Dr. Athanasios G. Konstandopoulos has been active since 1985 in the field of Green Mobility and Sustainable Energy, researching automotive emission control. He earned a diploma in mechanical engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in 1985, a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Michigan Technological University in 1987, and Master of Science in chemical engineering, Master of Philosophy, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees in aerosol and particle technology from Yale University in 1991 with applications in clean energy, environment, and materials. He received the First Place Award of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers in 1991 and the H. P. Becton prize for the best doctoral dissertation in the Yale Graduate School in 1992.
Konstandopoulos is a specialist in nanoparticles and combustion aerosols, with extensive research and engineering consulting experience in the design, modeling, and testing of structured reactors for many uses, including emission control for mobile and stationary sources, solar fuel production (renewable hydrogen and carbon-neutral hydrocarbons), and biotechnological applications. In 1996, he established the Aerosol and Particle Technology Laboratory (APTL) in Thessaloniki, Greece, which is an internationally acclaimed as a center of excellence and a business unit of the Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI) at the Centre for Research and Technology-Hellas (CERTH).
In 2006, he joined the faculty of chemical engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and was the Director of CPERI and member of the Board of Directors of CERTH from 2006 to 2012. In 2011, he was elected as Chairman of the Board and Managing Director of CERTH. Since 2012, he has been a member of the Board of Governors of the European Commission’s (EC) Joint Research Center (JRC). He is also a co-founder of SyNest PC.
Konstandopoulos has coordinated and managed numerous research projects funded by the European Commission and leading international industries and he is the author of more than 190 widely cited publications. His international awards and distinctions include the 2006 European Descartes Prize, the 2010 European Research Council Advanced Grant, the 2006 International Partnership for the Hydrogen Economy (IPHE) inaugural Technical Achievement Award, the Global 100 Eco-Tech Prize at the 2005 EXPO in Japan and his elections as a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers (class of 2004).