DIKTYO POLEON GIA TI VIOSIMI ANAPTYXI KAI KYKLIKI OIKONOMIA

Their core work

This is a Greek network of cities focused on sustainable development and circular economy, operating as an NGO/association based near Athens. They help municipalities and public authorities tackle energy poverty, plan low-carbon transitions, and convert urban biowaste into valuable biobased products. Their practical work centers on building capacity among local governments — providing ICT tools, training mentors, facilitating experience exchange between cities, and supporting the design of Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs). They bridge the gap between EU policy goals and on-the-ground municipal implementation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

The organization entered H2020 in 2019-2020 with a dual focus: urban biowaste circular economy (WaysTUP!) and community-level energy poverty solutions involving citizen cooperatives, crowd funding, and ICT tools (POWERPOOR). By 2020-2021, their focus shifted toward systemic municipal planning — heating and cooling strategies, efficiency networks for public authorities (PATH2LC), and data-driven policy making through cloud platforms and co-creation (DECIDO). The trajectory shows a clear move from grassroots citizen engagement toward institutional capacity building and digital tools for local government decision-making.

They are moving from community-level energy initiatives toward equipping public authorities with digital decision-support tools, suggesting future interest in smart city governance and evidence-based climate policy.

How they like to work

They operate exclusively as a participant — never as coordinator — which is consistent with their role as a network that brings municipal expertise and local authority access into larger EU consortia. With 65 unique partners across 21 countries from just 4 projects, they participate in large, diverse consortia (averaging ~16 partners per project). This means they are well-connected but function as a contributing partner rather than a project driver, likely valued for their ability to mobilize Greek municipalities and test solutions in a Southern European urban context.

With 65 unique consortium partners across 21 countries from only 4 projects, they have built a remarkably wide European network for their size. Their geographic reach spans well beyond Southern Europe, though their on-the-ground implementation strength is rooted in Greek municipalities.

What sets them apart

As a city network rather than a single municipality, they offer consortium builders access to multiple Greek local authorities through a single partner — a multiplier effect that individual city administrations cannot provide. Their combination of energy poverty expertise, circular economy knowledge, and growing digital policy competence is uncommon for a municipal network. For anyone needing a Greek pilot site with built-in local government buy-in for energy, waste, or smart governance projects, this organization is a practical entry point.

Highlights from their portfolio

• PATH2LC
  Their largest funded project (EUR 135,380), focused on creating replicable efficiency networks and heating/cooling planning tools for municipalities across Europe.
• POWERPOOR
  Directly addresses the politically sensitive topic of energy poverty with practical citizen empowerment tools — cooperatives, crowd funding, and mentoring schemes.
• DECIDO
  Marks their expansion into digital governance and EOSC integration, signaling a strategic pivot toward data-driven policy support.