The Department of Mechanical Engineering, former Department of Engineering and Management of Energy Resources, was first established in 1999 as one of the three new departments of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), in the framework of expanding the scope of higher education. The foundation of the Department and its rules of operation are determined by Presidential Decree 179/6.1999 t.a.

For academic year 1999-2000, it received its first 120 students, and since then the department admits about 120 students annually.

The department is one of the founding departments of the University of Western Macedonia which was established in 2004. It is rapidly expanding as new positions of academic staff become available.

The Department of Mechanical Engineering is located in the city of Kozani which is the heart of energy production in the country. Nearly 70% of the electricity is produced in the power plants located in the broader area of Kozani.