• National Technical University of Athens – NTUA Greece (www.ntua.gr)

NTUA is the most prestigious and competitive academic institution on engineering sciences in Greece. The Decision Support Systems Laboratory is a multidisciplinary scientific unit within the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, which offers R&D, consulting and training services addressing a wide range of complex research and application problems, including: Information Technology and Decision Support Systems with a specialization in e-Business and e-Government, Interoperability, Management Information Systems, Program & Project Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Training and Human Resources Development, Information Dissemination and Promotion, Energy and Environmental Policy.

 

  • Missing Children Europe – FEDERATION EUROPEENNE POUR ENFANTS DISPARUS ET SEXUELLEMENT EXPLOITES (missingchildreneurope.eu )

Missing Children Europe – is the European federation for missing and sexually exploited children. It represents a network of 31 on the ground missing children response organisations in 27 countries in Europe and coordinates the European network of 116 000 hotlines for missing children, currently active in all EU Member States as well as in Serbia, Albania and partially in Ukraine. The mission of Missing Children Europe is to protect children from any kind of violence, abuse or neglect that is caused by or results from them going missing. The organisation works on the development of responses to missing children, including in particular the development of 116 000 hotlines and child alert systems. The organisation further focuses on enhancing the quality of services delivered by all stakeholders involved in preventing and responding to disappearance of children.

Missing Children Europe’s decision making bodies include General Assembly and Board of Directors, headed by the president, Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, who is currently UN Special Rapporteur on child trafficking, child prostitution and child pornography. Missing Children Europe provides the link between research, policies and organisations on the ground to protect children from any kind of violence, abuse or neglect that is caused by or results from them going missing.

 

  • The Smile of the Child (TSOC) – ΤΟ ΧΑΜΟΓΕΛΟ ΤΟΥ ΠΑΙΔΙΟΥ (ΤΧτΠ) (hamogelo.gr)

“The Smile of the Child” is the largest Greek internationally recognized non-profit and non- Governmental Organization working in the critical field of child protection, support of children and families with children in need, as well as providing free public health service for children, both in prevention and treatment.

The Organization was founded by a 10-year-old boy, Andreas Yannopoulos, before he succumbed to brain cancer in late 1995. His father Costas Yannopoulos, President of the Board of Directors, inspired by the wish of well-being for all children in the world, expressed by his son, has gradually led “The Smile of the Child” to what it is today: οver 22 years of action “The Smile” has made the difference for more than 1.300.000 children and their families in Greece.

“The Smile of the Child” operates with approximately 2.300 active volunteers on a daily basis and more than 480 specialized personnel and is financed through donations from sponsors and the broad public mainly in Greece.

The operational commitment of “The Smile of the Child” is structured along four main objectives and main target groups of children in need of protection and care: children victims of any form of violence, children in poverty or threatened by poverty, children with serious health problems, and missing children. “The Smile of the Child” operates services all across Greece that are coordinated by Centers for Direct Social Intervention (CDSI), ensuring the necessary interconnection and regional implementation of all services at the operational and organizational levels.

The mission of “The Smile of the Child” is to provide efficient and direct actions nationwide, 365 days a year and 24 hours a day aimed at the protection and well-being of all children without exception and without distinction of background, origin, religion or any other criterion.

  • Foundation for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children – Child Focus Belgium (childfocus.be)

Child Focus, the Belgian Foundation for Missing and Sexually Exploited Children, is a private foundation with public utility, operational since 31 March 1998. It was the Dutroux-case (abduction & sexual abuse of 6 girls and murder of 4 of them by Marc Dutroux) that preceded its creation and demonstrated the clear need for it. Its creation took place with Belgian governmental support and was inspired by the existing NCMEC, USA (National Centre for Missing and Exploited Children). Child Focus’ mission, both at national and international level,          is to support parents/family of a missing or a sexually abused child, to actively support the investigation of the disappearance, abduction or sexual exploitation of children and to study, to prevent and to combat these phenomena.

CF acts independently and in the interest of the child without any discrimination. CFs’ financial structure guarantees its independence as donations from the public and from the private companies count for 60,23% of its financial resources. 23,33% of Child Focus’ funding comes from the National Lottery and another 16,64% from other public grants. CF employs 49 full time equivalents.

As the Belgian 116 000 hotline for missing children, Child Focus takes on the five different cases of disappearances: runaways, abduction by a third person, missing unaccompanied migrant minors, lost/injured or otherwise missing children and parental abductions. Child Focus is also a contact point for reports on sexual exploitation and runs the civil hotline for child sexual abuse images on the Internet (www.stopchildporno.be) as well as a helpline for all questions related to e-safety for children (www.clicksafe.be). The Department for Missing and Sexually Exploited children holds an ‘operational cell’, a ‘study / policy advising cell’ and a team of project managers, which ensures the coherence between the operational reality and the theoretical input.

