On 29–30 September 2026, the I-SENSE Group of ICCS successfully organized the first physical kick-off Meeting of the Systemico project at Serafeio Complex in Athens, following the virtual kick-off meeting held in June.
Systemico is a four-year Horizon Europe project, funded by CINEA under the Mission “Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities” and coordinated by the I-SENSE Group of ICCS.
Systemico stands for “A systemic multisectoral multi-stakeholder approach for coupling circularity and climate mitigation in industry, cities and regions.” The project aims to develop a systemic approach that integrates circularity and climate mitigation across industry, cities, and regions. Through four demonstration sites and three replication sites across Europe, Systemico will support regional ecosystems, strengthen industrial-urban symbiosis, foster collaboration among key stakeholders, and accelerate the transition towards climate-neutral and sustainable communities.
The two-day in-person Kick-Off Meeting brought together 28 partners from 8 European countries, providing an important opportunity for the consortium to meet in person, strengthen collaboration, align on the project’s vision and objectives, and discuss its implementation and next steps.
During the meeting, Dr. Angelos Amditis, Systemico Coordinator, presented the project’s overall vision, aspirations, and objectives, highlighting the systemic and collaborative approach at the heart of the initiative.
Kostas Chatziioannou, Division Leader of Clean Industrial and Energy Systems, presented the project’s activities related to EV charging stations, supporting the development of electro-mobility and micromobility solutions.
Dr. Lucyna Lekawska-Andrinopoulou, Systemico Project Manager, presented key activities concerning Material Flow Analysis and Urban Metabolism, characterisation and KPI definition, matching frameworks, tracking and Digital Product Passports (DPP), as well as the Systemico EU HUB, which will contribute to the development of sustainable EU regions through guidelines and recommendations.
The meeting also featured contributions from other members of the I-SENSE Group. Savvas Sifnaios, from the Intelligent Industrial Manufacturing Systems Division, presented the Urban Smart Bin concept for upcycling and decarbonisation and discussed its implementation within the project.
Kostas Koukoudis, from the Immersive and Spatial Systems Division, presented Systemico’s activities on multi-stakeholder engagement, social awareness, and augmented reality, highlighting the role of innovative digital technologies in supporting participation and awareness.
The Systemico consortium brings together 28 partners from 8 European countries, representing research and academic institutions, public authorities, industry, technology providers, and other key stakeholders:
ICCS (Coordinator), National Technical University of Athens, University of the Aegean, City of Athens, CORE Innovation Center, VENETIS, Technical University of Crete, SOCIALDOO, ECORYS España, CARTIF, Vicomtech, CIRCE, City of Zaragoza, URBASER, ARPA, AEPPI, City of Gothenburg, Göteborgs Stads Leasing AB, Chalmers Industriteknik (CIT), Università Politecnica delle Marche, Regione Marche, ASITE, NTNU, University of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy (UASG), Municipality of Gabrovo, SDEO (Southern Denmark European Office), and Imperial College London.
We would like to sincerely thank all partners for their active participation, enthusiasm, and commitment to Systemico. The successful in-person kick-off marks an important milestone and provides a strong foundation for the collaboration ahead.
We look forward to working closely with all consortium partners as Systemico moves into its next phase and begins implementing its ambitious activities across Europe.
Stay tuned for updates as we share Systemico’s journey, milestones, innovations, and impact!
