EXUS was founded with the vision to transform the costly and complex enterprise software industry – making it simple, accessible and exciting. EXUS Innovation is the applied research arm of EXUS Software Ltd, a global leader in the design, creation and marketing of enterprise software solutions and services. EXUS Innovation manages a portfolio of initiatives that aim to pave the way for the introduction and take up of emerging technologies. Leveraging the results of strategic research activities allows us to harness untapped niches in our market sectors of interest.

EXUS Innovation brings together professionals of diverse research backgrounds, including algorithms, architecture, data management, machine learning & AI, privacy and security, user interfaces, and visualization.

Our vision is to transform research to successful market products. Products enhanced with intelligent services built upon novel data analytics algorithms, mechanisms and tools that are reusable and scalable across multiple application domains. EXUS Innovation is a key partner that can actively contribute to the definition of new research and innovation opportunities harnessing the potential of Data.

Bournemouth University (BU) is a progressive and innovative international University which offers high quality research, student experience in education and professional practice. The University consists of six distinctive Schools and over 18,000 students with a significant proportion of international students from around 120 countries worldwide.

Our Faculty of Science and Technology, has 140 FTE academic research staff, with over 3000 undergraduates and well over 300 postgraduate research students. The research activity conducted at the faculty attracts funding from various sponsors including the European Commission, UK Research Councils, Innovate UK, and Industries. In particular, the Department of Computing & Informatics is renowned for high employability of its data science, AI and cybersecurity graduate students.

Bournemouth is a full and active Member of the Big Data Value Association (BDVA) of Europe. Within the BDVA, we co-Chair the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, and also the Earth Observation and Geospatial Task Forces.

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 120,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of € 13 billion. European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the Group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business Applications and Digital Workplace solutions through its Digital Transformation Factory, as well as transactional services through Worldline, the European leader in the payment industry. With its cutting-edge technologies and industry knowledge, Atos supports the digital transformation of its clients across all business sectors.

The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information technology space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education as well as multicultural and pluralistic approaches to research that contribute to scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the group enables its customers, employees and collaborators, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably and confidently in the information technology space.

Atos Research & Innovation (ARI) is the R&D hub for emerging technologies and a key reference for the whole Atos group. With almost 30 years of experience in running Research, Development and Innovation projects, we have become a well-known player in the EU context. Our multidisciplinary and multicultural team has the skills to cover all the activities needed to run projects successfully, from scientific leadership to partnership coordination, from development of emerging technologies to the exploitation of project outcomes, with a strong focus on dissemination, innovation adoption and commercialization.

CS GROUP is a large and very innovative company based in Paris - France, with subsidiaries in Europe, Asia, as well as in North America, and listed on the Paris Stock Exchange. It employs 2100 people worldwide, among which 90% are PhDs or Engineers, for an annual turnover of 230 M€ in 2019, of which ~20% are allocated to RTD activities. CS GROUP expertise in critical systems makes it a partner of choice in the sectors of defense and security, space, as well as aeronautics, energy, and industry. Acknowledged as a very innovative company, CS GROUP participates in numerous French competitiveness clusters, as well as European Commission and ESA programs. In May 2020, CS Defense Business Unit merged with DIGINEXT, its prestigious 100% owned subsidiary, to form a European leader employing 700 experts in the field of Defense and Security.

TEKNIKER is a technological center legally constituted as a private not-for-profit foundation that aims at the development and transfer of technology to improve the competitiveness of industry. In line with its missions and origins, TEKNIKER not only provides companies with technological support, but is also involved in generating new business initiatives, which are usually technological and, often, "spin offs" of the center itself. Since the early 1990s, TEKNIKER has been involved in setting up around twenty new business initiatives to a greater or lesser extent. Most of these initiatives were in the industrial sector. Additionally, TEKNIKER has a broad experience in the field of European Project cooperation since the early framework programs, with a participation in more than 230 projects in the last 28 years coordinating 25% of them.

