The Institute of GeoEnergy (IG) of the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH) recently conducted a research visit to the Department of Chemistry at Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin, Poland, as part of a dedicated scientific event aimed at strengthening international research collaboration and promoting knowledge exchange between scientists from Greece and Poland.
The Institute of GeoEnergy was represented by Professor Dimitrios Gournis, Deputy Director of IG-FORTH and Dr. Nikolaos Kostoglou, Principal Researcher at IG-FORTH. During the event, participants presented cutting-edge research activities in the fields of advanced functional materials and sustainable energy transition. Professor Gournis delivered a presentation on recent developments in two-dimensional materials and their applications, highlighting the new opportunities these materials offer for energy and environmental technologies. Dr. Kostoglou presented research findings on the conversion of breakfast food waste into nanoporous carbon materials with high added value, demonstrating their significant potential for hydrogen storage and other clean energy applications.
The scientific meeting brought together researchers, faculty members and PhD candidates from leading academic institutions in Poland and Greece, providing a stimulating environment for the dissemination of research results, the exchange of ideas and the exploration of new collaborative opportunities. Emphasis was placed on fostering interactions between early-career researchers and established scientists, thereby contributing to scientific training and networking. The visit concluded with a mutual commitment to further strengthen the collaboration between the two institutions and laid the foundations for the next scientific meeting to be held in Chania, Crete, at the new facilities of the Institute of GeoEnergy of FORTH.
The Institute of GeoEnergy would like to express its sincere gratitude to Assistant Professor Dimitrios Giannakoudakis of MCSU for his kind invitation and generous hospitality at the scientific meeting.