The RE-EURECA-PRO Project Week at the Technical University of Crete (TUC) took place on 11-12-13 of October 2023, on TUC Campus, in which 35 students participated of whom 49% female and 51% male (when the respective percentages of the TUC student population are 32.8% female and 67.8% male, according to the academic year 2020-2021 data).

The focus of the TUC Project Week was on creative ideas and sustainable solutions. The topics that were presented were the following:

• "Sustainable Tourism and protection of NΑΤURA 2000 areas", presented by Prof. Theocharis Tsoutsos, Director, Renewable and Sustainable Energy Lab, School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at TUC.
• "Recycling and Schools", presented by Mrs Marianthi Liapi, TUC TIE Lab, School of Architecture at TUC, supervised by Prof. Konstantinos-Alketas Oungrinis, TUC TIE Lab Founder and Director, Vice Rector of Research and Innovation at TUC.
• "Innovation at the University and its connection to society: The importance of the contribution of mentors to the student groups", presented by Prof. Panagiotis Partsinevelos, Head of the SenseLab Space Informatics research group of the Laboratory of Geodesy and Informatics of Geosciences, School of Mineral Resources Engineering at TUC, Member of the TUC Governing Council.

Current innovation structures and policies

The TUC Project Week took place in three days and was organized as such:

• Day #1: presentation of the two general topics to all participating students.
• Day #2: forming groups of students and elaborating on ideas and sustainable solutions on one (or both) of the topics that were presented on Day #1; contribution of mentors by consulting the student groups on their work.
• Day #3: presentations by the students of their ideas and proposed sustainable solutions.

After completing the TUC Project Week, students received by email the evaluation questionnaire (prepared by our partner HSMW). Upon receiving the filled out questionnaires, confirmation of attendance letters were sent out to the participants. Overall, based on students' comments, TUC Project Week was a pleasant and useful experience to the students, who would welcome more time (one additional day possibly) to elaborate further on their ideas and pitches.

Contact

• Professor Michail Zervakis, WP8 Leader, TUC Rector, Email: mzervakis<at>tuc.gr
• Virginia Alizioti, M.Sc., RE-EURECA-PRO TUC Project Manager, Email: valizioti<at>tuc.gr