Partners

The Centre for Research and Technology Hellas was fοunded in March 2000, it is a legal entity governed by private law with non-profit status, supervised by the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRI) of the Greek Ministry of Development. CERTH suggests one of the most important Research Centers in Greece with a main mission: The promotion of innovative research for the benefit of society. Dedicated to this purpose, CERTH lies at the forefront of basic, applied and technological research to provide solutions to society’s modern challenges. CERTH consists of five Institutes; Chemical Process & Energy Resources Institute - CPERI, Information Technologies Institute - ITI, Hellenic Institute of Transport - HIT, Institute of Applied Biosciences - INAB, and Bio-economy and Agro-Technology Institute - IBO, bring together more than 1500 people (engineers and scientists in their majority), in 7 regions and 9 cities of Greece. The Information Technologies Institute (ITI) was founded in 1998 as a non-profit organisation under the auspices of the General Secretariat for Research and Technology of the Greek Ministry of Development, and since 2000 it is a founding member of CERTH. CERTH/ITI is one of the leading Institutions of Greece in the fields of Informatics, Telematics and Telecommunications, and it is active in a large number of application sectors (energy, buildings and construction, health, manufacturing, robotics, (cyber)security, transport, smart cities, space, agri-food, etc.) and technology areas such as data and visual analytics, machine and deep learning, virtual and augmented reality, computer and cognitive vision, IoT and communication technologies, cloud and computing technologies, smart grid technologies and solutions and system integration. The Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT) aims to conduct and support of applied research activities in the field of transportation in Greece, more specifically on issues relating to the organization, operation, planning and development of infrastructure, the standardization, economic analysis, management, vehicle technology and the impact assessment of land, maritime, air, and multimodal transport services. HIT's services also include the provision of training and education activities in related fields, the dissemination of research activities and the Representation of Greece in Transport Research and other relevant scientific fora abroad.

Project Members

Dimosthenis Ioannidis

Dr. Dimosthenis Ioannidis (male) is a computer engineer and a senior researcher (Researcher Grade B’) at CERTH/ITI. He received the Diploma degree in electrical and computer engineering, the MSc. in Advanced Communication Systems and Engineering from the Electrical and Computer Engineering department of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and his PhD with title «Privacy-aware human presence and movement analysis in controlled and uncontrolled environments», from the Faculty of Engineering department of Computer Engineering & Informatics, University of Patras in 2000, 2005 and 2017 respectively. His main research interests include computer vision, stereoscopic image processing and signal analysis, linguistics algorithms, web services, semantics, visual analytics, energy efficiency, IoT platforms development and security ecosystems including blockchain, as well as research in ethics and biometrics. Since 2007, he has been the (co)author of 223 papers in refereed journals, edited books, and international conferences. He has served as a reviewer for several technical journals. He has also been involved in more than 60 research projects funded by the EC and the Greek secretariat of Research and Technology, acting as coordinator and/or as a leader of several WPs, where he had the supervision of a large team of developers and technical teams. Finally, Dr. Ioannidis is also a member of the Technical Chamber of Greece, and of the CEN/TS on European Professional Ethics Framework.

Panagiota Chatzipanagiotidou

Mrs. Panagiota Chatzipanagiotidou (female) is a Research Associate at CERTH/ITI. She received her diploma degree in Civil Engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) in 2011. Her diploma thesis focused on the analysis of the shape and magnitude of settlements caused by subway tunnelling. She obtained her MSc in Earthquake Resistant Design of Structures from the Civil Engineering Department of AUTH in 2013, where her MSc diploma thesis focused on the Seismic behaviour and Risk Assessment of Natural Gas Pipelines. She has worked as Research Assistant at Boğaziçi University, the Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, Department of Earthquake Engineering in Istanbul for analysing the seismic behaviour of part of the Istanbul Gas Network. Her work in CERTH/ITI involves collaborations with international organisations under European programs and she has worked on the H2020 PLUG-N-HARVEST EU project, focusing on designing, developing and demonstrating a new modular, plug-n-play concept/product for adaptable dynamic building envelopes that can be deployable to both residential and non-residential buildings. She has acted as project manager of the H2020 D^2EPC project for the next generation of energy performance certificates and she is currently involved in projects relevant to energy performance assessment, sustainability and SRI.

Eleni Chalkia

Mrs Eleni Chalkia (female) holds a Master's degree in Civil Engineering with a specialization in the "Design, Organization, and Management of Transportation Systems" from AUTH. Over the past 15 years, she has been actively engaged in the field of "Driver and Vehicle" at the Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT). Her expertise extends to various aspects, including significant involvement in more than 20 European research projects. In these projects, she has played crucial roles such as SP leader in IPs, WP leader, Evaluation manager, and Ethics manager. Eleni's diverse experience covers topics such as road safety, accessibility in transport infrastructure, user interface in routing applications, pilot tests encompassing design, implementation, and analysis, school transport, and discrete choice models. Her proficiency is also reflected in her publications, numbering 25 in total, which align with her specialized areas of interest. Currently, she is pursuing a Ph.D. at the National Technical University of Athens, furthering her commitment to advancing knowledge in the field of Civil Engineering Transportation.

