5 projects
Core end-user role across Search and Rescue, MED1stMR, RESCUER, VALKYRIES, and PathoCERT — all focused on equipping first responders with better tools.
Organization
ELLINIKI OMADA DIASOSIS SOMATEIO
Greek volunteer rescue team providing frontline end-user expertise for EU first responder technology, wearables, and emergency management research projects.
NGO / AssociationsecurityEL
H2020 projects
8
As coordinator
0
Total EC funding
€1.8M
Unique partners
169
What they do
Their core work
The Hellenic Rescue Team (HRT) is a Greek volunteer search-and-rescue organization that brings frontline operational experience to EU research projects focused on emergency response and disaster management. They serve as real-world end-users and field testers for technologies designed to help first responders — from smart wearables and mixed-reality training systems to AI-powered crisis management platforms. Their practical expertise in operating under adverse conditions (collapsed structures, forest fires, water contamination events) makes them a valued validation partner for technology developers who need to test solutions in realistic emergency scenarios.
Core expertise
What they specialise in
Forest fire and wildfire managementsecondary
2 projects
SAFERS (AI-driven forest fire emergency management) and SILVANUS (integrated wildfire management platform with 3D forest models).
Mixed reality and smart wearables for emergency trainingemerging
2 projects
MED1stMR (mixed-reality training with haptic feedback) and RESCUER (sense augmentation, smart sensing in infrastructure-less environments).
Water safety and contamination responsesecondary
1 project
PathoCERT focused on pathogen contamination emergency response with modelling, risk assessment, and fault diagnosis.
Extreme weather event responsesecondary
1 project
beAWARE addressed decision support and management in extreme weather climate events.
Evolution & trajectory
How they've shifted over time
Early focus
Emergency response and crisis management
Recent focus
Smart wearables and immersive responder training
HRT's early H2020 work (2017-2020) centered on fundamental emergency response challenges: extreme weather decision support, search and rescue under collapsed structures, water contamination response, and forest fire management. From 2021 onward, their focus shifted markedly toward advanced responder-worn technologies — mixed-reality training, smart wearables, cognitive support systems, and sense augmentation for operating in infrastructure-less environments. This evolution reflects a move from being end-users of conventional emergency management platforms to actively shaping the next generation of body-worn and immersive technologies for field responders.
HRT is moving toward human-augmentation technologies for first responders — mixed reality, wearable sensing, and cognitive support — making them a strong partner for projects developing field-deployable responder tech.
Collaboration profile
How they like to work
Role: specialist_contributorReach: European30 countries collaborated
HRT participates exclusively as a consortium partner, never as coordinator, which is consistent with their role as an operational end-user organization rather than a research institution. They work in large consortia (169 unique partners across 8 projects, averaging 21+ partners per project), typical of the Security and Climate pillars. Their wide network suggests they are sought after as a credible end-user voice rather than repeatedly joining the same core group.
HRT has collaborated with 169 unique partners across 30 countries, giving them one of the broadest end-user networks in the Greek emergency response sector. Their partnerships span nearly all EU member states and likely include major security research institutes, technology companies, and other civil protection organizations.
Why partner with them
What sets them apart
HRT stands out because they are an actual operational rescue team, not a research lab studying rescue. This gives them unmatched credibility as end-users who can validate whether a prototype actually works when lives are at stake. For technology developers and research consortia, HRT offers something difficult to find: a disciplined volunteer organization with both the operational reality of field deployment and the institutional capacity to participate in multi-year EU research projects.
Notable projects
Highlights from their portfolio
- SILVANUSLargest single grant (EUR 325,750) — an integrated wildfire management platform combining 3D forest models, big data, and citizen engagement across multiple utility sectors.
- MED1stMRRepresents HRT's push into immersive technologies — mixed-reality training with haptic feedback for medical first responders, their highest-tech project.
- PathoCERTUnusual cross-domain reach into water safety and pathogen contamination, showing HRT's versatility beyond traditional search-and-rescue scenarios.
Cross-sector capabilities
Environment — wildfire management and forest landscape monitoringHealth — medical first responder training and pathogen emergency responseDigital — AI/ML applications for crisis management and crowdsourced dataSociety — citizen engagement and public safety resilience
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