The Sustainability Development Unit (SD.U) operates under the Athena Research Center. SDU is Scientifically directed by Prof. Phoebe Koundouri. SDU engages in cutting-edge research to enable the transition to resilience and sustainability, through the implementation of UN Agenda 2030 (17 SDGs), the Paris Agreement and the European Green Deal. The Unit focuses on interdisciplinary systems research and the delivery of innovative solutions for the transition to a green, digital, job-based and fair future. The work on its large interdisciplinary team focuses on the inter-dependencies between research and innovation, the economy, the society, the environment, policy-making and politics. The thematic priorities of the Unit are namely:
- Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation
- Sustainable Blue Growth
- Water-Food-Energy Nexus
- Circular Economy
- Sustainable Finance
Research Commercialization and Innovation Acceleration
SD.U Hosts: the Sustainable Development Solutions Network Greece (SDSN Greece), the EIT Climate-KIC Hub Greece and has a strategic partnership with Research laboratory on Socio-Economic and Environmental Sustainability ReSEES, Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB).
SD.U has attracted funding from EC H2020, EIT CLIMATE KIC, INTERREG, while the core team of SD.U, during the last 25 years, has been extremely successful in attracting European Research funding, as well as research and deep demonstration funding from International and National organizational, institutions and foundations, together with public and private companies and financial Institutions. In collaboration with our international research partners, SD.U brings together experts from the diversity of social sciences, mathematics, engineering, information technology and natural sciences, needed to provide an integrated understanding of the ways in which these complex systems interact.
