Innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking were on full display as Deree students Dimitris Kalligaridis and Roman Dolgopolyi earned a place among the top three finalists at the Panathēnea x Florent Venture Partners Hackathon, one of Greece’s leading AI innovation competitions.
Held on May 28, 2026, as part of the annual Panathēnea Festival in Athens, the 12-hour hackathon brought together some of the region’s most talented builders, innovators, and entrepreneurs to develop AI-powered solutions and compete for more than €50,000 in prizes and credits. Out of more than 100 applicants, only 25 teams were selected to participate.
Dimitris and Roman impressed the judges with Portside, an AI-powered solution designed to address a major challenge in the maritime industry. The platform streamlines delay claims by transforming complex voyage documentation into fully cited claims in less than 60 seconds, significantly reducing the time and effort traditionally required for this process.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the speed at which the team transformed an idea into a polished solution. Building on concepts first explored during the Zone01 hackathon, the students refined, developed, and presented their project on the main stage at Zappeio in less than 10 hours.
Their success reflects the spirit of innovation and applied learning that defines the student experience at Deree. By combining technical expertise, creativity, and an entrepreneurial mindset, students are developing practical solutions to real-world challenges and demonstrating how artificial intelligence can create meaningful impact across industries.
Congratulations to Dimitris and Roman on this outstanding achievement. Their accomplishment is a testament to the talent, ambition, and innovative thinking emerging from the Deree community and serves as an inspiration to future student entrepreneurs and changemakers.