The Laboratory of Economics of Strategy, Innovation and Sustainability – LENS Lab, part of the Department of Economics of the University of Patras, was founded in 2024 (Government Gazette 2887/22.05.2024 Vol. B’)

It deepens the dynamic intersection of Economics of Strategy, Innovation and Sustainability, through a holistic and interdisciplinary lens aiming at uncovering the complex interactions and interdependence of strategic decisions, innovation dynamics and policy instruments towards a sustainable path.

The Lab aims to promote applied research on topics related to the following areas:

• Economics of business strategy and applied industrial organisation.
• Economics of sustainable development, energy, environment, climate change and environmental policy
• Economics of innovation and entrepreneurship
• Evolutionary economics
• Efficiency and productivity analysis

The engagement of its members covers a range of knowledge exchange platforms including seminars, symposia, conferences and lectures. Through these avenues, they promote meaningful dialogue and exchange of ideas, fostering discussion on key topics in the LENS Lab field. In addition, they are committed to disseminating their findings through publications and reports, ensuring that their research reaches a wide audience and contributes to advancing the collective understanding.

Publications (Indicatively, last 5 years):

• Chatzistamoulou, N., Kounetas, K., & Tsekouras, K. (2024). Knowledge flows in Data Envelopment Analysis. The role of peer effects. Omega, 103137.
• Chatzistamoulou, N., & Koundouri, P. (2024). Is Green Transition in Europe Fostered by Energy and Environmental Efficiency Feedback Loops? The Role of Eco-Innovation, Renewable Energy and Green Taxation. Environmental and Resource Economics, 1-28.
• Rigas, N., and Kounetas, K., (2024). “The Impact of CO2 Emissions and Climate on Economic Growth and Productivity: International Evidence“.Review of Development Economics.
• Kounetas, K., Napolitano, O. Spagnolo, N and Foresti, P., (2023). The impact of Energy, Renewable and CO2 efficiency on Countries’Productivity.  Energy Economics Vol. 12 106795.
• Dimakopoulou, A.G., Gkypali, A,.  and Tsekouras, K. (2024). “Technological and non-technological innovation synergies under the lens of absorptive capacity efficiency”, Journal of Business Research, vol. 176, 114593
• Chatzistamoulou, N., & Kounetas, K. (2023). Tracing green growth through industrial resource efficiency patterns: The role of competitiveness and clean technologies. Managerial and Decision Economics, 44(7), 4011–4026. DOI
• Chatzistamoulou, N. (2023). Is digital transformation the Deus ex Machina towards sustainability transition of the European SMEs?. Ecological Economics, 206, 107739. DOI
• Dimakopoulou, A.G., Chatzistamoulou, N., Kounetas, K., & Tsekouras, K. (2023). Environmental innovation and R&D collaborations: Firm decisions in the innovation efficiency context. The Journal of Technology Transfer, 1-30. DOI
• Chatzistamoulou, N., & Tyllianakis, E. (2022). Commitment of European SMEs to resource efficiency actions to achieve sustainability transition. A feasible reality or an elusive goal?. Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 321, 115937, DOI.
• Stergiou E, and Kounetas, K., (2022). “Heterogeneity, spillovers and eco-efficiency of European industries under different pollutants’ scenarios. Is therea definite direction? “ Ecological Economics, Vol 195, 107377.
• Chatzistamoulou, N., Kounetas, K., & Tsekouras, K. (2022). Technological hierarchies and learning: spillovers, complexity, relatedness, and the moderating role of absorptive capacity. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Volume 183, 121925.
• Burger, M., Kounetas, K.,Napolitano, O., Stavropoulos, S., (2022). “Do innovation and human capital actually narrow the technology gap? Champions and laggards of European regional productive performance ?” Regional Studies, 56 (10), 1655-1670.
• Chatzistamoulou, N., & Tyllianakis, E. (2022). Green growth & sustainability transition through information. Are the greener better informed? Evidence from European SMEs.  Journal of Environmental Management, Volume 306, 114457, DOI.
• Chatzistamoulou, N., Kounetas, K., & Tsekouras, K. (2019). Energy Efficiency, Productive Performance and Heterogeneous Competitiveness Regimes. Does the Dichotomy Matter?. Energy Economics, 81, 687-697.
• Gkypali, A. Kounetas, K. and Tsekouras, K. (2019). “European countries’ competitiveness and productive performance evolution: unraveling the complexity in a heterogeneity context”. Journal of Evolutionary Economics. 29, 665-695.

Projects

• Research Project “GREAT: Green Growth and Energy Efficiency for All Tiers of Performance: Decision Making and Policy Implications to Chart Energy Transition”, School of Economics & Business Administration, Department of Economics, University of Patras, Greece. Funded by: MEDIKOS Program, University of Patras. – Ongoing
• Research Project “BEGIN: Boosting Efficiency and Green Growth through induced innovation under Technological Heterogeneity. An Elusive Goal or a Feasible Reality?” School of Economics & Business Administration, Department of Economics, University of Patras, Greece. Funded by: Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation, 2021-2024 Completed
• Research Project “SPILEF: From Whom and to Whom: Knowledge Spillovers related to the Efficiency of Business Innovation and Learning Process within High Growth Firms and Technology Heterogeneity”, School of Economics & Business Administration, Department of Economics, University of Patras, Greece. Funded by: Hellenic Foundation for Research and Innovation,  2020-2023 Completed
• Research Project “On the dynamics of economic, energy and environmental productive performance of European Industries/Countries. The endogenous role of institutions, competitiveness, R&D (RDE) and pollution abatement expenditures (PACE)”, K. Karatheodori Research Award: three- year research project financed by the University of Patras, 2016-2019 Completed
• Research Project  “EERNV: Energy Efficiency of Road Networks and Vehicles: Measurement, Pricing, Regional and Environmental Effects”, School of Economics & Business Administration, Department of Economics, University of Patras, Greece. Funded by the “Thalis” Research Framework, 2012-2015