Eleni FELEKI

Globalization combined with high urbanization trends affects the traditional pillars of sustainability (environment, society, and economy), but also the local identity of cities (reflecting the spatial dimension), or of groups of cities with common characteristics that form a macro-region. Holistic assessment of all pillars based on an integrated approach for sustainable development and policy planning based monitoring of goals, is key to our cities. Towards this direction, capacity and competence building, awareness raising and transnational exchange is fundamental.

I am involved in the URBACT Programme since 2019. My involvement lays on the following:

-          Lead expert of the URGE: Circular building cities Action Planning Network of 9 cities, led by Utrecht (September 2019 - August 2022)

-          Ad hoc expert of the Global Goals for Cities Network of 19 cities, led by Tallinn (2022)

-          Trainer of the Greek-Cypriot Transfer Networks in the frame of the Train the Trainers event in Piraeus (June 2019)

Overall, through my 20 years professional career I have been responsible for drafting, facilitating, leading, implementing and transferring the results of more than 40 transnational EU projects, most of them dealing with the topic of sustainable development and monitoring of goals. Apart from my thematic expertise gained through my participation in projects and particularly through my active involvement in URBACT III, I have developed considerable experience in designing and delivering transnational exchange and learning activities and in designing and delivering integrated urban policies. I have published and announced in Conferences and European events project scientific and project results related to circularity, SDGs, Agenda 2030, circular economy with focus on the construction sector and biomass, design of innovative business models, climate adaptation and mitigation through Nature Based Solutions, energy efficiency, policy making.

Currently, I am activated as project manager and ad hoc expert providing technical assistance to small and medium municipalities that are receiving support from DG Regio to better root their projects to the New European Bauhaus principles: togetherness, sustainability and aesthetics. I am also involved in the URBANOME Horizon project as post-doc researcher, part of the team of the Environmental Engineering Laboratory of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. URBANOME  is a 4-year H2020 project focusing on research areas related to the climate and the environment and their interactions with health and wellbeing in urban settings aiming at building a common EU framework for evaluating comprehensively multi-sector policies in urban settings supporting the “Health in all Policies” approach of WHO. Moreover I am involved in two transnational cross-border projects, providing support to the Association of ICT enterprises of Northern Greece to promote and build capacities of SMEs on 4th Industrial Revolution tools (Enabling SMEs for the 4th Industrial Revolution) and to organize and implement Hackathons on Fin-Tech and boost the concept of digital nomads through design of platforms and infrastructure ((Inno-Ecosystem).

I have studied Chemical Engineering in Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1994-1999) and I hold two Master degrees and a PhD in the field of sustainable development and strategic design using indicators and goals.