Ayuntamiento de Murcia

MUR

Murcia is the capital city of the Autonomous Community of the Region of Murcia, located on the river Segura in south-eastern Spain. Its population is 469 177 (2023), ranking seventh in Spain, and the population of its metropolitan area is 743,326, ranking ninth in the largest metropolitan areas of the country. The city extends approximately 882 km2. It is divided from north to south in two parts separated by a series of mountains. These two zones are called “country side” (south) and “Market garden” (north) of Murcia. The 882 km2 territory of the municipality of Murcia is made up of 54 suburban districts (“pedanías”) and 28 city neighbourhood districts (“barrios”). The barrios make up the 12.86-square-kilometre urban section, the main city. The "centre" of the city, the old quarter, is approximately 1.5 km across with an approximate area of 3 km2. Murcia was Founded by Abderraman II, in 825 A.D.Some of the infrastructures have been conserved from Moorish times. The irrigation system of the Murcian “huerta” is a complex network of irrigation channels to water the fields by way of a clever system using only gravity. After a long period of fighting between Moors and Christians, in 1266, the city of Murcia was conquered by the King Alfonso the tenth, also known as Alfonso the Wise. In two-thousand and six-teen, we celebrated our seven-hundred and fifty anniversary of our City Charter and City Rights.

Project Members

Cristina Marchante García

Cristina Marchante García is a Technician in European Programs in the City Council of Murcia. She received her diploma degree in Architecture from the University of Alicante (UA). She obtained a degree in Building Engineering from the Catholic University of Murcia (UCAM). She holds a Master´s Degree in Research and Management of Historical, Artistic and Cultural Heritage and a Master´s Degree in Teacher of Compulsory Secondary Education and Bachillerato, specialising in drawing, artistic education and image from the University of Murcia (UMU). She has worked for 14 years as an architect in several private architectural offices, in a variety of fields such as building, interior design and planing. In the public sector, she has experience in the drafting and execution of heritage rehabilitation and intervention projects as well as public building projects. She also collaborates actively with the Urban Development Service, identifying strategic projects for the city and implementing the values of the New European Bauhaus. She also has experience in several European Projects: ACCESS (HORIZON), GREENME5 (LIFE), URBACT – INTERREG.

Nuria Fernández

Nuria Fernández, who holds a Law degree from the University of Murcia, has developed her career as an expert in civil and contractual law in the private sector from 2008 to 2018. She subsequently joined the Murcia City Council, where she became involved in activity license procedures related to environmental and noise issues. Since 2020, she has been a Senior Technician in the European Programs Service, focusing on the management of Feder funds under the Multi-regional Operational Program of Spain and the Next Generation EU European Recovery Fund of the Recovery, Transformation, and Resilience Plan. Additionally, she engages in economic and legal activities for European program projects such as Urbact, Life, and Horizon Europe 2020.

Azienda elettrica di Massagno

AEM

Azienda Elettrica di Massagno (AEM) SA, founded in 1925, is a Swiss electric utility that produces power in its own hydroelectric and photovoltaic plants, operates the medium- and low-voltage grid and supplies electricity to 10.000 end-users in the southern part of Switzerland. AEM is the company of the territory, for the territory, combining innovation and tradition. Innovation in that it experiments, in cooperation with universities and technology producers, with digital solutions that anticipate the electricity market of the future, making users participate in its benefits. Tradition, because it remains a company focused on the service and in close contact with local users and institutions. AEM will be responsible for the activities related to the Swiss pilot site with a focus on e-mobility solutions.

Project Members

Stefano Mauri

Stefano Mauri is a management engineer with over eight years of experience in the e-mobility market, currently serving as Project Manager at Azienda Elettrica di Massagno (AEM). He holds a M.Sc. in Management Engineer from Politecnico di Milano. His areas of expertise include product development of electric vehicle charging stations, business development in e-mobility market and project management.

Riccardo Toffanin

Riccardo Toffanin is an energy engineer with 5 years of professional experience, currently serving as a Project Manager at Azienda Elettrica di Massagno (AEM). He holds a double M.Sc. in Sustainable Energy Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm and the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC), along with a B.Sc. in Energy Engineering from Politecnico di Milano. His areas of expertise include demand-side flexibility control, energy systems modeling, and their techno-economic analysis and optimization.

Daniele Farrace

Chief Innovation Officer (CIO)

Bruco Huisvesting Adviseurs

BHA

Bruco Huisvesting Adviseurs BV was founded in 2003. Bruco is a for-profit consulting firm specializing in housing for the "care" sector. We advise and support our clients in the areas of requirements programs, plan assessment, project management, real estate development, and financial analysis of plans. Our clients include organizations for people with intellectual and/or physical disabilities, mental health care, parent initiatives, (special) education, and housing associations. The common thread in our projects is collaboration, sustainability, future-proofing, and feasibility, with a focus on the users and the use of the latest techniques and creativity.

Project Members

Guido van Arkel

Guido van Arkel studied at The Hague University of Applied Sciences, focusing on real estate, economics, and law. After a career in commercial real estate, he transitioned to the non-profit real estate sector. He has experience in youth care, mental health care, disability care, (special) education, parental initiatives, housing corporations, sustainability, etc. Since 2003, he has been working as a real estate consultant for the healthcare sector, specializing in the development of program requirements, plan evaluation, project management, real estate development, and financial analyses of real estate plans.

