ECHO Consortium
ECHO Consortium
ECHO consists of partners with experience in their fields of activities
CERTH - Center for Research And Technology Hellas
The Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH) the coordinator of ECHO consortium, is one of the largest research centers in Greece. It was founded in 2000 and is located in Thessaloniki, Greece. The mission of CERTH is to promote the triplet Research – Development – Innovation by conducting high quality scientific research and developing innovative products and services while building strong partnerships with industry and strong collaborations with research centers and universities in Greece and abroad. CERTH consists of five Institutes and the Central Directorate and is governed by its Board of Directors. The five institutes are: Information Technologies Institute (ITI), Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute (CPERI), Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT), Institute of Applied Biosciences (INAB), Institute for Research & Technology of Thessaly (IRETETH). CERTH has participated successfully in more than 1,000 competitive research projects. CERTH is listed among the Top-20 Research Centres of the EU with the highest participation in FP7 competitive research grants for the period 2007-2012 and received numerous awards and distinctions.
AUTH - Aristotle University of Thessaloniki
Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the largest university in Greece, is represented in this project by the Multidisciplinary Media & Mediated Communication Research Group (M3C). The M3C group was established as an initiative by researchers from the School of Journalism and Mass Communications to address the increasingly complex interdisciplinary demands of contemporary media and mediated communication.
Building on this foundation, M3C brings together scholars from diverse academic backgrounds, including audiovisual and media technology, communication studies, and journalism, fostering a collaborative environment that encourages innovative research approaches. By integrating theoretical insights with technological expertise, the group seeks to explore the evolving landscape of digital media and its impact on society, culture, and public discourse.
MEF - Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance
The Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance (MEF) oversees the formulation and implementation of the State’s economic, financial, budgetary, and tax policies. It is responsible for coordinating and overseeing public spending, planning public investments, monitoring public financial management, managing public debt, and overseeing the Italian State shareholdings.
Within European cooperation projects, MEF actively contributes to the development of innovative solutions for public administration, with a strong focus on digital transformation, data-driven policymaking, and interoperability across institutions. Building on its experience in EU-funded initiatives, especially through the NoiPA platform, MEF supports the promoting of public services modernisation and the exchange of best practices at European level.
HAI - Health Action International
At Health Action International, we are dedicated to advancing policies that enable all people to realise the human right to the highest attainable level of health. To make this a reality, our team and global network carry out research to inform evidence-based stakeholder engagement for equitable access to affordable medicines and healthcare.
Inequality, overstretched health systems, climate change, the impact of conflict, the growth of new technologies and the irrational use of medicines are just some of the factors that threaten global health and well-being, with vulnerable and marginalised communities at particular risk of harm. Health Action International focuses on creating long-lasting change to government and industry policies and practices, rather than on temporary solutions. We pursue advocacy from the patient level right up to the highest levels of government, including through our ‘Official Relations’ status with the World Health Organization.
Solomon
Solomon is a woman-led, award-winning, non-profit media organization based in Greece, focusing on investigative journalism and in-depth reporting on issues of public interest such as the environment, migration, human rights, and social justice. Through cross-border collaborations and data-driven investigations, Solomon aims to produce impactful journalism that promotes transparency, accountability, and informed public discourse.
VouliWatch
Founded in the aftermath of the economic crisis – in a country where politics has long been marred by scandals and corruption – Vouliwatch seeks to foster an open, transparent, and accountable political system in Greece. By harnessing the power of innovative digital technology, it promotes citizen participation and works to restore public trust in parliamentary democracy. Inspired by the spirit of Ancient Greek democracy, where active civic engagement was at the heart of political life, Vouliwatch aims to revive this fundamental democratic principle in the digital age. At its core lies a dynamic digital platform that enables Greek citizens to directly engage with their elected representatives. Users can publicly pose questions to Members of Parliament (MPs) and Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), and hold them accountable for their actions and decisions. Beyond this, the platform functions as a parliamentary watchdog, providing real-time reporting on legislative developments and systematically monitoring the voting behaviour of MPs and MEPs. Vouliwatch’s mission, however, extends beyond the digital sphere. The organization is a dedicated advocate for parliamentary openness, freedom of information, open government, and political transparency – working through campaigns, legal interventions, and public policy advocacy to strengthen democratic governance in Greece.
CUT - Cyprus University of Technology
Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), established in 2004, is oriented toward applied research that supports state and societal needs across science and technology. It prioritizes the development of research activities and collaborations, investing in research centers and laboratories.
CUT participates in ECHO through its Social Computing Research Center (SCRC), a multidisciplinary hub focused on social computing. SCRC addresses key societal challenges, including cybersecurity, ICT, and public engagement in research and innovation, using an interdisciplinary approach.
Fact-Check Cyprus was launched in 2020 in response to COVID-19 misinformation, with a dual mission: debunking false information and promoting media literacy. Officially established in 2023 as Cyprus’s first center against disinformation, it operates under SCRC and brings together experts from Cyprus and Greece. Topic selection is carried out independently by its editorial team.
