Metamind Innovations: Creating the metaverse of tomorrow

MetaMind Innovations was founded in May 2021 and is the first spin-off of the University of Western Macedonia, which is active in the development of integrated solutions with emphasis on providing effective, reliable and secure new generation IoT services.With the vision of the transition from academic to industrial research, MetaMind Innovations develops innovative solutions to support critical infrastructure, such as electricity networks, health infrastructure, transport and telecommunications networks, in the context of the post-5G era, as well as the provision of services in the field of agro-food, with the development of vertical solutions for precision agriculture and smart livestock farming.

Realizing the criticality of lignite phase-out in the region of Western Macedonia, in the context of the Just Transition to Sustainable Growth Plan, MetaMind Innovations transforms the experience of its founders, from their participation in European research and development projects H2020, to realistic transition and horizontal digitization solutions.It is impressive that MetaMind Innovations has secured funding of more than one million euros in just 10 months of life, through project contracts with public and private entities as well as individuals, while it participates in a total of 4 European research and development projects (1 H2020 and 3 Horizon Europe).

Securing this funding will allow the spin-off to further unhindered development of the solutions offered, while at the same time securing more than 15 new, valuable jobs in the region of Western Macedonia. More specifically, MetaMind Innovations participates in the European research and development projects ELECTRON, TALON, AI4CYBER and DYNABIC.In the ELECTRON project, which focuses on the creation of a new Electrical Power and Energy Sytstems (EPES) management platform, capable of enhancing the resilience of these systems against cyber-attacks, MetaMind Innovations is developing threat detection models through emerging (state-of-the-art) technologies, such as Federated Learning.

In the TALON project, which aims to optimize the performance of industrial systems, MetaMind Innovations contributes to the design and development of a new generation of cybersecurity and privacy protection tools using machine learning mechanisms. In the AI4CYBER project, which seeks to design and implement a modern ecosystem of security services for critical infrastructure operators, MetaMind Innovations provides its know-how for detection and addressing high-risk cybersecurity threats through machine learning techniques in decentralized network environments.

In the DYNABIC project, which aims to develop innovative techniques, models and tools to support the security and reliability of critical infrastructure, MetaMind Innovations participates in the design and implementation of risk management methods and procedures aimed at protecting privacy and dealing with cyber threats.

The tools of integrated business solutions

The Startup counts 5 tools of integrated business solutions. More specifically, the MINDS Honeypot As-a-Service platform allows the dynamic creation of Honeypots traps for industrial systems, applying the principles of Game Theory, as well as Deep Reinforcement Learning models.The implementation of the MINDS Honeypot As-a-Service platform allows the concealment and protection of critical infrastructure and devices in industrial facilities, while offering dynamic collection of security information and cyberattack patterns.

The MINDS SDN Controller & Dashboard platform offers services for upgrading traditional information networks to Software-Defined Networks (SDN).The platform provides the possibility of adaptive and dynamic configuration / reconfiguration of network traffic in real time, paving the way for the post-5G generation of networks and telecommunications. The spin-off includes in its toolbox M-RADAR a visual-based intrusion detection and prevention system solution, utilizing artificial intelligence algorithms.Through machine learning models, M-RADAR detects and analyzes attack patterns, offering a complete solution to protect smart grids and critical infrastructure in real time.

At the same time, the MINDS Federated BOX platform is a solution to enhance the performance of “green” energy ecosystems, applying federated learning technologies to minimize the energy footprint and optimize the production process. With the aim of contributing to and developing sustainable agro-food and animal production units, Metamind Innovations offers AGROMINDS, which utilizes vertical integrated solutions of Precision Agriculture and Smart Animal Husbandry in order to optimally manage the inputs, yield and protection of the units, as well as the timely detection of abnormalities and diseases in crops and productive animals.

MetaMind Innovations’ integrated solutions are characterized by customized and friendly interfaces, bringing the end-user closer to the next generation of the IoT ecosystem, enhancing flexible automation of everyday activities in modern markets and environments. MetaMind Innovations, the first spin-off of the University of Western Macedonia, is not just a successful Startup that offers a range of innovative solutions to the market.

It is a business example of best practice, which through the interiors of a regional university, in the midst of the transition to the post-lignite era, successfully accomplishes both the securing of jobs and the utilization of high know-how human resources in the region of Western Macedonia and the promotion of vertical and horizontal digital economy solutions to cover domestic ones, European and international needs, giving the dynamic presence in high-profile European, competitive projects.

The company was founded in May 2021 by Panagiotis Sarigiannidis, associate professor at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Western Macedonia and Director of the ITHACA Laboratory, Thomas Lagkas, assistant professor at the Department of Computer Science of the International Hellenic University, Panagiotis Radoglou-Grammatikis, postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering, Anastasios Lytos, postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Western Macedonia, Anna Triantafyllou, PhD in electrical and computer engineering of the University of Western Macedonia and Paris-Alexandros Karypidis, postgraduate researcher at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the University of Western Macedonia.