Comune di Bari

BARI

Comune di Firenze

FLO

Florence is the capital city of Tuscany region. Despite being a medium size city, considering the densely populated metropolitan area, Florence has a high mobility demand due to the many daily commuters and over 5 million visitors per year. Florence city center was declared UNESCO site in 1982; its architectural constraints must be considered in urban regeneration planning. Nevertheless, the Municipality is firmly committed to support ambitious projects to increase sustainability and citizens and city users’ well-being. A permanent City Council for people with disability was set up in 1987 to have feedback and proposals on initiatives and projects. The vision underpinning the accessible city is combining technological and social innovation to address everybody’s needs (people with disability, children, young, older people, disadvantaged groups). A yearly Adaptation Plan for buildings and public spaces guarantees a progress to improve accessibility. Florence's commitment for tackling the issue of sustainability has a long story, from Aalborg Charter, passing through the new Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and the GCA. Florence has been selected for the EU Mission 100 Climate neutral and smart cities to be a zero-emission city at 2030 (the Climate City Contract was approved by the EU in 2024).

Project Members

Giorgio Caselli

Architect Giorgio Caselli, Manager of the Fine Arts Service of Municipality of Florence, coordinator of the conservation and valorisation activities of the monumental heritage owned by the Municipality of Florence.

Manuela Taverniti

Ms Manuela Taverniti, graduated in political science, Master in European studies and specialization in planning and project activities. Regional qualification as Technician for the valorization of local resources. Currently responsible for European projects and networking for the Municipality of Florence

Roberto Spini

Roberto Spini, a graduate in Economics, currently works on European projects and networking for the Municipality of Florence

Francesco Giuggioli

Mr Francesco Giuggioli, architect of the Fine Arts Office of Municipality of Florence, deals with building projects and conservation and valorisation of monumental heritage owned by the Municipality of Florence

DEMO Consultants BV

DMO

DEMO is an independent consultancy firm specialized in Real Estate Information Management and works from three business units: Consultancy, Software and Research. It was established in 1996 and is based in Delft, The Netherlands. DEMO supports its clients with real estate information management and produces innovative software products, such as the Real Estate Suite. Expert systems with user friendly apps, dashboards and other practical features. Software for the development and management of buildings and civil infrastructure. The Real Estate Suite comprises BIM, GIS, IoT, big data, VR/AR and Artificial intelligence technologies. DEMO team consists of building engineers, architects, real estate specialists, researchers and IT specialists. This expertise, extensive experience and an eye for current market developments ensures that DEMO offers its customers innovative and result-oriented solutions. DEMO helps its customers by developing and delivering services and systems that consistently answer various real estate questions from various users at the right time, in the right place, and in an understandable manner at the lowest possible cost.

Project Members

Mohamed Elagiry

Mohamed Elagiry (1984) brings over 18 years of expertise to the fields of architectural design, BIM & Design Management, and sustainable design. Holding degrees in Architectural Design and Building Engineering, Mohamed has garnered experience from a diverse range of projects worldwide, including high-rise buildings and large-scale constructions. During his time in Italy, Mohamed served as an R&D project manager, overseeing multiple H2020 projects and proposals. Currently, as a Senior Researcher / Business Developer at DEMO, Mohamed plays a pivotal role in driving innovation and collaboration. He initiates, coordinates, and actively participates in European and national research endeavors, taking charge of all new proposal initiatives. Additionally, Mohamed serves as a Business Consultant, bridging the realms of research, software development, and consultancy. He further supports the advisory team by facilitating real estate data collection and digitalization through advanced techniques like "Scan to BIM" and "Mixed Reality".

Mija Susnik

Mija is a researcher at DEMO Consultants. With a background in Civil and Building Engineering, Mija holds a Master’s degree in Building Engineering from the University of Ljubljana (2018) and specialized Master’s degree in Building Information Modelling from Politecnico di Milano (2020). She worked as an Engineering Consultant and Building Auditor focusing on reducing energy consumption in buildings. Her responsibility was also developing the strategy for implementing BIM into the business process and preparing educational webinars on BIM. In her research project, she investigated the issues of interoperability between BIM and Calculation Virtual Environments for energy and acoustic analysis. Currently, she is managing and contributing to EU-funded research projects focusing on energy efficiency, smart and proactive buildings, digital solutions and building capturing. Through her expertise and dedication, she aims to drive innovation and efficiency in the built environment while ensuring environmental sustainability.

Samaneh Rezvani

Samaneh (Sama) Rezvani (1984), is a senior researcher and the head of the research unit at DEMO. Alongside her role at DEMO, Sama is passionately pursuing her PhD at TU Berlin in the Department of Civil Engineering focusing on circularity in the built environment. She holds a Master of Science degree in Architecture from Politecnico di Milano (2013) and a Bachelor’s degree in Architecture from Tehran Azad University (2007). Sama has worked as an architect and project manager in diverse architectural firms in the Netherlands from 2013 to 2018 and as a guest lecturer at TU Delft, Faculty of Architecture from 2018 to 2022. Driven by her interests in spatial analysis and computational design, Sama has actively contributed to R&D projects, co-authoring papers, and developing research software tools for spatial computing. Currently, Sama leads and oversees multiple EU projects while also contributing to the writing of proposals for acquiring new projects. Central to Sama's work is her commitment to excellence and innovation in the realization of DEMO’s mission and vision to support informed decision-making in the domains of Architecture and the Built Environment.

André van Delft

André is managing director and founder of DEMO Consultants and responsible for strategy, management and business development. He is also an experienced consultant specializing in real estate information management and developer of real estate software for buildings and infrastructure. He has designed and built various software solutions for ministries, municipalities, housing corporations, asset managers and research institutions. He also has more than twenty five years of experience in various international research consortia in which DEMO has participated as a partner or coordinator and continues to participate. André combines a creative, innovative information management approach with a down-to-earth, pragmatic approach to developing and implementing the software solutions and services for DEMO's customers. André studied architecture at TU Delft with a specialization in Construction Management and Real Estate Management.

