PRESS RELEASE

Athens, 2 July 2025

The national final of the Bio-based Innovation Student Challenge Europe (BISC-E) 2025 took place on June 30 at the School of Chemical Engineering, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). This marks the third consecutive year that NTUA has hosted the national competition in Greece, under the auspices of the Greek Technology Platform for Sustainable Chemistry (SusChem GR).

Following the teams’ presentations, the scientific evaluation committee awarded the first prize to:

HYDROTWIN: Digital Twin Platform for Optimizing Hydrothermal Liquefaction of Heterogeneous Biomass

The HYDROTWIN team—Dimitrios Liakos, Konstantinos Mexis, Georgia Altiparmaki, and Nikolaos Falaris, supervised by Prof. Antonis Kokosis and Prof. Stergios Vakalis—impressed the committee with a sophisticated digital-twin solution that models and optimizes hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) processes for diverse biomass feedstocks. By digitally replicating the reactor environment, the platform enables real-time tuning of operational parameters, leading to increased bio-oil yields, reduced energy consumption, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2025 scientific evaluation committee consisted of Dr. Efi Markoulaki, Dr. Evanthia Nanaki, and Prof. Panagiotis Madesis, who evaluated the teams based on:

• Scientific and technical quality
• Innovation potential
• Environmental and societal impact
• Market viability

The BISC-E Greek final continues to highlight groundbreaking student-led concepts that apply bio-based solutions to real-world environmental, economic, and social challenges. Participants compete for a €5,000 cash prize, while this year’s winners will also receive a tablet each.

As national champions, HYDROTWIN will represent Greece at the European BISC-E 2025 finals later this year, facing top teams from across Europe.

The organizing committee warmly congratulates all participants for their inspiring contributions and extends heartfelt thanks to the mentors and evaluation committee members whose expertise and support bring this initiative to life.

This initiative underscores SusChem GR’s dedication to fostering a sustainable future through cutting-edge bio-based research and by investing in the skills and creativity of young scientists in Greece.

For further information, please contact:
Ms. Konstantina Kosmidou
✉️ kosmidou@mail.ntua.gr