The 12^th “Alkiviades Ch. Payatakes” Distinguished Lecture event of FORTH/ICE-HT was organized this year on Monday December 4 at the Royal Theater in Patras. Distinguished lecturer was Professor Emeritus of Department of Chemical Engineering of University of Patras Petros Koutsoukos, who is also Honorary Fellow of FORTH/ICE-HT since 2018, and its Acting Director for the period 2005-2007 & Vice-Director of the Institute (1995-1999, 2004-2006, 2015-2023). His talk was titled “Crystals in everyday life: Applications in Technology and Medicine”.

The “Alkiviades Ch. Payatakes” Distinguished Lecture is an annual event, organized by FORTH/ICE-HT since 2011 to honor the memory of Alkiviades Ch. Payatakes (1945-2009), Professor of Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras, Director of FORTH/ICE-HT (1999-2006), and Chairman of FORTH from 2006 until his premature death on the November 29 2009.

This year the event was combined with the FORTH 40 year anniversary celebrations, with keynote speakers the FORTH President Professor Nektarios Tavernarakis, whose speech was titled “The Foundation for Research and Technology and its role in the National and European research ecosystem” and the founding Director of FORTH/ICE-HT, Professor Emeritus George Papatheodorou, who talked about “ICE-HT before and after the founding of FORTH”, who also introduced the Distinguished Lecturer.

In his welcome address the Director of ICE-HT Theophilos Ioannides underlined the contribution of the Institute to the city of Patras and to the Western Greece Region, paying also a tribute to the late Alkiviades Ch. Payatakes and his work as Researcher, Professor, Director and President.

The event was moderated by Dr. Maria Klapa, FORTH/ICE-HT Research Director and was attended by more than 120 people. Among the honorary guests were Mr. Fokion Zaimis, Deputy Governor of Entrepreneurship Research & Innovation, Region of Western Greece; Professor Nikolaos Aspragkathos, Deputy Mayor of Planning, Environment, Energy and Green Project Studies in Patras City, Professor Dionissios Mantzavinos, Vice Rector for Academic and International Affairs; Professor Ioannis Kalavrouziotis, President of the Hellenic Open University; Mr. Vasilis Aivalis, President of the Technical Chamber of Western Greece; Professor Vassilis Loukopoulos, President of Patras Science Park; Professor Chrysostomos Stylios, Director of Industrial Systems Institute; Professor Savvas Christoforidis, Director of FORTH/BRI and Professor Alexandros Katsaounis, Head of Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Patras.