The head of Greece’s Center for Research and Technology Hellas, known as CERTH, traveled to Washington and New York this month to build ties with Greek American networks and pursue investment for the commercialization of research, according to the center.
The delegation was led by Dr. Evangelos Bekiaris, CERTH’s chairman, and coincided with his participation in the Transportation Research Board’s 2026 annual meeting in Washington, one of the sector’s largest gatherings.
CERTH said its U.S. meetings centered on three goals.
The first was to strengthen outreach around BrainReGain, a nonprofit initiative that presents itself as a bridge between Greek professionals abroad and opportunities back home. The effort reflects Greece’s longer running concern about the post crisis exodus of educated workers. A widely cited estimate linked to the Bank of Greece has put emigration since 2008 at more than 427,000 people.
The second goal was to attract Greek American and U.S. investors to back CERTH intellectual property and affiliated ventures. CERTH says the commercialization of its research has led to 23 spin-off companies.
A third goal was business development, promoting CERTH expertise to companies and intermediaries as the center looks for service contracts, partnerships and pathways into the U.S. market.
CERTH said that one concrete outcome was its registration with the American Hellenic Chambers of Commerce in Washington and New York, a step it expects to help systematize outreach to member businesses.
The center also said that planning has begun, in coordination with the chambers and Greek authorities, for a 2026 visit to Greece by 10 to 20 U.S. based investors, with an agenda focused on artificial intelligence, energy, transportation and tourism.
Separately, CERTH said it opened discussions with the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America on educational programming, including a proposed summer program in Greece for Greek American students that would use CERTH facilities and include a visit to its main campus in Thessaloniki. The delegation also discussed the possibility of a permanent CERTH presence at Archdiocese facilities in New York.
