Greece's main international airport, serving as a living lab for aviation cybersecurity, sustainable airport operations, and 5G-enabled passenger services in EU research.
Athens International Airport (AIA) is Greece's primary international gateway, operating one of Southern Europe's busiest airports. In EU research, they serve as a large-scale living lab and operational testbed for aviation innovation — from airport security and cyber-resilience to sustainable aviation (hydrogen, electric vehicles, SAFs) and 5G-enabled passenger services. Their contribution lies in providing real-world airport infrastructure, operational data, and domain expertise that allows research consortia to validate technologies at scale in a functioning critical infrastructure environment.
SATIE, FORESIGHT, and PRECINCT all focus on securing air transport infrastructure against cyber-physical threats, including simulation platforms and digital twins for preparedness.
STARGATE (their largest project at EUR 1.1M) and TT both address greenhouse gas reduction, green logistics, hydrogen, electric vehicles, and sustainable aviation fuels.
5G-TOURS explored 5G network slicing for tourism and mobility at the airport, while BRIDGES tested extended reality platforms for industry uptake.
ICARUS focused on aviation-driven data value chains, CHARIOT on cognitive IoT architectures, and TT on predictive analytics for transport optimization.
PRECINCT and STARGATE both deploy digital twin approaches — for cyber-physical security simulation and sustainable airport management respectively.
AIA's early H2020 engagement (2017-2019) centered on transport digitalization — predictive analytics, multimodal logistics, and IoT for operational efficiency (TT, CHARIOT, ICARUS). From 2019 onward, their focus split into two clear streams: airport cybersecurity (SATIE, FORESIGHT, PRECINCT) and green airport transformation (STARGATE). The shift from data-driven optimization toward security resilience and sustainability reflects broader EU aviation policy priorities and positions AIA as a testbed for the airport of the future.
AIA is moving strongly toward green airport transformation (STARGATE runs until 2026 with their largest funding), making them a prime partner for sustainable aviation and airport decarbonization projects.
AIA participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator — consistent with their role as an infrastructure provider and end-user rather than a research organization. With 215 unique partners across 24 countries, they operate in large, diverse consortia and bring real-world validation environments rather than research capacity. Working with AIA means gaining access to a functioning international airport as a demonstration site, which is exceptionally valuable for projects needing critical infrastructure testbeds.
AIA has built a broad European network of 215 partners across 24 countries through 9 projects, indicating participation in large consortia (averaging ~24 partners per project). Their network spans transport, ICT, and security sectors across most EU member states.
AIA is one of very few major international airports actively engaged in EU research, offering something most partners cannot: a live, high-traffic critical infrastructure environment for testing and demonstration. Their dual expertise in both cybersecurity and sustainability for airports makes them uniquely positioned at the intersection of security and green transformation. For any consortium needing a real-world aviation testbed with operational data, regulatory context, and scale, AIA is a rare and high-value partner.
