From 9 to 11 October, the Institute of GeoEnergy (IG/FORTH) participated in the 15th FORTH Retreat 2026, the biennial gathering of the FORTH research community, which aims to strengthen communication and collaboration among the Foundation’s research groups. The event provides a stimulating environment for presenting research findings, exchanging ideas and fostering new synergies.
This year’s event was combined for the first time with the Kafatos Lecture 2026, organised by the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) and delivered by Svante Pääbo, recipient of the 2022 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Research Presentations by the Institute of GeoEnergy
IG PhD candidates participated in the scientific programme through poster presentations and pitching, highlighting the diversity of the Institute’s research activities in geology/geochemistry, catalytic processes, advanced materials and marine ecology.
Poster Presentations
- Dimosthenis Telemenis: Diatomites Across the Western Cretan Realm: From Depositional Environments to Energy Potential
- Katerina Triantafillidi: Sedimentary Organic Carbon in Posidonia oceanica Meadows Across the Adriatic and Ionian Seas: A Regional Comparison Within a Mediterranean Context
- Katerina Damiri: Catalytic Methane Pyrolysis over Supported Catalytic Systems: Coupling Turquoise Hydrogen Production with Value-Added Carbon (Nano)Structures Formation
- Panagiota Karga: Ni/CeO₂-Catalyzed CO₂ Methanation: The Effect of CeO₂ Support Nanoconfigurations
- Mariana Angeli: Design & Development of Boron-Doped Graphene Materials for Environmental Applications
Research Highlights
In the Research Highlights session, Evina Gontikaki and Nikos Kostoglou, Principal Researchers at IG/FORTH, presented the following topics, respectively:
- “Blue Carbon at FORTH/IG: Understanding and Quantifying Ocean Carbon Storage”
- “Hydrogen Technologies at FORTH-IG: Advanced Storage Materials, Turquoise Hydrogen and Green Electrocatalysis”
Parallel Sessions
During the parallel sessions “Sustainable Materials and Energy Technologies for a Resilient Future” and “AI & Data Science”, Nikos Kostoglou and Vassilis Gaganis, an affiliated member of IG/FORTH, presented research on the following topics:
- Nikos Kostoglou: “Nanoporous Carbon-Based Materials for Hydrogen Storage”
- Vassilis Gaganis: “Subsurface CO₂ Storage and Monitoring: What We Have, What We Need, What We Are Looking Into” and “Field Scale Optimization of Subsurface CO₂ Storage Projects”
Directors’ Panel
During the Directors’ Panel, Prof. Dimitrios Gournis, Deputy Director of the Institute of GeoEnergy, actively participated in the discussion and addressed questions from the audience, as the Institute's Director, Prof. Ioannis Yentekakis, was representing the Institute at the 18th Panhellenic Symposium of Catalysis (Kozani).
In addition, Nikos Kostoglou served on the Organising Committee of the Retreat and along with Evina Gontikaki and Spyros Bellas (Principal Researcher) acted as moderators in different sessions.
The participation of the Institute of GeoEnergy in the 15th FORTH Retreat 2026 highlighted the plethora of its research activities and the importance of interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and collaboration in developing innovative scientific and technological solutions.
