ISTANBUL AVRUPA ARASTIRMALARI DERNEGI

Their core work

Istanbul European Research Association is a Turkish research-oriented NGO that bridges European research frameworks with applied challenges in food systems, agriculture, and health. They contribute regional expertise and capacity-building knowledge to large international consortia focused on sustainable food supply chains, circular agriculture in Africa, and digital health diagnostics. Their work spans from urban food system design and blockchain-based traceability to machine learning applications for disease detection, suggesting a role as a versatile knowledge partner rather than a deep technical lab.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

The organization entered H2020 in 2020 with a clear focus on urban food systems — city-region food networks, short supply chains, and blockchain traceability (CITIES2030). By 2021, their scope broadened significantly into two new directions: digital health through machine learning (FEMaLe) and rural agricultural innovation in Africa including water technology and biorefinery (DIVAGRI). This rapid diversification across unrelated domains suggests an organization that provides cross-cutting research support (policy, coordination, dissemination) rather than deep domain-specific technical expertise.

Moving from European urban food policy toward global agricultural development and digital health — broadening both geographically and thematically, likely as a flexible consortium partner.

How they like to work

Exclusively a participant — they have never coordinated an H2020 project. Despite only three projects, they have worked with 77 unique partners across 30 countries, indicating they join large, geographically diverse consortia. This pattern suggests they are valued for specific regional or thematic contributions rather than project leadership, and they are comfortable operating in complex multi-partner environments.

Despite a small project portfolio, they have an unusually wide network: 77 partners across 30 countries, reflecting participation in large EU consortia with global reach (particularly the Africa-focused DIVAGRI project). Their network spans well beyond Europe into developing regions.

What sets them apart

As a Turkish research association, they offer a bridge between European research frameworks and the broader Mediterranean and developing-world context — a position relatively rare among H2020 participants. Their willingness to operate across very different domains (food systems, health AI, African agriculture) makes them a flexible consortium partner for projects needing regional reach or interdisciplinary breadth. However, their small portfolio and lack of coordination experience means they are best suited as a contributing partner rather than a technical anchor.

Highlights from their portfolio

• CITIES2030
  Their largest-funded project (EUR 200,375), tackling urban food system resilience with blockchain and nature-based solutions — the clearest expression of their food systems expertise.
• FEMaLe
  A striking thematic departure — applying machine learning to endometriosis diagnosis, demonstrating unexpected versatility beyond their food-environment core.
• DIVAGRI
  Extends their work to Africa with innovative water and farming technologies (solar desalination, clay micro-irrigation), showing global ambition beyond European borders.