The 1st e-CODOMH Conference was held on November 11 and 12 at the “Demokritos” amphitheater — an event that has left a clear mark on the landscape of sustainable construction, innovation and industrial cooperation since its first appearance. The participation was impressive: companies from the entire spectrum of construction, processing and materials, universities, research institutions, as well as state bodies convened in a rich two-day event, which demonstrated the transformation that is in full swing in Greek and European industry.

What made the Conference stand out was not only its themes — from sustainable renovation and the circular economy to digital twins and technologies of the fourth industrial revolution — but above all the way in which business and science appeared united, in a format that fosters real synergies. e-CODOMH, as many participants reiterated, now functions as a ‘hub for the integration‘ of knowledge, research and production; something that was missing in Greece and is now becoming a reality.

The Conference did not only have the character of a scientific and professional meeting—it also functioned as a place for the Greek market to “get to know” e-CODOMH itself. Decisive from the beginning was the position of Giorgos Iliadis, President of e-CODOMH, who set the framework and highlighted the character of the event as a place of interconnection and development. As he characteristically stated: “We are at the 1st Conference of e-CODOMH, the business cluster of e-CODOMH. It is a conference to get to know the Greek market, a conference to get to know the contributors, whether academics, institutions, but also the business ones, who are developing today through our cluster. I think that in terms of technology and innovation, the cluster has a lot to offer.”

This is also reflected in the statements of the participants. From Elval Colour, one of the companies with the largest export activity in the country in the field of aluminium composite panels, and platinum sponsor of the event, the company’s Technical Director , George Michalatos, spoke enthusiastically about the value of the project: “It is very important that an initiative for innovation has been launched through e-CODOMH, which in itself as a collaborative scheme promotes innovation“, he stressed already from the end of the first day of the conference. “We saw a lot of interesting topics and presentations of proposals for new materials with a low carbon footprint, absolutely necessary for sustainable development and a healthy built environment.” He highlighted Elval Colour’s dual role: both as a platinum sponsor and as an active participant with a corporate presentation — a development that, as he said, “indicates the strategic importance that this initiative has for us“. In closing, he did not hide his satisfaction: “The quality of the interventions is very high. We are completely satisfied with the participation”.

The presence of ALUMINCO, the gold sponsor of the event, was important. The CEO of the company, Dimitris Karras, said: “We are proud to be gold sponsors at the 1st e-CODOMH Conference. We want to highlight the creative and “green” character of our company. In recent years, we have been developing products with respect for the environment as an absolute priority.” He also stressed the importance of the collaborative model: “e-CODOMH is the appropriate framework for cooperation between businesses, academic institutions and organizations to achieve something common and meaningful.”

The messages from other companies in the sector were correspondingly positive. On behalf of Ilicon, civil engineer Konstantina Charitou, the company specializing in fire-resistant frame systems with aluminum or steel, noted: "So far we have seen excellent presentations and very interesting ideas. We are very proud to support efforts aimed at innovation and sustainable development of construction." For Ilicon, participating as a Gold Sponsor was not just a sponsorship act but a statement of presence in a changing industry.

The same sentiment was conveyed by Stefanos Kokorikos, co-founder and managing partner of Core Innovation Group, a company that has built its reputation around the technologies of the fourth industrial revolution. “It is a very important conference for the construction industry in Greece,” he said. “We are promoting digital technologies in manufacturing and manufacturing, and in this context we are introducing our solution, Core Beat, which leverages artificial intelligence for intelligent machine maintenance.” For him, the conference was not only an opportunity to present but also a “mirror” of the market: “It is a good opportunity to see where the market is and what is coming in the future.”

The discussion around sustainability in buildings was equally central, with the President of the Council of Sustainable Buildings of Greece and CEO of STIRIXIS Group, Alexandros Athanasoulas, underlining the need for continuity: “It is a pleasure and honor to be at e-CODOMH discussing how sustainability can become a daily practice in the design of buildings in Greece. I am very happy that we shared information with an entire ecosystem around construction and I hope that there will be continuity and closer cooperation between all stakeholders.”

Particularly resounding was the presence of Knauf Insulation, which was positioned through two speakers. The company’s General Manager in Greece, Yiannis Kontoulis, spoke about the need to accelerate the transition to sustainable solutions: “We have innovative products, with low VOC emissions, a smaller CO₂ footprint and a lower impact on the environment. We believe that the e-CODOMH cluster has an important role in the decarbonization process.” For his part, Konstantinos Bekas referred more technically to the role of the group’s products: “We hope that our presentation on the contribution of building materials to the classification of sustainable buildings will show how substantially our materials help in achieving sustainability in international standards.”

The conference was not only in the nature of a scientific and professional meeting—it also served as a place for the Greek market to "get to know" e-CODOMH itself. Representatives of the cluster spoke openly about its history, mission and development course, reminding that the cluster was created about six years ago with the aim of bridging businesses, universities and research institutions. The aim was – and remains – to develop innovative products, support research and answer complex questions of modern construction. The holding of the conference at "Demokritos" was not accidental: it symbolizes precisely this meeting of technology, science and the market, which can give birth to new collaborations and provide solutions to real needs.

The e-CODOMH Conference 2025 closed leaving the feeling that something new is beginning. Within two days, technologies, solutions and ideas were presented that do not belong to the future but to the immediate present of the market. Scientists and businesses spoke – not about what could be done – but about what is already being implemented and what is required for Greece to be dynamically placed on the map of sustainable construction.

At a time when decarbonization, the circular economy and artificial intelligence are no longer options but necessities, the conference managed to show that the Greek market not only follows developments but in many cases guides them. Its success leaves no room for doubt: the continuation is imperative and is awaited with great interest by the entire industry!