Energy@Work Società Cooperativa a r.l.

E@W

E@W is an innovative Italian SME, active in ICT and AI based technologies development for smart manufacturing and energy efficiency in buildings and energy grids. E@W members expertise ranges from the optimization of building energy consumptions through automated management of HVAC, lighting, RES and storage systems, to Demand Response forecast, profiling and segmentation.

Project Members

Luigi D’Oriano

Luigi D’Oriano, M, MSc. in Electronic Engineering, expertise coordination and project management in energy efficiency field, with technical competences in optimization algorithms, modelling and simulation. He will be the project coordinator in INSPIRE.

Giuseppe Mastandrea

Giuseppe Mastandrea, M, MSc. in Computer Engineering, currently R&D Manager at E@W. Previously involved in collaboration in significant projects with leading companies like Ariston Thermowatt, Isotrol (when was in CETMA), and BOSCH Bari in TERA). His current focus involves leading innovative efforts and contributing to several EU projects, aimed at integrating AI solutions across diverse sectors such as energy grids, buildings and manufacturing.

Giuseppe Rocco Rana

Giuseppe Rocco Rana, M, MSc. in Electronic Engineering, senior researcher with expertise in energy efficiency, AI and mechatronic for medical application. He recently took care of the administrative management activities in E@W.

European Union of the Deaf

EUD

Based in Brussels and operating at the European level, EUD represents deaf sign language users in all 27 EU Member States, plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. EUD has the sole mandate of the National Deaf Associations to work towards a more socially cohesive, sustainable, and accessible Europe for deaf citizens realising their inherent human rights. EUD aims to achieve equality in public and private life for deaf people all over Europe to ensure they can become full citizens. Its main objectives are the recognition of the right to use an indigenous sign language, empowerment through communication and information, and equality in education and employment. Aiming to establish and maintain EU level dialogue with the European Union institutions and officials in consultation and co-operation with its member NADs, EUD also has participatory status with the Council of Europe (CoE) and is a full member of the European Disability Forum (EDF), as well as a Regional Co-operating Member of the World Federation of the Deaf (WFD) to tackle issues of global importance. EUD regularly provides position papers on topics of high importance to the deaf community. EUD is supported by the Equality Unit within the Directorate General Justice at the European Commission.

Project Members

Davy Van Landuyt

EUD Project Manager with roots in the social-cultural movement and association work in the deaf community. Since 2021 he has worked in the project team at the European Union of the Deaf, where he is involved in various EUD projects, such as Horizon-funded projects EASIER, SignON and AccesS, Erasmus+-funded QSA4Disability and EU Parliament-funded ADPA-EED. In these projects, he focuses on co-creation with deaf communities, accessibility issues, project management, science communication and dissemination.

Rehana Omardeen

Project Officer at EUD. Rehana has a background in academic research, and holds a PhD in sign language linguistics from the University of Göttingen. Since 2022 Rehana has been a Project Officer at EUD, involved in the activities of the projects team (including H2020, Erasmus+ and European Parliament projects). To these projects, she brings research, reporting and project management skills, with a focus on collaboration to allow for meaningful exchange between deaf communities and project partners.

Frankie Picron

Executive Director of EUD. With a master’s degree in Law, he represents the deaf community when it comes to expressing various issues such as access to employment, political participation, and equality in public and private life of deaf people. He promotes the deaf community in EU and attends all EU level meetings related to deaf/disability issues and, if appropriate, give information relating legal consequences of measures taken by EU institutions, such as the European Parliament, the European Commission, and the Council of Ministers. He is responsible for EUD's communication with member organisations. As the former Projects Manager at EUD, he actively contributed to H2020 projects (NEXES, SignON, EASIER, SHAPES), Erasmus+ projects (DESIGNS, JUSTISIGNS2, Deaf Museums, Signteach, Free Tech Signs) and EU Parliament funded projects (ADPA-LNB, ADPA-EED) while demonstrating his human skills and ability to take into account the interests of stakeholders.

Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas

FORTH

The Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH) was founded in 1983. It is one of the largest research centers in Greece with well-organized facilities, highly qualified personnel and a reputation as a top-level research institution worldwide, supervised by the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (GSRI) of the Ministry of Development. FORTH comprises ten Research Institutes. Its headquarters and central administration are based in Heraklion, Crete. The Institute of Computer Science (ICS) is one of the ten institutes of FORTH and since its establishment in 1983, has had a long history and recognized tradition in conducting basic and applied research, and playing a leading role, in Greece and internationally, in the field of Information and Communication Technologies. The Human - Computer Interaction Laboratory of ICS-FORTH was founded in 1988 by its Head, Professor Constantine Stephanidis, and its main objective is to contribute to the development of an inclusive society that supports the daily needs of all citizens, through appropriate technological interventions leading to usable and universally accessible digital applications and services. The methodological approach followed is based on the principles of Universal Access and Design for All. The Laboratory plays a leading role internationally in supporting the equal participation and socio-economic integration of people with disabilities in an Information Society for All.

Project Members

Emmanouil Zidianakis

Dr. Emmanouil Zidianakis holds a Ph.D. in “Information Systems and Human-Computer Interaction” and a M.Sc. in “Information Systems/e-Commerce” from the Computer Science Department of the University of Crete. He is member of the Human Computer Interaction Laboratory of FORTH-ICS since 2005. His research interests fall in the field of Universal Access, Adaptive and Intelligent Distributed User Interfaces, Extended Reality (XR), Internet of Things (IoT) and Ambient Intelligence.

