Prof. Dimitrios Bechtsis is a member of the Laboratory of Statistics and Quantitative Analysis Methods for Supply Chains (LASCM) of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTh), Greece. He also participates in the Sustainable Agrifood Supply Chains group at the Centre for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation of AUTh.
Our research team operates at the intersection of robotics, Industry 4.0, and intelligent digital systems, with a strong focus on autonomous vehicles, IoT-enabled infrastructures, and smart supply chains. We design and develop advanced robotic platforms for applications such as workplace disinfection, industrial safety monitoring, and precision agriculture, while also implementing real-time locating systems and sophisticated path-planning methodologies. A core pillar of our work is the optimisation of supply chain ecosystems and logistics operations, where we leverage data analytics to address challenges such as pathfinding, warehouse management, and system-wide efficiency.
In parallel, we explore industrial informatics, utilizing technologies such as PLCs and OPC-based architectures to enable seamless data aggregation, interoperability, and real-time analytics within industrial environments. We place particular emphasis on integrating Large Language Model (LLM)-based systems for intelligent document storage, knowledge representation, and context-aware information retrieval, enabling more efficient access to operational, technical, and supply chain data. Our research further encompasses maintenance strategies across the full lifecycle—descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive—integrating machine learning and decision support systems to enhance productivity, reliability, and sustainability. Overall, our goal is to advance resilient, data-driven, and interconnected industrial and supply chain ecosystems.
He has participated in more than 35 research projects (in many of which he served as a principal investigator) in the field of Digital Supply Chain Management and Industry 5.0, and he has co-authored the respective technical reports. He has published more than 80 papers in scientific journals, conference proceedings and book chapters. He has participated as a consultant or expert in numerous projects funded by public and private organizations.