Despina Polemi

Despina Polemi is an Associate Professor with tenure at the University of Piraeus, Department of Informatics, specializing in E-Business and Information Security Systems. She has held academic positions at Queens College, Baruch College (City University of New York), and the State University of New York, Farmingdale. She served as Technical Director and Board Chairman of EXPERTNET SA, focusing on security consulting. From 2017-2020, she worked at the European Commission’s DG CONNECT as a Program Manager-Policy Officer, addressing cybersecurity and privacy in EU Member States.

Her career includes founding the UNIPI Security Lab (2002–2017) and directing its 'Security Management Technologies' postgraduate program. She was a Visiting Professor at the Solvay Brussels School of Economics and Management (2015–2016). Polemi has over 150 scientific publications and organized numerous international conferences. She coordinates Greek, EU, and global research projects (e.g., KTP, GEGET, FP4-FP8) and evaluates security initiatives for the EU and ENISA since 1998.

Her research focuses on cybersecurity, privacy, and innovative security technologies. Awards include recognitions from IEEE, NSA, and SUNY. She remains active in academic leadership and policy-making roles.