ARXIVE and ECCCH at Open Knowledge Foundation Greece conference for Open Data Day 2026
On 3 March 2026, Open Knowledge Foundation Greece and the International Hellenic University (IHU) held a successful open data conference in Thessaloniki. The event brought together academics, researchers, IT experts, cultural organization representatives, and journalists to explore how open data can strengthen knowledge, transparency, and innovation in key sectors.
The event opened with a keynote introduction by Charalampos Bratsas, Assistant Professor at the Department of Information and Electronic Systems Engineering at the International Hellenic University (IHU) and President of the Open Knowledge Foundation Greece. He emphasized the importance of open data as a tool for democracy, collaboration, and scientific progress. He also underlined that the era of artificial intelligence makes the availability of reliable, transparent, and reusable data even more critical.
Following the keynote address, representatives from academia and key institutions delivered brief speeches highlighting the importance of open data and its impact on evidence-based decision-making. Athanasios Thanopoulos, Deputy Director-General of the European Statistical Authority, underscored the critical role of open data in shaping European policy.
Stamatis Angelopoulos, Rector of the International Hellenic University, along with Konstantinos Diamantaras, Vice-Rector, Dimitrios Papakostas, Dean of the School of Engineering, and Efstathios Antoniou, Head of the Department of Information and Electronic Systems Engineering, emphasized the role of universities in promoting open science, technological innovation, and the dissemination of knowledge to the broader community.
The first presentation of the conference was delivered by Lambros Dermentzoglou, IT Engineer at Papageorgiou Hospital, who focused on the secondary use of health data. His presentation explored how data generated from everyday clinical practice, when handled under strict personal data protection and ethical standards, can be used for healthcare research, the enhancement of health services, and the creation of new scientific insights on a global scale.
After the break, the event continued with a presentation by Dimitris Kotzinos, Professor of Computer Science at ETIS Lab and CY Cergy Paris University, who introduced the European initiative European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage. His presentation highlighted the opportunities offered by open digital infrastructures for the documentation, preservation, and reuse of cultural heritage, as well as their contribution to the development of new research tools and AI applications.
The event concluded with a panel discussion on “Open Data and Artificial Intelligence in Cultural Heritage.” The panel featured Xenophon Zampoulis, Research Director at the Institute of Computer Science of the Foundation for Research and Technology; Michalis Gerolimos, Head of the Cataloguing Department at the National Library of Greece; Afroditi Malliari, Associate Professor at the Department of Library Science, Archival Studies, and Information Systems at IHU; and Filippos Bakirtzoglou, CTO of ViLabs. The participants presented diverse perspectives on the relationship between open data, artificial intelligence, and cultural organizations, highlighting both the opportunities and the challenges related to the management, documentation, and utilization of cultural assets. The discussion and audience interaction were moderated by Kosmas Panagiotidis, Communications Manager of the Open Knowledge Foundation Greece.
The event highlighted the importance of collaboration among the academic community, public institutions, cultural organizations, and civil society in leveraging open data. It also demonstrated that, in the age of artificial intelligence, access to high-quality, reliable, and interoperable data is a critical factor for advancing knowledge, enhancing transparency, and safeguarding cultural heritage.