Theo Zacharis
“Science progresses through collaboration across disciplines, sectors and borders. As Founder of the Greek Scientists Society, I am committed to building connections between researchers, innovators, policymakers and society, fostering interdisciplinary partnerships that strengthen European research and innovation while creating lasting societal impact on a global scale. Our mission is to bring together diverse expertise, promote knowledge exchange, and support the translation of scientific knowledge into real-world outcomes for the benefit of society.“
Theo Zacharis works at the intersection of research, innovation and stakeholder engagement, supporting European collaborations that strengthen the societal impact of science. His activities span dissemination beyond academia, science-to-policy translation, innovation uptake, and collaborative ecosystems across research, industry and the public sector.
He contributes to several Greek and European initiatives, including COST Actions, with a particular interest in research data ecosystems, Open Science, FAIR principles, Data Spaces, metadata interoperability and capacity building.
Research work
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Data interoperability and the EU data agenda
Science-to-policy and position papers
Physical Activity and Healthy Ageing & Longevity Data: Interoperability, Reuse, and Innovation in a Federated European Context
Open Research Europe. Version 1, awaiting peer review.
On the interoperability and reuse of physical activity and healthy ageing data across a federated European context, covering FAIR practice, metadata, and the conditions under which such data become usable beyond the study that produced them.
Integrating Ecotoxicity into Early-Stage Drug Development for Parasitic Diseases: A One Health Position Paper
OneHealthDrugs COST Action (CA21111). In development.
A One Health position paper developed within the OneHealthDrugs COST Action (CA21111), through an Editorial Group and four Pillar Task Forces. It sets out how ecotoxicity can be considered at the earliest stages of drug development for parasitic diseases, rather than assessed once a compound is already advanced.
Theo Zacharis is an Innovation and Strategy Advisor and Founder of the Greek Scientists Society (GSS). He works at the intersection of research, innovation and stakeholder engagement, supporting Greek and European collaborations that advance the societal impact and real-world uptake of science. His work spans dissemination beyond academia, science-to-policy translation, innovation uptake, and collaboration across research, industry and the public sector. He contributes to several European initiatives, including COST Actions, with a particular interest in research data ecosystems, Open Science, FAIR principles, Data Spaces, metadata interoperability and capacity building.
dissemination beyond academic audiences, the translation of research into policy and regulatory use, pathways for real-world uptake, and collaboration across research, industry, and the public sector.
He contributes to several research and innovation initiatives, particularly COST Actions, where his contribution has been largely methodological. Most notably this includes the development of From Mapping to Impact: A Strategic Stakeholder Framework, a sequenced model for the identification, prioritisation and mobilisation of stakeholders across a research network’s lifetime, carrying an Action from its founding Memorandum of Understanding through to institutional embedding and post-Action continuity. The framework has been applied across a number of Actions, and is complemented by work on post-Action sustainability, on the design of policy-facing outputs, and on the European data agenda as a precondition for evidence that institutions can act on.
He holds a B.Sc. in Business Administration from the State University of New York, Empire State University, and an MBA from ALBA (Athens Graduate Business School).
Before establishing Strategic Foresight Hellas in 1997, an Organizational & Management Consultancy providing strategic advisory, project execution, ISO Quality Management Systems, internal auditing for an ASE-listed company, professional training, and management of Greek and EU-funded projects, he served as Marketing Manager at adidas Hellas. In 2018 he founded bioGLOT Ventures in Cambridge, UK, an innovation and strategy advisory firm working in technology transfer, patent strategy, research commercialisation, and securing funding for start-up and spin-off development.
In December 2020 he founded the Greek Scientists Society (GSS), the largest global Hellenic network of Scientists and Technologists, with more than 33,000 members. Through GSS he works to promote interdisciplinary collaboration, knowledge exchange, and initiatives that strengthen the links between researchers, industry, policymakers, and society.
In May 2025, he was appointed as the Executive Director of a post-Action sustainability initiative, Kinesis Innovation Center (KIC), the first post-Action Sustainable Project with CA20104 – Network on evidence-based physical activity in old age (PhysAgeNet) and the GSS, having as a flagship initiative a digital biobank on Physical Activity.
He has organised and coordinated international conferences, symposia, workshops, webinars, and training schools bringing together researchers from universities, research organisations, and industry, and has developed digital collaboration platforms supporting networking, dissemination, and community building across European research initiatives.
Over the course of his career he has advised organisations across the private and public sectors on strategic planning, organisational development, digital transformation, technology transfer, commercialisation, European-funded projects, and innovation management, including work with spin-offs and start-ups on business model development, investor readiness, and licensing strategy.