TEKNIER is organized in 12 research units, with the Electronics and Communication Unit being involved in this project. This unit, with 25 researchers, has been specialized in the design, development, integration and validation of cost efficient and compact, miniaturized electronic hardware and software solutions for sensing & monitoring, advanced embedded computing and wireless sensor and communication networks. Additionally, and in close collaboration with the Smart and Autonomous Systems Group, the team has also acquired an extensive experience in the development and integration of vision-based inspection and tracking solutions, both for embedded sensing devices in the fields of medical devices, industrial systems, as well as applied to robotics and automation solutions. Regarding embedded camera systems, there is an important know-how on processing platforms (CPU, GPU and FPGAs), embedded vision libraries (open source and commercial), real time operating systems and CNN frameworks, and all the associated electronic hardware and software, but also in the opto-mechanic solution design, including illumination systems, lens selection and system design based on simulation tools as ZEMAX.

The Institute of Communications and Computer Systems (ICCS) is a non-profit academic research body established in 1989 by the Greek Ministry of Education to carry out research and development activities in the area of telecommunications, systems and techniques, computer systems and their applications in transceivers, radar, electromagnetic sensors, satellite and wireless communications, electromagnetic phenomena modelling, neural networks, systems, software and hardware engineering, telematics and multimedia applications, transport applications, control systems, biomedical engineering and electric power (www.iccs.gr). It is closely associated with the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering (SECE) of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA) (est. 1837), which is the oldest and most prestigious academic institute in Greece. The personnel of ICCS consists of academic staff (~80 University Professors), 40 senior researchers and more than 500 researchers (including PhD students) in twenty research laboratories.

Crowd Dynamics International Ltd is an SME with a widespread client base and global reputation for being at the forefront of research into crowd simulation and people movement across any mode of transport, having implemented city wide strategies for crowd movement, large scale events and transport systems.

Over many years, our experienced team of specialists has fine-tuned the science of Crowd Dynamics. The company’s specialist developers have turned this specialist knowledge into practical modelling packages, with the goal of maximising capacity, space and efficiency while minimising risk. Such tools include real-time analysis of crowds, specialist simulation for transportation systems such as large passenger ships and train rolling stock. These will be leveraged as a base for the development undertaken during the FENCES project.

Alongside, research and development, our consultants have put in place effective crowd management, crowd modelling and communication systems in the UK and worldwide, working alongside other specialist consultants and research teams to deliver practical solutions. This means that we cross the border between academic research and innovation and practical implementation.

Our reputation has been built on research, modelling systems and expert consultancy. Projects have been completed successfully advising on the protection of critical infrastructures, including transportation (rail stations, multimodal interchanges, ports, ships), prisons, and hospitals.

TELESTO Technologies Ltd, was founded in 2004, and is based in Athens-Greece. The company provides state-of-the art solutions in the area of Internet-of-Things (IoT), for Smart Cities and Citizen Engagement, Smart Metering, ITS, Smart Agriculture and Safety and Security for Critical Infrastructures and Maritime industry.

The high expertise and technical qualification of the R&D team, the management skills of the leading team and strong ties with Academia at local- and EU-level allows us to execute and deliver on time, complex ICT projects which demand high degree of technical innovation and rapid adaptation.

TELESTO has established partnerships and collaboration with leading EU companies and participates actively in a number of innovative R&D and commercial projects in the above field of expertise during National and European (FP7 and HORIZON2020) R&D funding frameworks.

Since 2004, in Greece, the company has successfully completed numerous projects, acting as a small local system integrator, in the field of design and development of broadband networks, IoT infrastructures and services (e.g. smart city infrastructures and services, citizen engagement, presence analytics, meteorology application, fleet management and telemetry, precision farming processes), for a large number of Municipalities and Prefectures in Greece and for private companies.