Eirini Kontaki

Eirini Kontaki received a BSc Degree in Technology Management in University of Macedonia (2008) and an MSc Degree in Innovation and Technology Management in the Technical University of Crete (2018). Since 2011, she has worked in Greece and in Germany as Project Manager and Management Consultant in organizations focused on Information Technology, Hospitality and the Legal Industry. Since 2015, she is a member of the Human Computer Interaction Laboratory and she has participated as a project manager in national research projects.

Constantine Stephanidis

Constantine Stephanidis, Professor at the Department of Computer Science of the University of Crete, is Founder and Head of the Human - Computer Interaction (HCI) Laboratory, and Founder and Head of the Ambient Intelligence (AMI) Programme of the Institute of Computer Science of the Foundation for Research and Technology – Hellas (ICS-FORTH). From January 2004 to November 2016 he served as the Director of ICS-FORTH. Since 2016, Prof. Stephanidis is a Distinguished Member of FORTH.

Frederick Research Center

FRC

Frederick Research Center (FRC) is a leading research non-profit organization in Cyprus. It was established in 1997 in order to create a solid foundation for the development of scientific research activities of Cypriot and foreign scientists. FRC engages highly qualified academic/research staff, predominantly from Frederick University, with long experience in implementing independent and high caliber research and with rich publications record in peer-reviewed scientific journals. FRC encourages a “Bottom-up” approach for development of ideas and therefore the projects implemented under FRC cover a broad range of research interests. Numerous R&D projects (~145 externally funded national and EU projects, ¬€13mil in funding) have been carried out through FRC and part of their results have been presented in international scientific conferences, contributing to their dissemination and technology transfer. Recent successes include six HORIZON projects and through the RIF’s RESTART & BRIDGE programs a CO-DEVELOP, two INTEGRATED and nine EXCELENCE HUBS projects as lead partner and 32 more as main Partner or lead. The Center has been involved in R&D projects relevant to Applied Sciences and Engineering, Environment, Education, Management & Economics and Social Sciences. To facilitate this, FRC has contemporary facilities and access to Frederick University’s infrastructure, equipment, software tools as well as research support and Tech Transfer services through a special collaboration agreement. Furthermore, FRC staff has developed closed collaboration with several public authorities, enterprises, non-profit organizations and universities in Cyprus and abroad. FRC applies equal opportunity practices for employment of new researchers and strives for gender equality.

Project Members

Paris Fokaides

Dr. Paris Fokaides is an Associate Professor at Frederick University in the School of Engineering in the field of thermo fluids, as well as in the field of process engineering. He teaches undergraduate and postgraduate level courses in the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, and Architecture. He studied Mechanical Engineering at Aristotle University Thessaloniki (2002), and he is a PhD holder from Karlsruhe University, Germany (2009) in the field of sustainable energy technologies (combustion). He is also the academic supervisor of Sustainable Energy Research Group (http://www.serg-web.com). As of late 2023, Dr Fokaides has co-authored over 160 scientific papers and 15 book chapters (h-index 33 @ Scopus). He is also featured since 2020 in the World's Top 2% Scientists in the field of Energy and Building and Construction, according to the Stanford ranking. As of 2022, Dr. Fokaides has assumed the prestigious role of Editor in Chief for the International Journal of Sustainable Energy, published by Taylor and Francis. Furthermore, as of June 2023, he has taken on the esteemed responsibility of being the BuildUp Ambassador for the Republic of Cyprus. Dr. Fokaides has been active in research since 2002, having secured grants of over 3 million euros since 2012 at Frederick University.

Theoklitos Klitou

Theoklitos Klitou is a Mechanical Engineer specializing in Sustainable Energy Systems, focusing on advancing inclusivity and accessibility in the built environment. He completed his BEng in Mechanical Engineering at Swansea University, UK, incorporating a pivotal industry placement year, and later earned an MSc in Sustainable Energy Systems from Frederick University, Cyprus. Currently pursuing his PhD in Mechanical Engineering, more specifically in the 'Visualization of Smart Readiness Indicator within Three-Dimensional Virtual Reality Models'. Theoklitos has extensive experience with working on EU-funded projects relating to a plethora of topics where the latest project focused on smart building solutions and assessing the built environment. His technical expertise is further augmented by his work in Virtual Reality, where he has led projects that significantly enhance user interaction and spatial understanding in virtual environments

Hive Power SA

HIVE

Hive Power is a Swiss company at the forefront of smart grid solutions. Their team of experts combines research and experience to develop innovative ways to manage energy in a decentralized future. They envision a smarter grid where flexible resources like electric vehicles and energy communities are managed efficiently using advanced algorithms and new business models. Their mission is to achieve a customer-centric energy future focused on decarbonization, digitalization, decentralization, and democratization.

Project Members

Vito Mario Fico

R&D Programme Manager - Vito Mario Fico, Ph.D., an aerospace engineer with over ten years of experience, currently serves as an Associate Professor at University Loyola Andalucía and as an R&D Programme Manager at Hive Power. He holds a Ph.D. in Automation, Electronics, and Telecommunications, awarded by Universidad de Sevilla, and an M.S. and a B.Sc. in Aerospace Engineering from Politecnico di Torino. Dr. Fico’s professional expertise includes research and management in a diverse range of innovation projects and, lately, developing algorithms for energy and grid forecasting.

