NOVA TELECOMMUNICATIONS SINGLE MEMBER SA

Their core work

Nova Telecommunications (operating as Forthnet) is a major Greek telecom and pay-TV provider that brings real-world network infrastructure and broadcast expertise to EU research projects. In H2020, they contributed telecommunications testbeds and user-facing service platforms for projects spanning biometric security, ultra-high definition interactive content, and data-driven economic models. Their role centers on validating research outputs against commercial telecom and media delivery environments, bridging the gap between lab prototypes and market-ready services.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Nova's H2020 involvement is limited to three projects (2015–2021), making it difficult to identify a strong evolution trajectory. Their earlier projects (SpeechXRays, COGNITUS) focused on media-rich applications — biometric authentication and interactive UHD broadcasting — while the later Safe-DEED project shifted toward data governance and economic models. This suggests a gradual move from content delivery toward the data economy layer underlying telecom services.

Nova appears to be moving from content delivery infrastructure toward data valorization and trusted data sharing — reflecting broader telecom industry trends toward becoming data-driven platform operators.

How they like to work

Nova participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator, consistent with a large company contributing infrastructure and validation environments rather than driving research agendas. With 25 unique partners across 12 countries from just 3 projects, they join sizable international consortia. Their value to consortia is as an industry end-user and testbed provider rather than a research lead.

Despite only three projects, Nova has built connections with 25 distinct partners across 12 European countries, reflecting participation in mid-to-large consortia with broad geographic diversity.

What sets them apart

Nova offers something most research consortia struggle to find: a commercial telecom and media operator willing to serve as a real-world validation partner. They can provide live network environments, subscriber bases, and broadcast infrastructure for pilot testing. For projects needing to demonstrate impact beyond the lab, a partner with actual paying customers and deployed infrastructure is a significant asset.

Highlights from their portfolio

• COGNITUS
  Largest EC contribution (EUR 304K) and directly aligned with Nova's core pay-TV and broadcast business, making it their most natural R&D fit.
• Safe-DEED
  Represents a strategic shift toward the data economy — signals Nova's interest in data governance and monetization beyond traditional telecom services.
• SpeechXRays
  An unusual cross-domain project combining biometrics with telecom, showing Nova's willingness to explore security applications on their network infrastructure.