Crisisplan is an independent and leading consultancy firm (founded in 2001) with a clear vision on crisis management. Crisisplan specialises in consultancy, trainings, simulations and educational courses on the subject of crisis management (in both the public and private sector). With key- personnel who also hold research positions, Crisisplan maintains its ties with the academic field. Crisisplan integrates innovative methods, academic perspectives and practical, hands-on experience in all its products and activities. Crisisplan has been involved in several FP7 and H2020 projects since 2008 as end-user partner, end-user community manager, organizer and coordinator of field test demonstrations and evaluation activities, as well as research partner.

Gap Analysis S.A. founded in 2006, is an engineering consulting company specialized in providing technical services and support on safety, security and environmental standards required at design, licensing, construction and operation phases, of industry projects for international fuel distribution companies and petrochemical sites.

Company’s main offices are located Athens and its Technical Branch is located in Chania in Crete. Engineering is performed by personnel with extended experience on: industrial risk assessment (Control of Major Accident Hazards),  risk and vulnerability assessment (Security), occupational health and safety (OHSA), fire safety, safety inspection and auditing of industrial sites, assessment of Safety Reports and Safety and Security Management Systems, environmental quality applications, safety system modeling, training and education techniques, co-ordination and management of national and European research projects as well as on supervision of  civil engineering projects where special environmental and safety problems are involved.

Universidad de Cantabria (UC) is a modern public institution with an overall budget in 2018 of 105.2 M€. The main purpose is to contribute to social progress through teaching and scientific excellence. Considering EU Projects, UC has an extensive experience in international research projects and programmes, participating in more than 100 such projects both in the Seventh Framework Program (FP7, 2007-2013) and in the Horizon 2020 calls. Specifically, UC has obtained funding in H2020 for around 14 M€ in 48 projects. In this moment, the institution coordinates 9 projects from international programmes.

The GIDAI group at the UC has been undertaking intensive research, technology transfer and training activities in the field of human behaviour in emergency conditions and fire science for the last 25 years. This research group is a national and international referent in safety science thanks to research, innovation and dissemination activities carried out to improve safety in society.

Over the last 10 years UC-GIDAI has developed a R&D line with more than 30 research projects and contracts with a fundraising close to 5.9 M€ and over 30 scientific papers (in scientific journals and peer-reviewed international conferences) devoted to Fire Safety and Evacuation Management. The group has 11 full time staff members including 7 PhDs, 2 postgraduate students and 2 laboratory technicians.

Advanced Integrated Technology Solutions & Services Ltd is a Cyprus-based Small Medium Enterprise (SME) established in 2011. ADITESS is a scientific, consulting, and research company whose purpose is to conduct theoretical and applied research and to produce studies, at strategic and tactical level, on issues concerning Security policies, Critical Infrastructure Protection, Aftermath on crisis events, Transportation security and Border management (monitoring and surveillance), modeling solutions and to develop state of the art applied Security Solutions in the above mentioned areas. Their staff composed of dedicated and experienced professionals who have outstanding professional and academic experience in the area of security, and have been involved in EU Research Programs as well as national and international projects for several years. Consisting and cooperating with consultants - researchers with professional and academic experience and a long-standing history in proposal preparation, project management and R&D activities, ADITESS LTD is at the forefront of our offering with clients stemming from a multitude of technological domains, such as Security, Defense, Information and Communication Technologies. Furthermore, a number of ADITESS researchers come with ex-military and ex-police forces background in IT Security, Electronic Warfare (EW) and Signal Intelligence (SIGINT) in large-scale National and International operations, over the last fifteen years. This field experience is enhanced by high academic knowledge especially in the security (IT, UAV systems, Electro-optics, Communication, etc.) system’s area.

EULAMBIA is a recently founded company as a spin-off from the Optical Communications and Photonics Technologies Laboratory of the University of Athens, Greece. Members of the company are highly qualified engineers and physicists having a Ph.D. degree in broadband communications, all optical signal processing and electro-optic system design. The areas of expertise of the company are photonics and microwave electronics for communications and sensing applications.

EnginSoft is one of the leading technology transfer companies in the field of Simulation Based Engineering Science (SBES). Since its foundation in 1984, through our expansion in the sector in the mid-Seventies, to the present day with a global presence, EnginSoft has always been at the forefront of technological innovation.

