The Bikeathon 2022 “Ride a bike & Go Green” was successfully held on Sunday 5th of June with multiple events aimed to promote the EIT Urban Mobility Regional Innovation Hub Greece which is funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. The Mayor of Thessaloniki, Mr. K. Zervas, the Deputy Head of Development and Environment of The Region of Central Macedonia, Mr. K. Gioutikas, and the Technical Advisor of the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Mr. D. Mitrou were present at the event. 

The Mayor of Thessaloniki, Mr. Zervas, participated in the bicycle ride to emphasize the importance of the enhancement of sustainable mobility in Thessaloniki and highlighted the contribution of cycling to urban mobility as the bike is one of the most sustainable means of transport. He also referred to Innovation in sustainable mobility in Thessaloniki and the participation of the city in the EIT Urban Mobility and also he mentioned the opportunities the EIT UM RIS Hub Greece provides for municipalities, businesses and citizens in order to create a strong connection and implementation of innovative solutions in urban mobility. 

At the statue of Alexander the Great, the participants had the chance to learn more about urban mobility solutions that are implemented in other cities and they also could evaluate these solutions and possible implementation of them in the city of Thessaloniki. 

With the presence of the Deputy Head of the Development and Environment Department of The Region of Central Macedonia, Mr. K. Gioutikas and the Technical Advisor of the Mayor, Mr. D. Mitrou, and the CEO of BRAINBOX S.A. Mr. G. Voulgaroudis, HIT/CERTH held an event to inform the citizens of the activities of the EIT UM RIS Hub Greece and the solutions that have been implemented and will be implemented in Thessaloniki.

The EIT Urban Mobility RIS Hub Greece aims to fund and support Municipalities for the implementation of sustainable solutions that will address the mobility challenges in the urban environment.

Through the EIT UM RIS Hub Greece, the conditions are created to support and accelerate entrepreneurial solutions for urban mobility, providing financial support and enabling the implementation of these solutions not only locally but also internationally.

Therefore, with the strong connection that the EIT Urban Mobility RIS Hub Greece seeks to develop, every citizen has the opportunity to be informed and actively participate in the development of the city by taking part in events such as the Bikeathon 2022 "Ride a Bike & Go Green" but also to be a part of the solutions that are being tested or implemented and to draw the attention of the competent bodies to the key issues of mobility.

The Bikeathon was concluded successfully at the statue of Alexander the Great, where a painting competition took place, which revealed three winners. In addition, the participants of the bicycle ride had the opportunity to participate in a draw in which they won great awards.

The Bikeathon 2022 "Ride a Bike & Go Green" was co-organized by Euroconsultants S.A., which coordinates the EIT UM RIS Hub Greece, the HIT/CERTH, which is the technical coordinator of the EIT UM RIS Hub Greece, the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Alexandria Innovation Zone S.A., and Venture Stories Partners.