The National Centre of Scientific Research “DEMOKRITOS” was founded at the end of the 1950s, as a decentralized public service and was initially named Nuclear Research Centre “DEMOKRITOS”.

The initial aim of the new centre was the utilisation of the advantages of nuclear energy for peaceful aims. Within this framework, and for the first time in the contemporary history of Greece, the repatriation of many Greek scientists emerged. These scientists gradually developed the structures and the organisation of scientific research in our country and participated in the configuration of the Centre as a really pioneering multi-branch centre.

In 1985, the Centre was renamed as National Centre of Scientific Research “DEMOKRITOS” (N.C.S.R. “D”) and became a self-administered governmental legal entity, under the supervision of the General Secretariat of Research and Technology (G.S.R.T.) of the Ministry of Development.

Nowadays, the scientific activities of the Centre take place in eight administratively independent Institutes: Institute of Nuclear Physics, Institute of Nuclear Technology and Radiation Protection, Institute of Materials Science, Institute of Telecommunications and Informatics, Institute of Microelectronics, Institute of Physics/Chemistry, Institute of Biology and the Institute of Radioisotopes and Radiodiagnostic Products.

The activities of these Institutes concern the sectors such as: nanotechnology, microsystems, integrated telecommunications and informatics technology systems, modern technologies for cultural heritage, control of environmental pollutants, nuclear technology and radiation protection, accelerative systems technologies and detector devices, generation and characterization of innovative materials, bioactive molecules, natural products and biotechnology, medicines and diagnostics technologies, telemedicine, etc.