We are unique in our field simultaneously having specific and advanced skills in all disciplines in which simulation technologies are utilized, combined with the vital complementary statistical approaches, scientific computing know-how and simulation process and data management (SPDM) knowledge and experience to assist customers to safely and effectively navigate, exploit and manage the vast and complex data and information obtained both from SBES applications and from direct physical testing.

Our knowledge and experience enables us to guide and assist customers with the process of digital transformation by identifying and resolving all the problems concerning the integration of simulation with other digital technologies, from the conception of a product, to its design and production - including plant planning and commissioning - right down to operations, across every industrial sector and business dimension, and fully consistent with the relevant development projects and investment plans.

We work across a broad range of industries that includes automotive, energy, oil and gas, aerospace and defense, civil and structural engineering, metals, machining and manufacturing, consumer goods and appliances, healthcare and biomechanics, helping customers to best leverage existing legacy and emerging simulation technologies.

The Center for Security Studies (KEMEA) is a think tank on homeland security policies and an established research center since 2005 (L. 3387/2005) within the Hellenic Ministry of Citizen Protection, aiming to support security policy implementations in Greece at a strategic level.

A main objective of KEMEA is to bring together all national Law Enforcement Agencies (Police, Fire Service, Coast Guard, Civil Protection agency, etc.) and to enable them to collaborate, interconnecting them with corresponding agencies, research institutions and the industry from around Europe. This dedicated approach to exploring synergies, establishing communication links and working together to produce end-user driven research on all fronts of the Security Sector during the last decade, has earned KEMEA its participation in numerous National and EC R&D projects.

KEMEA is a member of a number of European associations and organizations including the “European Security Research and Innovation Forum (ESRIF)”, the “European Organization for Security (EOS)”, the “Public Safety Communication Europe Forum (PSCE)”, the “European Association of Research and Technology Organizations (EARTO)”, “the European Emergency Number Association (EENA)”, the European Association for Biometrics (EAB) and has established links to the ENLETS community (European Network of Law Enforcement Technology Services). KEMEA also closely cooperates with the RAN Centre of Excellence and since 2016, it is a Framework Partner of CEPOL. Furthermore, KEMEA is appointed as the Greek “National Contact Point” for the implementation of Directive 2008/114/EC, regarding the protection of European Critical Infrastructures. Finally, KEMEA is a member of the “European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO)”.

The Technological Platform – Energy Security, Czech Republic (hereinafter TPEB) was established in October 2011 as a unique non-profit public-private-partnership body in the Czech Republic focusin on the area of critical infrastructure protection. The founding members of TPEB are (1) leading national energy companies, companies administrating energy distributing networks and lines, software and communication utility companies, (2) public bodies including Ministry of Internal Affairs, Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Czech Standardization Agency, (3) leading Czech technical universities and research institutions.  The mission of TPEB is to instigate cooperation among the aforementioned three pillars and support activities related to research, development and innovation leading to an introduction of new technologies ensuring protection of critical (information) infrastructure. The platform organizes public events aiming at stimulating awareness regarding critical (information) infrastructure protection on the part of administration as well as general public. Further, it mediates the interplay between the administration´s as well as private sector´s security-related needs and R&D&I capabilities and potential. Last but not least it aims at organising public-private consortia applying for R&D&I projects. Being gradually recognized as the relevant pool of expertise TPEB provides experts to various national as well as international bodies and expert groups.

Plan4all is a non-profit association sustaining and further enhancing results of multiple research and innovation projects. Plan4all is fast developing association set up in 2015 by three partners. At this moment, Plan4all is an umbrella of 60 organisations from 22 countries worldwide. Plan4all includes members from public administration, universities, research organisations, NGOs, SMEs and industries.

Plan4all is a member of the Global Open Data for Agriculture and Nutrition (GODAN), Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), and Big Data Value Association (BDVA) and closely cooperates with the Research Data Alliance, World Wide Web Consortium, and the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission in Ispra.

