The Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT) of the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) continues to invest in next generation and Greece’s future researchers. In this context, ΗΙΤ hosted at its premises, 176 students from the:
• 2nd grade of Kozani 1st Secondary School, on Friday, January 16, 2026
• 2nd grade students of Panorama 1st Secondary School, on Thursday, March 12, 2026
• 3rd grade students of Kalamari Hellenic-French School and 2nd grade students of Anatolia College, on Friday, March 13, 2026,

offering them the opportunity to be informed and educated on topics relevant to sustainable mobility and road safety.
HIT’s new Director, Dr. Vassilios Kappatos, warmly welcomed the students, emphasizing the importance of research and innovation for Greece’s development. He highlighted the significant contributions of HIT and the other CERTH institutes as well, in generating knowledge and promoting sustainable solutions for society and economy. Dr. Kappatos also stressed the importance of the younger generation to remain in Greece and contribute with their ideas and skills to the advancement of research and innovation, expressing his hope, that some of the present students, may one day join HIT’s and CERTH’s research community.

Figure 1: HIT’s new Director, Dr. Vassilis Kappatos, welcomes Secondary school students

Kozani school students had the opportunity, through the experiential seminar “Sustainable Urban Mobility”, to understand the importance of sustainable mobility and the use of alternative modes of transport, which directly contribute to environmental protection and the improvement of quality of life for residents and visitors of urban areas. The seminar presentation was delivered by Iliana Stiliani Anapali and Maria Chatziathanasiou, Transport Engineers, HIT research associates. The interactive part of the seminar was coordinated by Dr. Maria Morfoulaki, Transport Engineer, Operational Scientist A’, Head of Laboratory “Sustainable Mobility”.

Figure 2: Snapshot from the Sustainable Mobility seminar, Kozani Secondary school

Kalamari Hellenic-French School students had the opportunity through the experiential “Road Safety” seminar, to understand the basic principles of road safety and responsible behavior on road networks, preparing them for their future role as road users, whether as drivers and passengers of private vehicles, or as pedestrians and cyclists.
The seminar was conducted by Dr. Kornilia Maria Kotoula, Transport Engineer, HIT’s scientific associate. Following the presentation, the students visited:
- Traffic Data Analysis and Management Laboratory of HIT, where they were informed by Dr. Josep Maria Salanova Grau, Head of Laboratory B2: Data Analysis and Modelling, about the collection, processing and analysis of traffic data and their importance in the field of transport domain.
- HIT’s Research Vehicle (Driving Simulator), which collects and processes data related to driving behavior. Students had the opportunity to co-drive the simulator as passengers and experience potential risks that may occur during a trip through realistic scenarios reflecting everyday road conditions. The experiential training was conducted by Mr. Pavlos Spanidis, Computer Software Engineer.
- HIT’s Robotic Dog “KYON”, used for infrastructure inspection and data collection in demanding environments. Through advanced sensors and navigation technologies, it can move flexibly in difficult terrain and support applications such as site surveillance, mapping and environmental data recording. During the presentation, students had the opportunity to learn about the capabilities of the robotic system and how robotics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) contribute to research and technological innovation. The demonstration of KYON was conducted by Dr. Alkiviadis Tromaras, Mechanical Engineering and Dr. Georgios Danis, Electrical Engineer, both HIT’s scientific associates.



Figure 3: Snapshot from students’ visits to HIT/CERTH laboratories

Students from Anatolia College also participated in a career orientation seminar, focusing on modern career paths in the fields of technology and information science, as well as on the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) as a tool supporting research in sustainable mobility. The career orientation seminar was delivered by Mr. Vasilios Mizaras, Transport Engineer, HIT’s research associate.

Figure 4: Snapshot from the Career orientation session seminar, Anatolia College