NETHOOD

Their core work

NETHOOD is a Zurich-based NGO focused on community-driven networking and democratic participation. They research how local communities can build and govern their own digital infrastructure — from DIY mesh networks to participatory democracy platforms. Their work bridges grassroots technology (network commons, local awareness toolkits) with political science questions about inclusion, public opinion, and citizen engagement. They bring a distinctive "commons" perspective to EU research, treating both digital infrastructure and democratic processes as shared resources to be collectively managed.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

NETHOOD's early H2020 work (2016–2018) centered squarely on community digital infrastructure — how neighborhoods and local groups can own and operate their own networks as shared commons. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward democratic participation and political engagement, culminating in EUCOMMEET (their largest project by far), which addresses deliberative democracy, public opinion formation, and citizen inclusion across Europe. The throughline is consistent: collective self-governance — first applied to technology, now applied to politics.

NETHOOD is moving from technical community networking toward the political dimensions of citizen participation, making them increasingly relevant for projects on democratic innovation, public engagement, and European civic identity.

How they like to work

NETHOOD has always joined as a participant, never leading a consortium — consistent with their NGO profile and modest size. Across 4 projects they have worked with 26 unique partners in 11 countries, indicating they integrate well into diverse European consortia rather than repeating with the same circle. Their role appears to be that of a specialized contributor bringing grassroots community perspectives and participatory design expertise into larger research teams.

NETHOOD has collaborated with 26 distinct partners across 11 countries, building a broad European network despite their small size. Their partnerships span both technical and social science communities, reflecting their interdisciplinary positioning.

What sets them apart

NETHOOD occupies a rare niche: a Swiss NGO that connects grassroots community technology with democratic participation research. Unlike universities or think tanks that study democracy theoretically, NETHOOD brings hands-on experience from building community-owned digital infrastructure, which grounds their participation work in practical, bottom-up methodology. For consortium builders, they offer a credible civil-society voice and real-world community engagement capacity that many academic-heavy consortia lack.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EUCOMMEET
  Their largest project (EUR 239,500) and a clear evolution point — multi-stage, multi-level participatory democracy research spanning inclusion, polarization, and European identity.
• MAZI
  A distinctive DIY networking toolkit project that combined local collective awareness with community-built technology, exemplifying NETHOOD's commons-based approach.