Plan4all conducts research and experimental development and transfers the gained knowledge into practice. In addition to that, Plan4all aggregates large open datasets related to planning activities in different specialisms including spatial planning, transport, urban planning, environment, tourism and precision farming.
 

The University of West Bohemia (UWB) is the founder of the Plan4all association. The university has 8 faculties with more than 60 departments and three institutes of higher education. The UWB provides applied and interdisciplinary research in different thematic areas. The disciplines include geography, astronomy, geophysics, informatics, cybernetics and mathematics. The key thematic areas include spatial and urban planning and smart cities, transport planning including smart mobility, agriculture and precision/ autonomous farming, tourism and cultural heritage including historical maps, environmental protection, disaster management and climate change.

BEIA Consult International, SIEMENS partner, is a R&D performing SME, founded in 1991, and one of the leading providers of ICT solutions and services in Romania for cloud communications and IoT telemetry. The company’s references include over 5,000 turn-key projects for advanced IT and communications solutions. BEIA is certified ISO 9001, 14001, 18001 and 27001.

We are active in the following domains: service innovation, hardware, sensors, actuators, information technologies, data storage and processing (back end), interfaces, software (front end), integration, communication technologies / tele-systems, learning & training, standardization, communication / dissemination / marketing, business development, project management. Geographically, BEIA covers the whole country of Romania, and as fields of activities, BEIA is able to offer professional solutions, mainly for: (i) communications for companies and organizations (integrating IT&C hardware, software and networks), local telephone and data networks, (ii) communications for small office and homes (PBX, phones, etc), Contact and Call Center (iii) PCM and XDSL transmission systems, (iv) telemonitoring and radio-telemetry (IP / Wireless SCADA), (v) consultancy and implementing of applications – solutions for ICT problems in the following domains: local and central administration, industry and agriculture, power generation, environmental protection, public health, education and culture, national defense and intelligence.

The city of Trikala is a typical medium-sized European city, with a history of more than 5,000 years and a population of approximately 80,000 inhabitants. Trikala is famous for its culture, folk music – it is the birthplace of numerous famous Greek musicians; agriculture with products like wine, feta cheese, sausages and pies, while quite recently as a top family touristic destination, especially during Christmas and it is famous with the thematic park of the Elves Mill. Moreover, Trikala is internationally known as the Greek smart city flagship, with several smart infrastructures and services.

The Municipality of Trikala constitutes the great urban centre of a predominantly agricultural and stockbreeding region. The main financial, cultural, leisure, sport and other activities of the Prefecture are concentrated inside the urban boundaries.

Trikala has already invested in building an impressive smart urban landscape by reinforcing its Internet-of-Things layer. It is considered as the best paradigm for a smart and digital city in Greece. The established monitoring network of a great series of urban variables and KPIs constitutes the foundation on which it can succeed in applying NBSs.

Since 2004, the e-Trikala office of the Municipality of Trikala, in cooperation with and in the line of the operational programme “The Information Society” is acting in the fields of new broadband technologies, successfully implementing municipal projects. On the 8th of April 2008, having the required experience, it was transformed into e-Trikala S.A., an emerging company, formed within the Municipality of Trikala. The Municipality is the basic stakeholder owning 99% while the remaining 1% is owned by the local Chambers of Commerce.

By creating infrastructure and by providing services, e- Trikala continuously aims to the development of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) based applications, oriented to the improvement of all citizens’ everyday life, in a medium sized city, simplifying public transactions, reducing telecommunication costs and delivering new services related to the local way of life. Moreover, these ICT applications offer new ways and methods that enable citizens participate on policy-making, while in parallel establish local Government and Public Authorities as guarantors of local society’s every day proper, digital and distanced operation.

​e- Trikala S.A. operates upon a fully integrated basis while, as the First Digital City in Greece (proclaimed in 2004 by the Minister of Economics), it establishes high technological and broadband National standards by using and offering its “know-how” to other municipalities within Greece.

