Kakarountas Athanasios

Dr. Athanasios Kakarountas is an Associate Professor at the University of Thessaly, specializing in Embedded Computing Systems. He leads the Intelligent Systems Laboratory (iSL) and manages ParICT, Central Greece's parallel computing node. His roles include Head of the Department of Computer Science and Biomedical Informatics, Deputy Chairman of GRNET (2019–2023), and Chair of the Central Greece Research & Innovation Committee (2018–2022). He holds an MBA from Cyprus Open University and has extensive industry experience in tech policy, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Education: BSc & PhD in Electrical & Computer Engineering (University of Patras, 1998/2004), MBA (Cyprus Open University, 2015).

Research focuses on Computer Architecture, VLSI Design, TinyML, IoT Security, and Healthcare Technologies. Key projects include seizure detection systems, blockchain in supply chains, neuromorphic circuits, and cybersecurity solutions for smart cities. He has published 150+ articles, 2 e-books, and 7 book chapters, with 1,600+ citations. Awards include IEEE's Outstanding Branch Counselor Award (2013).

Leadership: IEEE Greece Section Secretary (4 years), Vice-Chair (6 years), and co-Chair of the IEEE eGOV Special Committee. Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Potentials magazine, and active in organizing IEEE conferences and hackathons. Founder of A2rTEST creative team and mentor for robotics/tech competitions.

Grants & Projects: Over 30 EU/Greek-funded projects. Labs/Teams: iSL, ParICT, and partnerships with Patras Science Park. Future work emphasizes TinyML for healthcare, IoT security, and smart city infrastructure.