NTUA and Columbia support young scientists – entrepreneurs, the first Pitch Competition has been completed

The Blavatnik Family Foundation is supporting Lab to Market: Bridging Innovation and Entrepreneurship, a five-year initiative coordinated by the National Technical University of Athens and Columbia Engineering to help emerging scientists in Greece translate research into viable ventures. Launched in January 2026, the program provides entrepreneurship education, mentoring, access to Greek and international innovation networks, and direct engagement with Columbia University and New York’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. The Foundation’s support enables the program, including travel to New York, to be offered at no cost to participants. The first cycle concluded with an inaugural Pitch Competition, where 15 teams presented ideas spanning health, artificial intelligence for shipping, sustainability, and diagnostics. Participants represented 18 cities across Greece and eight Greek universities, reflecting the initiative’s geographic and scientific breadth. WasteChain, Pharos Maritime AI, and Mediva-RX received the top three awards as the initiative continues to strengthen connections among academic research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Greece. Read the story here.