Athanasios Tsioutras was born in Thessaloniki and graduated from the Polytechnic School of AUTh, Department of Civil Engineer. He has got an M.Sc. degree in Environmental Issues from the Physics Department of AUTh He has been a PhD Cand. Transport at Civil Engineer School of AUTh.

During 1991-1996 he worked in the fields of communication, advertising and sales promotion as a freelancer in advertising agencies, printed media and educational sectors.

Since 1996 he is working in the Transport field in many research programs and transport studies (over 100) first in consulting companies, then in academic sector.

Since 2001 he is a research associate at the Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT) of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), where in 2004 he became HITs public relations manager, having contributed to almost 500 publicity actions and making HIT’s brand name until 2010.

During 2001-2007 he was the general responsible for the great part of the mobile research equipment of HIT, such as the research vehicle equipped with ADAS, the hybrid vehicle, the 2 driving simulators and the 4 electric assisted scooters. This equipment is still unique in the SE Europe. HIT/CERTH is certified according to ISO 9001:2015, while it is under ISO 27001:2022 accreditation.

During 2004-2010 as Head of the Public Relations Department at I.MET., he established the image and name of IMET to the general public of the time (brand name creation) with 500 interviews and promotion activities in the media and over 50 promotion events of the research to the general public (exhibitions, events, etc.).

In the period 2003-2004 he was the technical coordinator of the first organized effort in Greece for a comprehensive experiential training with multimedia, driving simulators, seat belt convincers, roll over car simulators, skid car simulators and other experiential training tools. He wrote a proposal to the General Secretariat of Research and Technology (GSRT) which was evaluated first and which was about the interconnection of theoretical and practical knowledge and human resources for the defense and promotion of road safety. It was the beginning of a network development consisted of researchers, transportation experts, driving instructors, journalists in car magazines and racing drivers with the distinctive title "ADIRITO" through which 18 educational training seminars were held allover Greece and a book was published on the subject of modern driving learning methods such as multimedia and simulators in which he is a co-author.

His main priority is the improvement of road safety in Greece through campaigns and educational activities on the human factor, the main responsible for road accidents. During 2010, he has been the technical coordinator of the implementation of BOB-Campaign in Greece with the title “Alcohol-Not Tonight-I am driving”. The combined effort of both police tests and BOB-Campaign, managed to reduce the positive alcohol breath tests from 8,3% (2000), to 3,2% (2004), according to statistical issues from the Greek Ministry of Civil Protection. This effort is being continued by HIT and other organizations since nowadays, unofficially. The cooperation with the famous Greek pop-singer George Tsalikis was the fabulous conclusion of this great ten years effort.

Between early 2011 – mid 2013 he founded and was in charge in CERTH’s Press Office, which within this period recorded over 2000 views of CERTH in printed and electronic media, half of them followed up directly by CERTH’s Press Office.

Moreover, A. Tsioutras has contributed in 5 books relative to traffic education for High Schools, 6 books for novice drivers and 19 scientific publications in congresses and workshops, meanwhile he participated in tenths of deliverables. He has been a member in the organizing committee of 9 international conferences and contributed to the finalisation of many research deliverables, including his research activity for a specific time in the field of Solid Mechanics, working for the environmental influence in microcracks of Thessaloniki’s monuments.

He has held around 270 interviews to the media and has organized over 80 research profile events to the public. Together with the seminars, he has informed and/or trained thousands of people on transportation safety issues.

Since 2008, as a specialist in transportation safety, he is acting as the scientific consultant at Smart Drive Ltd, assisting in the research and development of specialized training and assessment equipment for the holistic approach to transportation, construction and mining safety, in relation to all types of vehicles and construction machinery. He is a lecturer in safety seminars for drivers / operators of project machines in small and large transportation, construction and mining companies. Today the company owns experiential training equipment that is unique in its entirety in the SE Europe. Its clientеlе constists of well-known academic institutions, companies and NGOs dealing with transport security in Greece, the Balkans, the EU and third countries. Smart Drive Ltd is certified according to ISO 9001:2015, ISO 39001:2012, ISO 14001: 2015, while it is under ISO 29993:2017 and ISO 27001:2022 accreditation.

In the classic field of civil enginner, during the period 1996-2008 he worked in construction and real estate estimations (over 1800). His initial research activity started in the field of strength of materials. During 1996-1998 he was a PhD candidate and worked in research programs in the Department of Technical Engineering of AUTh on the environmental effects in microcracks of ancient monuments in Thessaloniki using finite elements. His love for transport, motoring and the connection between society and science, drew him from this eminently theoretical subject, which he nevertheless served with particular zeal and success (according to the supervising Professors).

He speaks and writes English and has also excellent knowledge of many PC software programs (he is a PC user since 1992).

He is a member of the Hellenic Society of Transport Engineers, member of the Technical Chamber of Greece, member of the Society of the Registered Contractors of National Works of Thessaloniki and Central Macedonia, member of the Society of Civil Engineers of Thessaloniki and member of the Hellenic Electric Vehicles Association.

He has been representative of the Technical Chamber of Greece at Thessaloniki’s Council for Public Transport, evaluator of studies and Public Works Evaluator for the Technical Chamber of Greece and member of the permanent committee for infrastructure works and development of Central Macedonia Region.