The Hellenic Police is subordinated to the Ministry of Citizen Protection. The Hellenic Police assumed its present structure in 1984 when the Gendarmerie (Chorofylaki) and the Urban Police Forces (Astynomia Poleon) were merged (Law 1481/1-10-1984, Government Gazette 152 A). Hellenic Police (Elliniki Astynomia) is a Law Enforcement Agency according to the Law nr. 4249/2014 and its mission is to: i) ensure peace and order as well as citizens` unhindered social development, a mission that includes general policing duties and traffic safety, ii) prevent and interdict crime as well as to protect the State and the democratic form of government within the framework of constitutional order, a mission that also includes the implementation of public and state security policy, iii) protect external borders.

Hellenic Police is comprised of both central and regional Services. Hellenic Police`s headquarters is the supreme authority over these Services. Its efforts center on the fulfillment of the Force`s mission, within the framework of the Ministry of Interior`s policy. For this reason, it schedules, directs, oversees and monitors the activities of its Services, and it ensures the necessary conditions for the exercise of its authority. In its continuous mission to serve and protect citizens, Hellenic Police has responded to our times` demands and challenges by improving training, adopting a modern crime prevention policy, better utilizing science and technology and by exploiting international law enforcement cooperation.

Ertzaintza is the police force of the Basque Country. It is a comprehensive police that assumes the bulk of the remits in matter of security, coexisting with the Local Police Forces and the State Security Forces. The structure of Ertzaintza is based on three pillars: the Citizen Protection Division, the Criminal Investigation Division and the Central Intelligence Office. In this framework, the different specialized units are grouped in all areas of police activity: citizen security, traffic, institutional security, tactical support, criminal investigation, command and control centre, games and spectacles, scientific police and private security. All these units have highly qualified staff and advanced technical means. Ertzaintza also develops judicial police functions and it currently has an R+D+i service.

Metro Bilbao is a rapid transit (metro) system serving the city of Bilbao and the region of Greater Bilbao. Its lines have a "Y" shape, with two lines that transit both banks of the Nervión River and then combine to form one line that ends in the south of Bilbao. In total, the Metro has 43.31 km (as of 2011) of rail tracks, with 41 stations (25 of them underground and 16 outside) and 76 accesses (not counting elevators) and 9 substations. The daily ridership is above 242,000 of users in an average day (90 Million per year). The peak occupation reached 348.690 users in 2010. The expansion of the current metro lines is constant and by the 2013 the third line will be opened, adding 7 more stations in almost 6 Kms length with an estimated ridership of 71,000 people. Besides, the fourth and fifth lines are under study.

The City of Bilbao, founded in 1300 and capital of the Bizkaia/Biscay province is located on the Eastern Atlantic seaboard, in the North of the Spanish State. Bilbao stands 19 m above sea level. It covers a surface area of 41.6 square kilometers with over 342,000 inhabitants. Bilbao has a humid oceanic climate with average temperature is about 8ºC in winter and 20ºC in summer. Bilbao, originally a mediaeval town, became an industrial city in after 1850, shifting economic activity almost exclusively to the iron and steel industry and ship building. After 1975 high unemployment, forced the city authorities to look for novel formulae to stimulate business and promote job creation, Bilbao’s economic activity changed which transformed the city. The investments in human resources and in technology innovation was key for the transformation of the city over the last decades as the mean of supporting secondary activity, through a competitive, productive, knowledge-based and environment-friendly industry.

As a large city, as per the Spanish regulation, the municipality of bilbao is in charge of public lighting, cemeteries, waste collection, public cleaning, drinking water supply, sewer system, access to urban areas, road surfacing, food and drink control, public park management, public libraries management, public food markets, waste management, civil defence, social work, fire safety, sports facilities for public use, urban passenger transport and environment protection.

The city of Valencia has a metropolitan area which reaches over 1,500,000 inhabitants. This means, in terms of population, that Valencia is the 3rd largest city in Spain.

