Business Innovation, Creativity and Competitiveness (BICC) Research Lab

The Business Innovation, Creativity and Competitiveness (BICC) Research Lab of the Department of Management Science and Technology at Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) was re-established by Decision No. “ΔΦ 22.2/13516” of the President of the Governing Committee of the International Hellenic University (Government Gazette 4110/B’/24.09.2020), and, according to Article 12 of Law 5094/2024, was integrated into DUTH.

1. Mission – Objectives of the Lab

1.1. Mission

The Lab’s mission is to promote research at DUTH, foster collaboration among faculty members and with external research and development entities, form stable research cores, concentrate expertise and know-how within research teams, monitor scientific and technological developments, disseminate research outcomes to the academic community, and support quality assurance and improvement processes in higher education.

1.2. Objectives

In alignment with its mission, the Lab pursues the following objectives and offers corresponding services:

  • Conducting basic and applied research independently or in collaboration with national and international scientific institutions, through the design and implementation of relevant research projects.
  • Collaborating with research centers, academic institutions, and other entities, both domestically and abroad, where scientific goals align or complement those of the Lab.
  • Meeting the educational and research needs of the Department of Administrative Science and Technology and other departments of DUTH at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, particularly in areas relevant to the Lab’s expertise.
  • Developing technological infrastructure to enhance the teaching of undergraduate and postgraduate courses related to the Lab’s research fields.
  • Providing educational services in the Lab’s areas of specialization.
  • Designing and implementing innovative products and services.
  • Organizing and participating in academic events such as symposia, lectures, seminars, and conferences; publishing research outputs; and inviting distinguished scholars from Greece and abroad for academic purposes.
  • Offering lifelong learning services independently or in collaboration with other laboratories or educational institutions.
  • Addressing social and educational needs by offering targeted support upon request in areas related to the Lab’s scope.
  • Promoting research and innovation through its scientific personnel, either independently or in collaboration with academic associations, social partners, public sector organizations, or businesses.
  • Providing services in the Lab’s domains of expertise in accordance with the applicable legal framework.

2. Research Fields

The Lab’s research fields include:

1. Business Management, with a focus on strategic management, entrepreneurship, startup creation and management, development of new business models, internationalization of Greek enterprises, and empirical studies in all areas of business organization and management.

2. Marketing, with emphasis on consumer behavior, international and global marketing, consumer goods and retail marketing, services marketing, industrial marketing, agricultural marketing, digital marketing, social media marketing, advertising, sales organization and management, market research and polling, and studies on quality and customer satisfaction.

3. Information Systems & Quantitative Methods, with specialization in: Business and Organizational Information Systems, E-Business, E-Services, Decision Support Systems, Business Intelligence, Operations Research, Multicriteria Data Analysis, Statistics, Multivariate Data Analysis, Polling and Market Surveys, Data Structures and Databases, E-Learning, Learning Technologies, and Collective Decision-Making Systems.

4. Development Economics, focusing on applied research and the preparation of sectoral and regional studies in the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors—especially in health, education, and welfare—as well as broader developmental studies, techno-economic analyses, and social impact assessments (SIA) of policies and decisions.

5. Tourism, emphasizing environmental and tourism studies, tourism economics and markets, management of tourism enterprises and organizations (NGOs, associations), cross-border cooperation for tourism promotion, alternative tourism and sustainable development, management of cultural assets and heritage, training needs assessment and implementation of training programs, ICT use in tourism management, enhancement of Greece’s tourism product, tourism literacy, and social media in tourism.

6. Information and Communication Technologies – Web Informatics & Cloud Technologies, focusing on internet technologies, cloud computing, software engineering and applications, IT infrastructures (programming languages and applications), networked software and hardware in computer and telecom networks, communication protocols, web application development, algorithm design, educational software, synchronous and asynchronous distance education systems, multimedia applications, user interfaces, and machine learning integration.

7. Design and Development of Innovative Products and Services.

8. Statistical Research, Forecasting Methods, and Social and Business Research aligned with the Lab’s research domains.

3. Personnel – Lab Members

The current team of the Lab includes:

  1. Dr. Georgios Theriou, Associate Professor of Human Resource Management, DUTH – Lab Director
  2. Dr. Lazaros Sarigiannidis, Associate Professor of Project Management, DUTH
  3. Dr. Dimitrios Madytynos, Professor of Finance, DUTH
  4. Dr. Efstathios Dimitriadis, Professor of Statistics, DUTH
  5. Dr. Eirini Kamenidou, Professor of Marketing, DUTH
  6. Dr. Ifigeneia Mylona, Associate Professor of Marketing, Communication and Public Relations with New Technologies, DUTH
  7. Dr. Nikolaos Theriou, Professor Emeritus of Economic Planning and Operational Research, DUTH

4. Administrative and Technical Staff

  1. Charalampos Aitsidis, Special Technical Laboratory Staff, Department of Administrative Science and Technology
  2. Alexander Jaki, Special Technical Laboratory Staff, Department of Administrative Science and Technology – Technician

5. Equipment and Infrastructure

The Lab is equipped with the following in Room 208 of the Library building:

Hardware

  • 31 Computers
  • 1 Projector with screen

Specialized Software

  • SPSS (latest version)
  • AMOS
  • LISREL
  • Expert Choice
  • Neural Networks

Dr. Georgios Theriou
Associate Professor
Research Lab Director

Close Menu