Highlighting the connection between technology and cultural memory within the context of the energy transition, as well as its contribution to the country’s digital transformation, the University of Western Macedonia participated in the World Internet Conference – Wuzhen Summit 2025, one of the most significant international meeting points for digital technology and global developments in the internet ecosystem. The Executive Director of the University of Western Macedonia, Mr. Kostas Nikou, represented the institution at the thematic forum “Digital Protection and Inheritance of Cultural Heritage”, where he presented the University’s approach to the transition from lignite to a modern, green and digital era.
In his presentation titled “From Coal to Code”, Kostas Nikou focused on the role of digital technology in preserving the region’s industrial history, emphasizing that the new development trajectory must be closely linked to the memory and identity of Western Macedonia. He underlined that the energy transition is not only a technological or economic challenge, but also a process that requires the preservation of cultural memory and industrial heritage, so that the future can be creatively connected to the region’s historical foundations.
As the major projects implemented by the University of Western Macedonia shape the new development identity of Western Macedonia, the Executive Director presented the €200 million investment programme currently underway. This includes the Astronomical Park on Mount Orliakas, the new building of the School of Fine Arts in Florina, the Green Data Center in Kozani, new student residences and the first hub of the Innovation Zone. Special reference was also made to the collaboration with PPC (Public Power Corporation), which is redefining the region’s energy and technological landscape.
A key point of his intervention was the programme for the digital protection and creative enhancement of industrial heritage. Through 3D scanning and geospatial mapping technologies, high-precision digital data are generated and utilized by the Schools of Fine Arts and Communication to develop new forms of digital art, contemporary storytelling and cultural experiences with international reach. “Digital protection has real power when it becomes creative heritage,” he noted characteristically.
The presentation highlighted the opportunities created by the energy transition for new collaborations and the exchange of expertise at an international level. In closing, Kostas Nikou emphasized that the University of Western Macedonia proposes a practical way of linking technology with the cultural identity of Western Macedonia, shaping common ground for partnerships in fields that bring together culture, technology and the development of regions in transition.
University of Western Macedonia