The Valencia Local Police (PLV) municipal department depends on the Valencia City Council. More than 1,600 police officers form the Valencia Local Police.

PLV’s duties are wide, ranging from surveillance and road traffic control to maintaining citizen security and safety, administrative police, community police, domestic violence, mediation police, fight against crime, management of emergencies, environmental police, etc. Overall, it is one of the most active local polices in Spain, due to its continuous innovation in new technologies. The Centre of Security and Emergencies (CISE) is the best example of innovation in police management thanks to the use of ICTs tools. Moreover, it is a great test bed for pilot experiences and tests. PLV has managed (as a leader or a partner) 24 successful European projects from different Programmes (H2020, 7th FP of R+D in Security, Lifelong Learning Programme, Prevention and Fight against Crime, Daphne III, Civil Protection Financial Instrument, Criminal Justice, etc.).  PLV has a 30 year-old Community Policing model, which provides a satisfactory relationship with the citizens, thanks to more than 200 CPO within the municipality. This professional profile makes us receive very relevant multidisciplinary information.

The Buzau City Hall constitutes the functional institution with permanent activity that fulfills the provisions of the mayor, solving the current problems of the local community in Buzau. The headquarters of the city hall is located in the Communal Palace, built between 1899-1903, being also the city's symbol. Buzau is located in the south-east of Romania and has an area of 81.3 km and a population of over 425.000 inhabitants. The railways that link Bucharest to Moldavia and Transylvania to the Black Sea coast meet in Buzau and its proximity to trade routes helped the city develop its role as an industrial centre during the 20th century, developing now towards a Smart city. The main educational institutions here are B.P. Hasdeu and Mihai Eminescu high-school. The city's public library was opened in 1893, under the name of Carol I Public Library. Later it took the name of Vasile Voiculescu, Buzau's most prominent author. The George Ciprian stage theatre was created in 1996 and the main museum is the Buzau County Museum, which exhibits items related to the region's history. The first university in the city was the Economic University College, inaugurated in 1992, a branch of the Academy of Economic Studies. The Municipal Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium mostly for football matches. It was refurbished in 2007 when it was transformed into an all-seater stadium with over 12000 seats. The Local Police of Buzau County is the specialized institution of the state that exercises attributions regarding the defense of the fundamental rights and freedoms of the person, of private and public property, as well as prevention of offenses and observance of the public order in Buzau, focusing on peace and order, driving discipline and safety, people’s record, command and control center for following contraventions.

Správa Informačních Technologií města Plzně (SITMP), as a part of the City of Plzeň administration and funded by the City, is a public company with an annual turnover of 8,4 mil EUR (210 mil CZK) and 108 employees which provides ICT services to the City of Pilsen.

Basic quantification of SITMP‘s core business: 6000 PCs, 150 km of optical metropolitan network, around 1400 request from customers/monthly, 2 data centres (level TIER 3), key app. SAP, MS, AGENDIO, GIS, eSPIS, SOL, etc., SITMP provides services for the city hall, city districts, municipal police and around 100 city companies (elementary schools, kindergartens, city waterworks, heating plants, transport company, etc).

SITMP implements multiple projects within the Pilsen’s Smart City Strategy and is also responsible for the whole Smart City as the ICT integrator.

ZABALA INNOVATION CONSULTING, S.A. (hereinafter, ZABALA), is an independent international consultancy founded in 1986 specialized in comprehensive consultancy services of R&D Innovation management and technology transfer projects.

100% of the ZABALA activity is focused on becoming the innovation a key issue in the organization competitiveness, with a wide range of services (detailed in section 3) to companies, research entities and administrations. It currently provides, on a contract basis, consultancy services to a portfolio of 1.500 organisations (including SMEs, large companies, RTD centres, universities and public administrations).

ZABALA staff is constituted by more than 260 qualified professionals: 29 PhDs, 181 engineers and BSc from different specialties, 14 economists, 5 graduated in Administration and Law, 9 graduated in Communication, able to annually manage more than 1,500 projects at national level and more than a hundred at European level.