EIT Food Country Representative Greece is coordinated by Democritus University of Thrace (DUTH) and will be implemented in collaboration with Mantis Beyond Innovation for the years 2026–2028.

About EIT Food

ΕΙΤ Food is growing Europe’s food innovation ecosystem to build a healthy, sustainable and resilient food system. We empower innovators and entrepreneurs, invest in ideas and talent, and we create space for science, research, industry, and policymakers to accelerate systemic change across the food sector.

Supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a body of the European Union, EIT Food has been at the forefront of food system innovation in Europe since 2016.

 About EIT

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) is an EU body and an integral part of Horizon Europe, the EU Framework Programme for Research and Innovation. The Institute supports dynamic pan-European partnerships, EIT Knowledge and Innovation Communities, among leading companies, research labs and universities. Currently ten EIT Knowledge & Innovation Communities  are supported: Climate KIC (formerly EIT Climate-KIC), 28DIGITAL (formerly EIT Digital), InnoEnergy (formerly EIT InnoEnergy), EIT Health, EIT RawMaterials, EIT Food, EIT Manufacturing, EIT Urban Mobility, EIT Culture & Creativity and EIT Water. Together with its leading partners, the EIT Community offers a wide range of innovation and entrepreneurship activities across Europe: entrepreneurial education courses, business creation and acceleration services and innovation driven research projects.

 About EIT Food Country Representatives

EIT Food Country Representatives are members of the EIT Community Hubs in their respective countries. They are independent organisations appointed to connect national agrifood ecosystems in Southern and Eastern Europe with EIT Food’s ecosystem, activities, and opportunities. A central part of their role is to build strong pipelines of agrifood startups for EIT Food’s entrepreneurship programmes by scouting promising ventures, engaging incubators and accelerators, and providing handson support during application processes.

They also attract learners to EIT Food’s education initiatives, including the EIT Food Master in Food Systems and the EU Skills Academies in Biotechnology and Resilient Agriculture. In addition, EIT Food Country Representatives help strengthen national innovation networks by facilitating collaboration, sharing information about relevant opportunities, and delivering activities that build innovation and entrepreneurship capacity within the agrifood sector.

This appointment is part of the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS), one of EIT’s key measures to broaden participation in the EIT Community and address regional disparities in innovation capacity.

Learn more about the EIT Food Country Representative Greece activities in the Newsletter April 2026

A working meeting was held on Tuesday January 13, 2026 at the Egyptian Cultural Center in Athens, where Professor Maria Michalopoulou, member of the Governing Board of Democritus University of Thrace, was received by the Head of the Center, Dr. Manaal Ali.

A constructive dialogue took place during the meeting, regarding the existing cooperation agreements, as well as the evaluation of the tangible results that have emerged from them so far, with particular emphasis on the development of the joint undergraduate program in the Teaching of Physical Education, which Democritus University of Thrace has undertaken in collaboration with Helwan University in Cairo. At the same time, the prospects for further development of collaborations were explored through the exploration of new and modern thematic areas of academic cooperation.

The meeting which took place in a friendly and collaborative atmosphere, confirmed the role of the Egyptian Cultural Center as a bridge of cooperation, and the commitment of both sides to further educational and research initiatives.

PreAct is a European project currently being implemented under the EU4Health programme, aiming to prevent cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes by promoting healthy lifestyles and addressing key modifiable risk factors such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The project focuses on reducing health inequalities, especially among vulnerable and socially disadvantaged groups, while also leveraging innovative digital tools. It includes educational actions designed to raise awareness and empower both citizens and health professionals. All educational material developed within the project is available on the website provided below.

The main goal of the project The BasketALL (BASKETball Adaptation for All) project is to promote and develop cooperation in Wheelchair Basketball for all, not just athletes, between EU institutions, Member States and sport stakeholders, focusing on the above-mentioned activities (training, tournament, dissemination) which have a clear EU added value. This innovative methodology includes digital literacy seminars, Train the trainers training event and pilot courses. All educational material which will be created as part of this project will be featured on the BASKETALL platform, with exercise and adaptation protocols specifically designed for people with disabilities who are not athletes. This platform will house all educational materials for trainers and trainees and present a comprehensive training Basket for all program, aiming at inclusion within the inclusion. Therefore, our project provides European added value to a great extent, since it will have huge impact and interest in the EU area, individuals (youths, athletes, coaches, physical education teachers, learners, staff and other interested people), Sports Clubs or other groups. They will be working together to generate results that would be difficult to attain by the partners acting without European cooperation. Consequently, by using sport, and especially wheelchair basketball, we will cooperate for the promotion of EU values and inclusion. The platform is live and open to everyone at: https://rehlab.phyed.duth.gr/basketall-erasmus/

https://rehlab.phyed.duth.gr/basketall-erasmus/

Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

TOBE – A European Platform Bringing Non-Formal Learning Closer to Youth

In today’s fast-changing world, young people need more than traditional education – they need experiences that are practical, engaging, and easy to access. This is the core belief behind the TOBE – Tools for Better Learning project (2023-2-BG01-KA220-YOU-000177242), which brings together partners from Bulgaria, Greece, and North Macedonia with the common mission to make learning more interactive, inclusive, and accessible through digital means.

At the heart of the project is a freely accessible online platform where youth workers, educators, students, and volunteers can explore a rich library of tools for non-formal learning. The platform offers methodologically structured content, categorized by type, topic, and level of difficulty – including energizers, role games, icebreakers, group tasks, and interactive methods supported by video demonstrations and manuals.

The platform is live and open to everyone at: https://youthtraining.eu

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.