Kore Adenuga

Product Excellence & Energy Expert - Kore Adenuga, is a dynamic and innovative project manager specializing in clean and sustainable technology. With a robust background as a power system engineer and six years of experience in the power and energy sector, he excels in driving innovation and R&D in the energy sector. He holds an MSc in IT Project Management from Teesside University and a BSc in Electronics and Electrical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University. He is also certified as a Scrum Product Owner and Project Management Professional.

House of Humour and Satire

MHS

The Museum of Humor and Satire is a one-of-a-kind cultural institution in Bulgaria. A beloved landmark in downtown Gabrovo, the Museum is now 52 years old, has 8 exhibition spaces on a total of 6,000 m2, has gathered 34,000 art exhibits, 44,000 archive documents, 30,000 funny books, and just in 2023 alone, organized 44 events and greeted 51,000 visitors. The Museum exists to collect, protect, study and celebrate the artistic expressions of humor and satire from all around the globe. In the AccesS project, MHS will assist MoG into supporting a new riverside neighbour - the Christo and Jeanne-Claude Center for contemporary art appointed as one of the two cultural demo sites.

Project Members

Bogdana Dencheva

Bogdana Dencheva (female) is currently Head of the Information and Archive Department at MHS, responsible for project coordination and the Museum Library. Prior to joining the cultural field, her background features 7 years in Advertising followed by 8 years in Education. She obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations at Sofia University and her two Masters in Methodology of Teaching English and Bulgarian at Plovdiv University. In the AccesS project, she will act as a contact person and creator of required content on behalf of MHS.

Ivelina Yonkova

Ivelina Yonkova (female) is Head of Finance and Accounting at MHS since 2016. Prior to joining the cultural field, her background features 14 years of Accounting in the domains of Production, Commerce and Transportation. She holds two Bachelor and two Master degrees from the Dimitar A. Tsenov Academy of Economics, Svishtov in the Statistics and Econometrics as well as Accounting and Control majors. In the AccesS project, she will act as a financial advisor and controller of the MHS activities.

Intelligent Solutions for Zero and Positive Energy Buildings

IsZEB

LAMA Impresa Sociale

LAMA

Founded in 2007, LAMA is a cooperative and social enterprise operating in social innovation and urban regeneration, a topic on which LAMA consolidated its knowledge through several projects for public and private actors. In 2013, LAMA founded Impact Hub Firenze, and in 2019, MIM, the company designing and managing temporary uses during the redevelopment process of Manifattura Tabacchi, a former industrial complex representing one of Italy's major urban regeneration projects. LAMA offers a rich set of competencies (social-economic research, impact evaluation, business analysis, communication design, service design, project management, and stakeholder engagement at local and international levels) to support companies, Public Authorities, universities and third-sector organisations in transformation processes oriented towards innovative, fair and sustainable development. LAMA will provide its expertise in social research and design by developing a user-centered design approach and engaging with end-users to identify challenges and needs and ensure the design-for-all approach in the AccesS framework. LAMA will be responsible for liaising with other projects, initiatives and partnerships, as well as supporting the pilot evaluation and impact assessment. Recent projects include InCUBE, an IA HEU initiative for renovating public buildings: LAMA ensures inclusive processes involving workers and end-users, continuously assessing and evaluating the pilots to implement and measure inclusive approaches.

Project Members

Harshita Thakare

Harshita Thakare is a researcher, economist and urban planner with expertise in research and management of international development projects in the context of Europe, Africa and South Asia. After her bachelors, she worked on managing projects on a national scale, focused on developing a multidisciplinary approach for sustainable & inclusive smart cities and as an analyst for a project funded by USAID, focused on impact evaluation. After her Erasmus Mundus masters in Economics of Development, she worked as a project manager and researcher for two Erasmus+ KA2 projects at the University of Pavia, Italy focused on addressing the labor market gaps in the African context and in knowledge exchange among European & African partners. Currently, at LAMA she is a member of the Research &; Evaluation team. Her role ranges from project management; monitoring & evaluation; development of research methodologies; implementation of research activities for the following European projects: “T Factor” (H2020) Focusing on the evaluation of meanwhile uses in urban regeneration sites; “InCUBE” (H2020) Focusing on social inclusion and gender mainstreaming in deep building renovations; “Eureka” (Erasmus+) Understanding the market needs and training on the new profile of urban innovator.

Mattia Forni

Mattia Forni is the coordinator of the Research and Evaluation Unit at LAMA, where he supervises research and impact evaluation activities for both national and European projects. As an expert in qualitative and quantitative research methods for impact evaluation, he brings extensive experience in the field of community participation, urban regeneration. He has acquired quali-quantitative analysis skills on surveys, semi-structured interviews and focus groups, as a researcher at Ipsos, where he participated in various research projects on behalf of public bodies and private entities, in the field of social and political research (public policies, elections, immigration, environment and sustainability), managing the entire process, from methodological design to data analysis. He holds a master's degree in political science from the University of Florence, with a thesis in Analysis and evaluation of public policies, on lobbying and interest groups in European decision-making process.

Sara Barbieri

Sara Barbieri is a Service Design expert. Graduated in Product Design at ISIA Institute - Higher Institution of Art Industries of Florence, she completed and deepened her studies in Service Design at Central Saint Martins - University of the Arts London. Sara works for creating connections and synergies between service design and social design, introducing design tools and methods into the not-for-profit world with the aim of increasing its effectiveness and impact. Sara handles the whole design process, starting from the problem definition (design challenge), the field research (using qualitative techniques such as interviews, observation, focus groups and others), to the ideation phase and the definition of a project implementation strategy. With LAMA she brings the Service Design approach into projects for social inclusion and social innovation, she works as a project manager for local and national projects, moreover she is involved in facilitating co-design processes and training activities in the field of design and self-entrepreneurship.