 

The Hellenic Red Cross, member of the International Movement of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies founded on June 10, 1877, is the biggest Humanitarian Organization in Greece. Hellenic Red Cross mission is based on volunteering, aiming to alleviate human suffering, both in war and peace era, with the provision of support to injured, refugees, elderly and vulnerable population groups in general, regardless of their political, racial, religious or ideological background. H.R.C. provides assistance and support to vulnerable groups by implementing a strategy for developing programs, including inter alia:

  • Programs for psychosocial support and counseling to people with social difficulties (immigrants, refugees, homeless, long-lasting unemployed)
  • Community programs for the elderly and disabled people
  • Services for health and social assistance at home
  • Programs for the reception and temporary accommodation of asylum seekers and unaccompanied minors
  • Recruiting of volunteers and training in the field of social welfare, health and rescue
  • Primary and secondary health care
  • Youth activities
  • Tracing and family reunification
  • Disaster preparedness response to emergencies
  • Social services at regional branch offices all over Greece. To achieve its humanitarian mandate, Hellenic Red Cross collaborates with other entities, both governmental and private. Additionally, when there is a high need for the provision of assistance abroad, the HRC cooperates with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and concrete National Societies to participate in international aid operations and humanitarian material and aid dispatch. In Greece, HRC performance, is multilayered: social welfare, medical and nursing care, tracing and family reunification, volunteer training and mobilizing, dissemination of International Humanitarian Law, young people recruitment for the promotion of Movement’s fundamental principles and humanitarian values through volunteering. Services and activities are carried out through its 83 Branch Offices and Committees.

Hellenic Red Cross has registered more than 4.000 members and allocates 10.000 volunteers.

 

Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences (FRA-UAS) is one of the major Universities of Applied Sciences in Germany. Currently, more than 14,000 students are enrolled in over 50 Master and Bachelor degree programmes. FRA-UAS has four faculties: Architecture, Civil Engineering, Geomatics; Computer Science and Engineering; Business and Law; Health and Social Work. According to the university’s mission, the degree programs have a strong focus on application and transfer of acquired knowledge into professional practice. In collaboration with other universities, third cycle education (cooperative doctoral studies) are carried out in all four faculties. Since 2017 FRA-UAS establishes a center for doctorate studies in social work together with two other universities of applied sciences in Hesse. Research at FRA- UAS has its institutional base in the four faculties as well as a significant number of research centres and institutes – some of which extending across the university’s boundaries. Like the degree programmes, research has a strong orientation towards the application and transfer of technology/knowledge into industrial and societal practice. Research at FRA-UAS is funded by the State of Hessen, the federal level, the European Union, foundations as well as profit/non-profit organisations. Though not exclusively, an emphasis of third party funded projects is placed on collaborations with small and medium enterprises (SME). Currently, the research profile of FRA-UAS encompasses the following subject areas: demographic change and diversity, renewable energies, mobility and logistics, networks and distributed systems. But research at FRA-UAS does not end here. In collaboration with a large variety of academic and non-academic partners, research is carried out in many other fields of research. FRA-UAS sees its mission in being a driver for innovation in the Frankfurt metropolitan area as well as beyond.

 

SingularLogic is currently the leading Software and Integrated IT Solutions Group in Greece. With a full understanding of the entire range of market requirements, we offer advanced and integrated IT systems as well as full support services, investing capacity and internal infrastructure. This is based on experience, technological expertise and the existence of specialized Singular Logic solutions and products as well as on an array of companies that collaborate with our Group. SingularLogic, member of Marfin Investment Group, has highly skilled personnel, specialized know how, a broad product portfolio, a large installed base of 40,000 SMEs and 700 large enterprises, and a dynamic national distribution network.

 

UBITECH is a leading, highly innovative software house, systems integrator and technology provider, established to provide leading edge intelligent technical solutions and consulting services to businesses, organizations and government in order to allow the efficient and effective secure access and communication with various heterogeneous information resources and services, anytime and anywhere. UBITECH enables real-time valid information processing and decision-making, the realization of intelligent business environments, and B2B and B2C transactions by providing high added-value business –oriented and –based solutions. UBITECH LIMITED is the youngest member of UBITECH Group that has been established in 2005, concentrated initially in the Balkan market and acquiring several EC and national grants for novel R&D initiatives. Currently, UBITECH Group has extended its operations with targeted international activities through its subsidiaries, representation offices, business partners and affiliated companies in Limassol (UBITECH LIMITED), Madrid (Business Development Office), Buenos Aires (UBITECH SRL targeting mainly Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia) and Guayaquil (Business Partner and Representation Office for Ecuador and Panama), concentrating mainly in the Spanish-speaking countries of Central and Latin America.

 

MADE is a Platform of experts from diverse disciplines, with special focus on social innovation and sustainable synergies. MADE develops sophisticated strategies for timely management of operations and conference services, project design and consulting options.  MADE ‘s philosophy is based on solid work ethics, transparency, aesthetics and discretion.  MADE’s source of inspiration stems from the EU principles and the global ecosystem dynamics.

 

  • SUITE5 Data Intelligence Solutions Limited (S5) (suite5.eu )

S5 is an Information Technology Solutions and Services SME, with a mission to deliver innovative data-driven intelligence solutions through state-of-the art technologies, required for any organization to be placed at the forefront of competition through greater efficiency. By combining strong technology know-how and hands-on approach in managing and implementing projects commissioned by the public and the private sector, S5 provides research-inspired solutions and practical support for its clients in order to leverage business and crowd intelligence into their everyday operations.

The research & innovation activities of S5 span over a wide spectrum of innovative areas, covering (Big/Open/Linked) Data Analytics, Social Network Analysis & Intelligence and Data Interoperability & Management, and, in general, exploration of new application domains for high-end IT data-driven solutions. In this context, the overall concept, vision and the technologies that will be developed/used in the project fall exactly on major interest areas of S5, as they deal with the curation and verification (with the help of social media analytics) of news-related multimedia content.