Croatia Weekend media festival in Rovinj Religne various industries with communications and marketing experts for years. They explored subjects from the fundamental principles of digital marketing, the brand image of employers and new social media strategies to leadership, technology and narration. No wonder that their recent extensions revolves around AI innovations.
AI weekend, The new AI conference in the region takes place in collaboration with the famous WMF. From September 19 to 22First -rate experts and IA world enthusiasts will meet to demystify this technology, reveal its potential and present its fascinating possibilities.
One of these experts will be Orestis trasanidisDirector and head of the AI of the EIT community of Silicon Valley. THE EIT community is a collaborative network including the long -term partnerships of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) in the academic world, research and businesses, focused on the motivation of AI innovation.
As a leader of the IAT of the IAT, Trasanidis directs the initiatives of the AI, coordinates the projects and directs an EIT community, developing tools and contributing to political relationships. In addition, As Director General of EIT HUB Silicon Valley, he works on the promotion of transatlantic synergies And facilitate access to American and European programs, aimed at filling ecosystems.
We took the opportunity to speak with Orestis trasanidis Regarding these transatlantic collaborations, its expertise in the main innovation projects and AI initiatives, what it takes to make a good application for EU projects and how regional startups can still exploit them more.


“How to bring things to do things they do in the movies”
Throughout his career, Trasanidis has participated in numerous innovation projects throughout Europe. He has concentrated his academic work on decision -making and in recent years, he has worked in Digital eit To develop sustainable open innovation ecosystems. No wonder because it holds MSC diplomas in ICT, smart cities and environmental engineering.
At one point, however, he changed concentration at AI. “The AI has become crucial when I started to take up challenges of sustainability, especially around decision -making. I have always been motivated by the optimization of solutions to complex problems, and AI naturally aligned this objective. »»
Its history in mechanical engineering and the influence of the family triggered this curiosity At the beginning, and experiences such as the foundation of a startup, engaging with innovators and working on major international projects equipped it with the skills necessary to continue this world vision, he finds.
“The potential of AI has always inspired me because it offers unprecedented opportunities to solve problems in the real world. As Aston Teller said, artificial intelligence is science in the way of bringing machines to do things they do in movies. »»
Today, as director general of the Silicon Valley of the EIT, Tresanidis plays a central role in promoting transatlantic collaborations. His team actively supports startups by refining their ideas and emphasizing scalability.
“We are working in close collaboration with the teams to refine their ideas, emphasizing execution and scalability,” he said, stressing the importance of mentoring and strategic networking.
By connecting startups with the right resources and providing advice, trasanidis helps them expand their perspectives and sail the market better.
Innovation in the start of the United States can benefit from European AI sand bins
There are various key opportunities, but also challenges, to promote synergies between the American and European EIA ecosystems, the remarks of trasanidis.
He thinks that the greatest opportunity lies in the combination The emphasis placed by Europe on equity, inclusiveness and reliability with the Entrepreneurial State of Silicon Valley. However, he recognizes that regulatory differences, in particular around the confidentiality of data, pose a challenge.
“There is also one element of protectionism on both sides, which can limit the complete collaboration potential. To succeed, we must find a systemic balance and focus on “friend’s friend” – constitute solid cooperative relationships between regions “.
When it comes to Approaches on AI innovationThe differences are also obvious, in which culture plays a big role, says trasanidis.
“In the United States, innovation tends to move quickly, with fewer regulatory obstacles and a strong emphasis on risk taking, while the EU is more prudent, prioritizing ethical considerations and the impact to long term. These approaches are complementary and both parties can learn a lot from each other. Europe can adopt more agility and the United States can benefit from the EU’s thoughtful and systemic approach. “”
To succeed, we must focus on building a bidirectional bridge, which allows the United States to benefit from European AI sand bins while helping EU solutions to increase more quickly.
Can the EEC region do it better?


Many innovative ideas emerge in the region, he admits but warns that these Often facing challenges with visibility and cross -border networkingwhich are crucial for scaling.
“Although the ECE -ECE ECOSE ECOSYSTEM is robust, it is necessary to take additional support to help these startups to evolve effectively and compete on a wider scene. More open innovation opportunities with industry and increased awareness of training and financing options, could greatly benefit these startups. »»
Trasanidis thinks that the EEC ecosystem must “focus on the scale and the creation of success unicorns that can serve as magnets And inspire the next generation ”. He claims that the missing element is the desire to embrace the risk and cultivate a winning state of mind.
He also shared information on how startups, especially in the EEC region, can better take advantage of EU programs, especially for AI innovation. According to him, EU programs offer immense opportunities, giving access to new markets and infrastructure.
“Startups should approach these strategically based on the subsidies and financing opportunities that correspond to their business plans,” advised TRASANIDIS. He stressed the importance of remaining informed, especially since the The Horizon Europe framework evolves. Programs such as EIT and EIC funding should be on the radar of each entrepreneurhe insists, in particular those focused on AI initiatives.
Common traps of applications for EU innovation programs
Trasanidis participated in the management and coordination of activities for various Projects of the European Central Bank (ECB) and the European Innovation Council (EIC) as well as the initiatives of Horizon Europe. So we could not miss a chance to ask him questions about the common traps he saw while assessing innovation projects.
He explains that Many projects vacillate due to a lack of concentration on authentic market needs. “There is a tendency to overcome and underlift the execution,” he noted. From its point of view, many startups neglect an analysis of in -depth competitive landscape, which leads to low impact solutions which often overlap existing offers.
This disalember, he thinks, contributes to disappointing operating plans. Reflecting at 2020, he stressed that “For each 10 million euros spent on AI, the inventors asked for an average of only 0.65 patents», Stressing the ineffectiveness in the translation of innovation into tangible results.
There is a particularly significant unexploited potential in Greece and in the EEC region and which is reflected on the figures, notes trasanidis. However, it recognizes the complexities of the navigation of EU programs. Given this, he recommends that entrepreneurs engage with Eit kicswhich provides tailor -made support to help effectively navigate these opportunities.
If you want to catch Trasanidis in RovinjIt is particularly excited to explore How AI can transform urban and health systemsAmong other things …
“In addition, I can’t wait to discuss how the EU and the United States can collaborate in the creation of ethical AI. Finally, I can’t wait to dive into the most innovative and unconventional ideas currently under development by trying to get to the scale. »»