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Deputy Minister of Development Stavros Kalafatis visited the Technical University of Crete and the new building of the Geoenergy Institute of the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (FORTH), currently under construction within the university campus, on Tuesday, May 19, 2026.
The Deputy Minister was welcomed by the Rector of the Technical University of Crete, Professor Michail Zervakis, and the Director of the FORTH Geoenergy Institute, Professor Ioannis Gentekakis.
The Deputy Minister toured all areas of the new Geoenergy Institute facilities and was briefed on the progress of the construction works. After the tour in new Geoenergy Institute followed a short tour in the university campus and a meeting with the Deputy Minister and his associates in the Senate Hall of the Technical University of Crete.
The meeting was attended by the Rector of the Technical University of Crete, Professor Michail Zervakis, the Vice Rector for Administrative and Technical Affairs and Student Welfare, Professor Despoina Dimelli, the Vice Rector for Finance and Development, Professor Danae Venieri, and the Director of the FORTH Geoenergy Institute and Professor at the Technical University of Crete, Ioannis Gentekakis. During the meeting, the research activities of both the Technical University of Crete and the Geoenergy Institute were presented to the Deputy Minister and his associates, followed by a highly constructive discussion regarding the development prospects of the two institutions.
Welcoming the Deputy Minister to the university campus, Rector Professor Michail Zervakis emphasized: “This is a major collaboration that connects the Geoenergy Institute and FORTH with the Technical University of Crete in the fields of research, the labor market, and start-up entrepreneurship, offering numerous advantages. The Geoenergy Institute serves as a research center for all forms of energy and can act as a bridge among different levels of education due to its location between the Technical University of Crete, the General High School (GEL), and the Model Vocational High School (EPAL) of Akrotiri. There are also plans to construct two additional schools within the university campus, a Music School and an Experimental School. This is pioneering for Chania and for Crete as a whole”.
Regarding the allocation of land by the Technical University of Crete to FORTH for the construction of the new Geoenergy Institute, the Rector noted: “The Technical University of Crete views this collaboration as an investment, as it will provide professors, researchers, and students with access to advanced research methodologies and state-of-the-art equipment”.
Deputy Minister of Development Stavros Kalafatis stated: “We are here to witness the progress of a very important project that essentially symbolizes the collaboration among educational institutions, the Technical University of Crete, FORTH, and secondary education. A hub is being created, an innovation node that constitutes a key link in Crete’s broader ecosystem and gives us confidence that Crete will continue to play a very significant role in the new era of the knowledge economy. This is an investment exceeding €11 million and will provide researchers, academics, and young people entering the world of knowledge with the opportunity to interact, collaborate, and play an important role in this new era”.
For his part, Professor Ioannis Gentekakis, Director of the FORTH Geoenergy Institute, stated: “The original purpose of establishing the Institute was for it to operate as an Institute of Petroleum Research, serving as an official advisor to the state on developments concerning hydrocarbon exploration in the Eastern Mediterranean. Subsequently, following Europe’s shift toward the green energy transition and climate change mitigation, it evolved into the Geoenergy Institute, focusing on all research areas that can contribute to these objectives”.