Municipality of Gabrovo

MoG

Gabrovo Municipality is located in the heart of Bulgaria, within the picturesque Balkan Mountains and along the Yantra River. Covering an area of 555.579 km² and home to approximately 64,000 residents across 133 villages, Gabrovo is historically known as "The Bulgarian Manchester" due to its industrial heritage. Today, it remains a key economic and cultural hub, committed to sustainable urban development. Since 2017, Gabrovo has been a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network, placing creativity and the creative economy at the center of its urban development plans. This aligns with the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, promoting cities that are safe, resilient, inclusive, and sustainable. The municipality has a strong focus on energy efficiency and environmental protection, leading in this field since the establishment of the EcoEnergy network in 1997. In 2024, Gabrovo strengthened its sustainability efforts by drafting its Climate Neutrality Contract as part of the EU's Mission for 100 Climate Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030. Gabrovo's role in the AccesS project supports its broader vision of becoming a modern, inclusive European city. The municipality prioritizes accessibility and energy efficiency in local spatial plans and manages infrastructure to ensure accessibility for all citizens, including those with disabilities. Ongoing efforts to improve public spaces align with the goals of the AccesS initiative. Through its involvement in the AccesS project, Gabrovo Municipality continues to advance sustainability and inclusivity, leveraging innovative technologies and practices to enhance the quality of life for its residents.

My Energia Oner SL

MIW

MIWenergía is an energy company founded in 2013 in Murcia, which has evolved from its beginnings as a traditional marketer to adapt to the new needs of consumers and the reality of the electricity market. It offers innovative energy solutions that provide improvements in service and autonomy to consumers, who are increasingly demanding and committed to the environment. MIWenergía specialises in the commercialisation of electricity and photovoltaic self-consumption systems, maintaining its focus on energy efficiency and transparency in its dealings with customers. Its services include the representation of renewable energy producers in energy markets and ICT solutions for monitoring and improving energy efficiency, operating throughout mainland Spain. The company is accredited with the Innovative SME seal by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness thanks to its vocation to generate change to improve everyday life. The company also collaborates as an Enabler of Industry 4.0, within the catalogue of "Technological Enablers in Industry 4.0" created by the Instituto de Fomento de la Región de Murcia, and participates in numerous R&D projects within the European programme "Europe Horizon".

Project Members

Miguel Miñano Núñez

Miguel Miñano Núñez. Industrial Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena. Master's degree in Industry 4.0 and Executive MBA in Business Management. From 2005 to 2015, he worked in the construction sector, spending the last five years in a technological center for construction minerals. Starting his career in R&D project management in 2010, he has since worked in innovation and technology for sectors such as smart cities, waste management, energy, biofuels, accessible mobility, and construction. Since 2022, he has been a Project Manager at MIW in innovation projects for the energy transition, in areas such as renewable generation, efficient buildings and districts, smart grids, and demand response.

Pablo Barrachina Rodríguez

Mr. Pablo Barrachina, is an Industrial Engineer holding a Bachelor Degree from the Polytechnic University of Cartagena. Mr. Pablo Barrachina also holds a Master’s Degree in Renewable Energy from Polytechnic University of Cartagena and a Master’s Degree in Energy Efficiency from the University Miguel Hernandez. Pablo Barrachina has considerable experience in project management and installation of energy monitoring equipment, being in charge of 4 H2020 project (UtilitEE, DRIMPAC, ACCEPT, PHOENIX), and one Horizon Europe project (FlexCHESS) related with energy efficiency, smart buildings, Energy Communities, Demand Response and Grid Flexibility. In the Erasmus+ programmed, Pablo managed GrEnFIn project in which MIWenergia contributed with its knowledge of the Energy Market. In this project, it was developed a Master to create the figure of the Sustainable Energy expert who not only has technical capabilities but also in risk management, capable to face the changing challenges in the field of Green Finance, Climate and Business, Energy Transition. There was also developed a module for professionals that wanted to increase their knowledge in these areas.

John Paul Mayorga

Industrial Engineer specialized in the automation and control of industrial projects, with over six years' experience, and Associate Professor at the Polytechnic University of Cartagena in the Electrical Engineering Department of the Automation, Electrical Engineering and Electronic Technology (DAIETE). He has a degree in Electronics and Industrial Automation Engineering, a Master's Degree in Industrial Engineering and has completed three years of a PhD in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency. He has worked at DAIETE as a researcher in R&D activities, focusing on the design and construction of cascaded multilevel inverter prototypes and the programming of microcontrollers for their communication and synchronization. John Paul Mayorga has extensive knowledge in programming PLCs, HMIs and SCADA systems (Siemens, Omron, Allen-Bradley, Wonderware and Weintek). He is also a specialist in IoT and Industry 4.0. He has worked as a programmer and project manager in electrical installation companies.

QUE Technologies

QUE

QUE is an Athens, Greece-based company founded in 2019 with the mission to deliver digital tools for a greener and more affordable built environment and energy systems. We specialize in solutions and digital tools at the intersection of the construction, energy, and ICT industries, driving the digital twin and green transition. Our digital tools aim to reinvent building control by combining IoT, AI, and distributed technologies into human-centric smart applications that interact with the neighborhood and the energy system within a Smart City ecosystem. As an integral partner in the AccesS project, QUE is at the forefront of creating barrier-free environments and enhancing accessibility in smart buildings and cities. The Universal Accessibility Suite (AccesS) leverages advanced technologies like AI, BIM, and GIS to improve mobility and ensure equal access to services and facilities. Our contribution includes developing sustainable and accessible solutions through advanced analytics, life-cycle assessments, and simulation-based testing. By focusing on balancing comfort and energy consumption, we promote sustainable practices with virtual user models and adaptive building operations. QUE transforms data into actionable insights, essential for the digital and green transition. From energy management to decision support in construction, our data-driven solutions are vital to the AccesS project's goal of fostering accessible, sustainable, and user-friendly environments across Europe.

