CPN · Project

Smart Content Personalization Platform That Helps Media Companies Target the Right Audience

digitalPilotedTRL 7

Imagine you run a news website or TV channel and you have thousands of articles and videos, but every reader gets the same front page. CPN built an open platform that works like a smart recommendation engine — it figures out what each reader cares about and delivers the right content at the right time, in the right format. Think of it as giving every media company, big or small, the same personalization power that Netflix or Spotify have. It even includes a privacy-first system where users get digital receipts showing exactly how their data is used.

By the numbers

EUR 3,951,500

EU funding for platform development and piloting

consortium partners

countries represented in consortium

platform versions delivered (v1, v2, v3)

total project deliverables

50%

industry ratio in consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

European media companies — from small local newspapers to national broadcasters — struggle to deliver personalized content to their audiences. Unlike tech giants with massive AI budgets, most media organizations cannot build recommendation engines in-house, losing readers and viewers to platforms that can. At the same time, GDPR makes it risky to personalize content without transparent data handling.

The solution

What was built

CPN built an open virtual platform with pluggable personalization services, delivered in three iterative versions (v1, v2, v3), plus a production-ready Personal Data Receipts system integrated with a ledger-based platform for transparent, GDPR-compliant data handling. The platform was designed to integrate with existing media infrastructure and was validated through large-scale pilots with broadcasters and media companies.

Audience

Who needs this

Online news publishers wanting to increase reader engagement through personalizationTV broadcasters competing with streaming platforms for viewer attentionMedia technology vendors looking to add personalization capabilities to their productsContent management platform providers needing GDPR-compliant recommendation featuresRegional media companies that cannot afford to build personalization systems in-house

Business applications

Who can put this to work

News Publishing & Digital Media

any

Target: Online news publishers and digital media companies

If you are a news publisher struggling to keep readers engaged because everyone sees the same homepage — this project developed an open virtual platform with pluggable personalization services that delivers the right articles to the right readers at the right time. The platform was validated through large-scale pilots with real broadcasters and media organizations across 7 countries, and produced a production-ready Personal Data Receipts system for GDPR-compliant data handling.

Broadcasting & Television

enterprise

Target: Regional and national TV broadcasters

If you are a broadcaster competing against streaming giants for viewer attention — this project built a content personalization system specifically designed for European media companies. Coordinated by VRT, a major Belgian broadcaster, the platform integrates with existing operational infrastructure, meaning you do not need to rip out your current systems. The consortium of 10 partners across 7 countries tested it in real broadcast environments.

AdTech & Media Technology

SME

Target: Media technology providers and content management platform vendors

If you are a media tech company looking to add personalization features to your product offering — this project created an open virtual platform with pluggable services architecture. With 3 versions of the platform delivered and 24 deliverables produced, the technology is mature enough to integrate into commercial products. The ledger-based Personal Data Receipts system addresses the growing demand for transparent, privacy-compliant personalization.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this personalization platform?

The project received EUR 3,951,500 in EU funding to develop and pilot the platform across multiple media organizations. As a closed project, licensing or integration costs would need to be negotiated directly with the consortium partners. The open virtual platform design suggests modular adoption is possible, which could reduce entry costs compared to building from scratch.

Can this scale to handle millions of users and content items?

Yes — the project was explicitly designed to handle millions of content items reaching millions of users, as stated in the project objectives. Large-scale piloting activities validated the platform with real media organizations integrating it into their existing operational infrastructure.

What is the IP situation — can we license or use this technology?

The platform was developed as an open virtual platform with pluggable services, suggesting an open architecture approach. IP is shared among 10 consortium partners across 7 countries. Contact the coordinator (VRT, Belgium) to discuss licensing terms and technology transfer options.

How does this handle GDPR and data privacy regulations?

The project specifically developed a Personal Data Receipts (PDR) system — a production-ready, ledger-based platform that gives users transparent receipts of how their personal data is used. This directly addresses GDPR compliance requirements for content personalization.

How long would integration take with our existing systems?

The platform was specifically designed to integrate with existing operational infrastructure of media organizations, as validated during large-scale pilots. Three iterative versions of the platform (v1, v2, v3) were delivered, with each version improving interoperability mechanisms. Based on available project data, the modular pluggable architecture should reduce integration complexity.

Is this technology ready to deploy today?

The project delivered 3 versions of the open virtual platform and a production-ready Personal Data Receipts system. Large-scale piloting with real broadcasters and media companies was completed. The technology has been validated in operational environments, though the project closed in April 2020.

What kind of technical support is available?

The consortium includes 5 industry partners, 2 research organizations, and 3 SMEs with technology expertise. WAN-IFRA, a global media industry association, was involved to ensure wide visibility and industry adoption. Post-project support would need to be arranged directly with consortium members.

Consortium

Who built it

The CPN consortium is well-structured for commercial exploitation, with 10 partners across 7 countries (BE, CY, DE, EL, FR, IT, UK) and a 50% industry ratio. The coordinator, VRT (De Vlaamse Radio en Televisieomroeporganisatie), is a major Belgian public broadcaster — meaning the technology was developed by and for actual media operators, not just researchers. With 5 industry partners, 3 SMEs, and 2 research organizations, the consortium balances technical development with real-world media expertise. The involvement of WAN-IFRA guarantees connections to the global news publishing industry. This mix suggests the technology is grounded in real operational needs rather than academic curiosity.

DE VLAAMSE RADIO EN TELEVISIEOMROEPORGANISATIE NVCoordinator · BE
ATHENS TECHNOLOGY CENTER ANONYMI VIOMICHANIKI EMPORIKI KAI TECHNIKI ETAIREIA EFARMOGON YPSILIS TECHNOLOGIASparticipant · EL
DEUTSCHE WELLEparticipant · DE
INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUMparticipant · BE
BLOCKACHAIN IDIOTIKI KEFALAIOUCHIKI ETAIREIAthirdparty · EL
ENGINEERING - INGEGNERIA INFORMATICA SPAparticipant · IT
LIVE TECH SRLparticipant · IT
DIGITAL CATAPULTparticipant · UK
WAN-IFRA FRparticipant · FR

How to reach the team

VRT (De Vlaamse Radio en Televisieomroeporganisatie), Belgium — a major public broadcaster. Reach out through their innovation or technology partnerships department.

Order a report on this consortium See DE VLAAMSE RADIO EN TELEVISIEOMROEPORGANISATIE NV profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the CPN consortium for licensing or integration? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the right technical contact. We handle the matchmaking so you get answers fast.

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