While ERF 2026 was still under way in Stavanger, the team behind the 2028 edition was already making its pitch. Athens will host the European Robotics Forum in 2028, with the University of Patras leading the organisation. The central theme — Europe at a Crossroads, Empowered by Robotics — is designed to speak directly to the economic pressures currently facing European industry.
Professor Sotiris Makris set out the rationale in straightforward terms. Europe is dealing with supply chain disruptions, intensifying global competition and broader economic instability. His argument is that the continent has the talent, industrial base and technological capacity to respond — and that robotics and AI are the primary means of doing so.
“We think that Europe possesses the necessary talent, willingness, technological capacity and industrial base to turn the situation to a more positive direction — and we think that this can be really empowered by robotics and AI technologies. That’s the key idea in Athens,” said Makris.
On format, he was clear that ERF 2028 is intended to reach beyond the usual research and industry circles. The event will actively involve participants from across Southeast Europe and is designed to be accessible to a wide range of attendees — from established companies and research institutions to startups, students and practitioners from other fields. “Everyone will be welcomed and involved,” he said, pointing to an ambitious and creative programme still taking shape.
George Michalos, also from the University of Patras, made the case for Athens as a venue that fits the theme on multiple levels. Beyond the historical associations, he pointed to modern Athens as a functioning hub of academic research, high-value industry and emerging technology — not just a symbolic backdrop, but an active part of the story the forum wants to tell.
“Athens has always been a junction of culture, science and commercial activity,” Michalos said. “Even modern Athens is a crossroads of state-of-the-art academic research, high-value-adding activities and emerging technologies. We think it is a perfect fit to represent the spirit of ERF 2028 — and to be the cradle of new discussions and new activities that can be a new start for our world of robotics.”
ERF has long functioned as the primary annual gathering for Europe’s robotics community, bringing together researchers, industry and policymakers. Setting the 2028 edition in Athens, with an explicit focus on industrial competitiveness and regional inclusion, signals that organisers want the event to carry weight beyond the conference floor.
