scientist

Carmina Ion
European Affairs Policy Officer & PhD Candidate

Clay Shirky
Vice Provost for AI and Technology in Education, NYU

David Wisner
Professor of International Relations & Executive Director, Dukakis Center

Erich Giordano
Head of Business Development, Nextatlas

Dr. Foteini Salmouka
Project Manager, ahedd DIH & Smart Attica EDIH, NCSR Demokritos

George Dritsanos
Secure Power VP South-East Europe, Schneider Electric

George Fotiadis
Software Engineer, Google | Forbes 30u30

Haris Kastanas
Managing Director, Technologist & Entrepreneur

Konstantina Nathanail
Chair & Co-founder, Digital World Summit Greece | Lawyer

Katarzyna Kwak
Founder & Principal Consultant, Data Value Solutions

Lars Rasmussen
Co-Founder, Google Maps

Lefteris Katsiadakis
Co-founder & CEO, Panathēnea

Luca Morena
CEO, Nextatlas

Margarita Akritidou
Legal Officer, European Data Protection Board

Marios Dafnomilis
Adviser to the Special Secretary for Foresight, Hellenic Government

Mihalis Kritikos
Secretary, European Group on Ethics in Science and New Technologies

Niki Tsouma
Ambassador of Greece, OECD

Nikos Christodoulou
Partner, Technology & Transformation Leader, Deloitte

Orestis Trasanidis
Managing Director, EIT Hub Silicon Valley

Panayiotis Tsantilas
CEO, Palowise

Panagiotis Demestichas
Professor, University of Piraeus | WINGS ICT Solutions

Stefanos Kollias
President, GRNET S.A.

Thanasis Navrozoglou
CEO & President, Natech Banking Solutions | Co-founder & Vice Chairman, Snappi

Theodoros Evgeniou
Professor, INSEAD | Co-Founder, Tremau

Vangelis Karkaletsis
Director, Institute of Informatics & Telecommunications, NCSR Demokritos

Vassilis Nikolopoulos
Co-founder & CTO, AVOKADO

Nectarios Koziris
Former Dean & Professor of Computer Science, NTUA

2025 Sponsors

GOLD SPONSORS:
• ODAP
• Cisco
• Intracom Telecom
• Metlen
• Avokado
• Politis Group
• Synapsecom|Coolblock

SPONSORS:
• Huawei
• Schneider Electric
• Samsung