Panathēnea Highlights – Day 1
Climate Tech Innovation Highlights during the first day of Panathēnea 2026 began with a Networking Briefing hosted by the German Hellenic Chamber of Industry and Commerce AHK Greece at its offices in Athens, bringing together members of the German Delegation and key representatives of the German business and innovation ecosystem in Greece.
We are particularly proud that APIRA was one of only four startups selected by AHK Greece to participate in the German Delegation, alongside leading research, innovation, and technology organizations from Germany. The meeting focused on the Greek startup and innovation ecosystem, technology transfer opportunities, and future collaborations between Germany and Greece.
A sincere thank you to Dr. Ilja Nothnagel, Michaela Balis, Zoi Baltzi, and Kaliopi Klaraki from AHK Greece for the excellent organization and warm hospitality.
It was a privilege to exchange views with Dimitris Anagnostakis of Boehringer Ingelheim Hellas and Vice President of the Board of Directors of AHK Greece, Dionysios Papadopoulos of Siemens Healthineers Hellas and Member of the Board of Directors of AHK Greece, and Frank Werner from the German Embassy in Athens. Their presence highlighted the strong commitment of German industry and institutions to strengthening innovation and business ties between Germany and Greece.
It was also a pleasure to meet fellow delegates Dr. Panteleïmon Panagiotou, Dr. Alejandro Rojas-Fernandez, Dr. Sebastian Winkler, Charalampos Kosmas, Sarah Wurzer, and Prof. Dr. Kristina Wanieck, representing organizations active in biotechnology, advanced materials, ClimateTech, space technology, research, and innovation ecosystems.
Looking forward to the collaborations, conversations, and opportunities that may emerge from this outstanding initiative.
Panathēnea Highlights – Day 2
A great second day at Panathēnea 2026. It was an honour to represent APIRA, a German ClimateTech startup developing autonomous wildfire protection solutions, at the “Scale Abroad: Navigating Germany & the EU” event organized by the German Hellenic Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK Greece) at the Goethe-Institut Athens.
With more than 100 registered participants from startups, investors, corporates, research organizations, and innovation networks, the event created an excellent environment for knowledge exchange, networking, and future collaborations.
We are particularly proud that APIRA was one of only four startups selected by AHK Greece to participate in the German Delegation at PANATHĒNEA 2026.
As part of the program, I had the opportunity to present APIRA’s wildfire protection solution and participate in the panel discussion “Get Experience. Get It Right. Challenges and Opportunities from a Startup’s Point of View” together with Dr. Alejandro Rojas-Fernandez, under the moderation of Dr. Spyros Arsenis from the National Bank of Greece.
Beyond the panel discussion, we were pleased to showcase APIRA through presentations and informational material shared with participants throughout the event. The strong interest, numerous questions, and engaging discussions around wildfire resilience and climate adaptation confirmed the growing importance of these challenges across Europe.
A sincere thank you to Dr. Ilja Nothnagel, Michaela Balis, Zoi Baltzi, and Kaliopi Klaraki from AHK Greece for the excellent organization and for creating such a valuable platform that connects startups, investors, industry, and innovation stakeholders.
It was also a pleasure to engage with the speakers and moderators of the other thematic sessions, including Yorgos Mousmoulas, Anne Nijenhuis, Sarah Wurzer, Prof. Dr. Kristina Wanieck, Dr. Panteleïmon Panagiotou and Dora Trachana, as well as with Dr. Alejandro Rojas Fernandez and Dr. Spyros Arsenis during our own panel discussion.
This participation was also made possible through the dedicated preparation and support of the APIRA team, whose contribution helped ensure a strong presence throughout the event. Looking forward to the collaborations and opportunities that may emerge from these inspiring discussions.
A Note by APIRA’s Founders
At APIRA, we believe that innovation is never created in isolation. It grows where people with different experiences, perspectives and expertise come together around a shared purpose. Participating in Panathēnea 2026 was far more than an opportunity to present our technology. It was a chance to listen, exchange ideas, and join conversations with founders, researchers, investors, and innovators who are collectively shaping the future of Europe.
As a ClimateTech company, our mission extends beyond developing autonomous wildfire protection solutions. We are building technology that helps communities become more resilient in the face of one of the greatest challenges of our time. Achieving this requires not only engineering excellence, but also collaboration across industries, countries and disciplines.
Throughout the festival, one message became increasingly clear: the future will belong to those who combine technological innovation with human responsibility. The most impactful ideas are born when ambitious people challenge assumptions, ask better questions and remain open to learning from one another.
We return from Athens inspired by the energy, talent and optimism we encountered. More importantly, we return with new relationships, new perspectives and an even stronger commitment to transforming innovation into real-world impact.
To everyone we met during Panathēnea: thank you for your conversations, your curiosity and your willingness to build together.
The challenges ahead are significant, but so is our collective ability to solve them.
APIRA Team
