Lydia Papadaki
Researcher, Alliance of Excellence for Research and Innovation on Aephoria(AE4RIA)
Dr Lydia Papadaki holds a PhD in Economics from the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) with a scholarship from the Academy of Athens, and is a researcher at the Alliance of Excellence for Research and Innovation on Aephoria(AE4RIA). She has contributed to more than 20 European research and innovation projects funded under Horizon Europe, Horizon 2020, Erasmus+, EIT Climate-KIC, and other international programmes. Her research lies at the intersection of environmental and behavioural economics, systems innovation, stakeholder engagement, and sustainability transitions, with a particular focus on the sustainable blue economy, participatory governance, living labs, climate resilience, circular economy, and science-policy interfaces. Her recent work has advanced methodological approaches for participatory workshop design, systems innovation, and innovation ecosystems, supporting evidence-based policymaking and regional sustainability transitions. Dr Papadaki has authored numerous publications in leading international journals and edited volumes, including Annual Review of Resource Economics, Ocean & Coastal Management, Frontiers, Ocean and Society, Open Research Europe, Springer, and Journal of the Knowledge Economy. Her research has received international recognition, including selection among the Top 6 papers at the Open Living Labs Days (OLLD 2023) and the Young Scientist Award (2025). Beyond that, she has organised and facilitated more than 70 participatory workshops and stakeholder engagement processes across Europe and the Mediterranean, while delivering university lectures, professional training programmes, and capacity-building activities for policymakers, businesses, researchers, and civil society. She regularly serves as an invited reviewer for international scientific journals, contributes to sustainability education and innovation acceleration programmes, and mentors startups and entrepreneurs working on climate and sustainability challenges.