Project Members

Antonis Papanikolaou

Dr. Antonis Papanikolaou (male) received a B.Sc. on Computer and Electronics Eng. from the Technical University of Crete in 2000; a M.Sc. on HW/SW Co-design from the University of Patras, Greece in 2002; a Ph.D. on Computer Engineering from Ghent University, Belgium in 2006 and a MBA from the Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece in 2011. From 2002 to 2012 he worked as a senior researcher in the Design Technology group of IMEC vzw, Belgium and as a Principal Researcher at the NTUA on electronic design automation for future nanoscale fabrication technologies. From 2013 to 2019 he worked as a senior researcher at Hypertech Energy Labs. He holds 8 USPTO patents and has published more than 60 publications in international conferences and journals. His current interests span a number of intertwined areas including smart grids – with special emphasis on demand response and novel grid services, energy efficiency and building automation. He is a co-founder and the Strategy Lead of QUE Technologies overseeing the company business development activities.

Ilias Sarantakos

Dr. Ilias Sarantakos (male) is a project manager and researcher at Que Technologies, where he has significantly contributed to three Horizon Europe projects. He holds an Engineer’s Degree in Electrical Engineering from the National Technical University of Athens, Greece, and a PhD in Power Systems from Newcastle University, UK. With extensive experience in the field, Dr. Sarantakos has previously been involved in eight research projects in the UK, demonstrating his expertise and commitment to advancing technological solutions. At Que Technologies, Dr. Sarantakos manages and executes research initiatives that sit at the intersection of the construction, energy, and ICT industries. His work is instrumental in driving the digital twin and green transition through innovative digital tools and smart applications. Finally, as an author, Dr. Sarantakos has published over 40 journal articles, conference papers, and technical reports, showcasing his contributions to the field.

Romanian Standards Association

ASRO

ASRO is the national platform for the development and adoption of European and international standards. As part of the global standardization community, being a member of ISO, IEC, CEN, CENELEC and ETSI, ASRO plays an important role in providing an increasingly wide range of stakeholders with an easily accessible platform necessary for participation to the standardization activity of these organizations. It helps provide effective solutions for competitive businesses, supports public policy objectives, supports certification and market surveillance, and provides an effective mechanism to promote consumer protection and social responsibility.

Project Members

Speranta Stomff

Team leader, senior researcher

Madalina Simion

Standardization expert, senior researcher

Mihaela Stancu

Junior researcher

Claudiu Baciu

Disemination&communication

Technology Centre of Furniture and Wood of the Region of Murcia

CETEM

The Technology Centre of Furniture and Wood of the Region of Murcia (CETEM) is a private and non-profit organisation located in the town of Yecla, one of the most important furniture clusters in Spain. Founded in 1994, over the last 30 years CETEM’s mission has been oriented to improve, favor, foster the continuous improvement and transfer any type of innovation to companies, primarily SMEs, while actively contributing to their socioeconomic development through consultancy services, R&D activities, and the organisation of training programmes tailored to the needs of the industry.. The vision of CETEM is to be an international Centre of Excellence as a knowledge and technology provider; a pioneer in furniture-related technological knowledge; and to be composed of a highly qualified and motivated technical team that communicates a high level of satisfaction to its associates and collaborators with the necessary strategic alliances with organisations to further its mission. Today, CETEM is an umbrella organization comprised of almost 100 associated companies. Most of them are in continuous search of ways to innovate their products through technology and above all through brand-new and sometimes risky designs that increment its value.

Project Members

José Francisco Puche Forte

José Francisco Puche Forte, a Telecommunications Engineer by the Polytechnic University of Valencia, began as an Electronics lab technician at the Ford Spain plant in Valencia, then became an Automation and Robotics technician at the Metal Technology Center in Murcia. He advanced to head of Automation and Robotics at CETEM, followed by roles as Director General of Industry, Energy, and Mines and Director General of Telecommunications and Information Society for the Government of the Region of Murcia. He has been the director of CETEM since 2005.

Raquel Ortega Martínez

Raquel Ortega Martínez holds a bachelor’s degree in Communication Sciences & Journalism, and is a European Project Manager with a robust track record spanning multiple impactful initiatives in international projects from the Erasmus+ and Interreg Europe calls. Her efforts are focused on fostering gender equality and inclusion, leadership development, eco-innovation, cluster-based skills development, and promoting sustainable practices within various industries.

Miguel Ángel Beteta Medina

Miguel Ángel Beteta Medina is a Telecommunications Engineer from the Polytechnic University of Valencia, specializing in Communications. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Computer Science at the University of Alicante, focusing on "Ecosystems and Interoperability in the Field of Health." He has experience in software and firmware programming, wireless communications, Android application development, web applications, and machine learning algorithm development and programming in the AWS cloud. Since 2017, he has been an engineer in the Electronics and Domotics department of CETEM, where he has participated in several R&D&I projects, both nationally and at European level.

Uni Systems Information Technology Systems Commercial S.M.S.A.

UNIS