A memorandum of cooperation was signed with the National Technical University of Athens yesterday at Hellenic Aerospace Industry’s (HAI) Headquarters in Athens. The memorandum aims to research and develop a series of innovative technological products that will contribute to the technological progress of the country, according to HAI’s announcement.

The CEO of HAI, Mr. Dimitrios Papakostas, stated:

“HAI embraces the synergy with the National Technical University of Athens. Another emblematic cooperation, as it concerns a wide range of immediately feasible actions that will upgrade the technological development of our country.”

The Rector of the National Technical University of Athens, Mr. Andreas Boudouvis, stressed: 

“With their memorandum of cooperation, HAI and NTUA aim at joining forces that is beneficial for the security and defence of the country, while serving research, development, and innovation in a wide range of technology and products, focusing on aeronautics and aerospace. The cooperation between HAI and NTUA goes back to both research and the education of students, while the signing of the Memorandum lays the basis for its strengthening, expansion, and systematization.”

The signing of the memorandum with the National Technical University of Athens was attended by the president of HAI, Mr. Ioannis Koutras, and the members of the Board of Directors of the company. NTUA was represented by the Vice-Rector for Finance, Planning and Development, Mr. E. Sapoundzakis, the Vice-Rector for Research and Lifelong Learning, Mr. I. Chatzigeorgiou, and the Professor of the School of Mechanical Engineering, Mr. E. Papadopoulos.

The ultimate goal is to promote research and innovation, especially in the fields of aerospace and aeronautics, while joining forces for the country’s security and defence.

The Hellenic Aerospace Industry, one of the largest sources of know-how in the country, continues its successful collaborations with Greek academic institutions.

This initiative comes as a continuation of the close cooperation of HAI with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Democritus University of Thrace, and the University of Thessaly for the “Archytas” program. The design of the Greek UAV will be completed at the end of April, while the first flight of the state-of-the-art VTOL UAV will take place in about two years.

Also read: HAI | The design of the first Greek UAV in final stages