Partners

University of Patras (UP)
The University of Patras, founded in 1964, is the 3rd largest state University in Greece recognized for its contributions to Engineering and Natural Sciences. As one of Greece's largest academic institutions, it serves approximately 29,000 undergraduate and 3,900 postgraduate students. UPatras employs 700 faculty members, alongside 236 scientific staff, operating across three campuses, 180 research labs, and 17 clinics within 7 Schools and 31 Departments. The University offers a broad spectrum of 57 postgraduate study programs, highlighting its commitment to diverse and comprehensive education. It prides itself on being the first Greek University accredited for its Internal Quality Assurance System according to national and European standards. Actively involved in international research and education networks, UPatras participates in numerous Horizon 2020 and Erasmus+ projects (totalling more than 200 active National and EU funded projects), emphasizing its global outreach and European Cooperation Strategy. The institution was ranked 2nd nationally in attracting R&D funds in 2022, it is ranked constantly at the top 3% of HEIs worldwide while its Engineering departments are amongst the top 2% worldwide. UP also offer VET courses via its Vocational Learning Structure (accredited by the Greek State) and hosts an Electrical Engineering Department with an active Energy sector/laboratory. The University has an active committee for the Gender Equality.

Regulatory Authority for Energy, Waste and Water (RAAEY)
The Energy Regulatory Authority (RAAEY) is an independent regulatory authority, which was established by Law 2773/1999, in the context of harmonization with Directives 2003/54/ΕΚ and 2003/55/ΕΚ on electricity and natural gas, with main its competence to supervise the domestic energy market, in all its sectors, recommending to the competent State bodies and taking measures itself to achieve the goal of the liberalization of the electricity and natural gas markets. The Authority plays a decisive role in various areas, including granting generation licenses, monitoring and supervising the energy market, monitoring electricity supply, transmission, and security, protecting the energy supply industry, supervising Independent Transmission Operators, approving tariffs for non-competitive activities, granting exemptions from third party access obligations, monitoring energy interconnections, and adopting regulatory measures for the proper functioning of energy markets. Law 5037 (Government Gazette A 78/29.3.2023) renamed the Regulatory Authority for Energy (RAE) to Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water (RAAEY) and expanded its scope with responsibilities over water services and municipal waste management. In this regard, the responsibilities of the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water are updated and configured so that the control, regulation and supervision of the energy market, a well as the control, regulation and supervision of issues related to the provision of water services and municipal waste management, without prejudice to the responsibilities of the Minister of Environment and Energy, be exercised by the Regulatory Authority for Waste, Energy and Water, which is the national regulatory authority for electricity and gas, water services and municipal waste management, within the meaning of Directives (EU) 2019/944 and 2009/73/EC and laws 3199/2003 (A’ 280) and 4819/2021 (A’ 129).

Women's Hub for Empowerment & Networking (WHEN)
WHEN (previously referred as Women On Top) is a Greek non-profit organisation dedicated to the economic development and professional empowerment of women, as well as gender equality in the public domain. Its vision is a world where all women have equal opportunities to become what they can and want to be. Its mission is to promote gender equality through individual empowerment and sustainable change in education, careers, and society, ensuring equal opportunities for all women. In 2018, WoT was officially incorporated as a non-profit organization, and over the years, it has managed to become Greece's foremost expert in women's professional empowerment. In 2020, WoT became the first non-profit organization participating in the Greek National Council for Gender Equality. Women's Hub for Empowerment & Networking (WHEN) has extensive expertise in supporting women's career advancement, having created and monitored over 1,600 mentoring partnerships for various professional goals. They have trained more than 4,200 women in essential skills through skills camps, with support for mothers included. WoT has established partnerships with over 300 organizations, empowered over 11,500 employees and executives to promote gender equality, and reached over 15,000 people through their communication platform.

Research Innovation and Development Lab (ReadLab)
ReadLab is a Greece-based research and development organisation dedicated to international cooperation and global development that aims to generate positive social and sustainable impact through innovation. ReadLab is an Information & Communications Technologies service provider and Education Technology (EdTech) company operating internationally, with partners worldwide. ReadLab designs, develops, supports and operates IT systems and commercialises a wide range of software products in the field of e-learning, using state-of-the-art technologies.

Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centres (EUREC)
EUREC, the Association of European Renewable Energy Research Centres, since 2002 coordinates the privately funded European Master in Renewable Energy. In 2015 EUREC added the Sustainable Energy System Management Master. The programmes have a mandatory student mobility component. The 10 universities in 9 countries that together teach the courses awarded their 1000th degree in 2023. Politically connected through its work to represent the interests of its 35 members to the EU institutions, EUREC also coordinates the newly launched Large-Scale Partnership on Renewable Energy Skills, which will provide understanding of the sector and skills analytics. It will transfer relevant insight between this group and GATe. EUREC’s long experience in leading work packages on dissemination and communication of EU-funded projects (e.g.: W4RES, IWG5-CSA, Ship2fair) will also be relevant to organise the communication efforts needed to raise awareness on jobs opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

Readlab Brussels
ReadLab Brussels is a research, development and policy analysis organisation located in the heart of Europe, Brussels. We provide technical assistance to public and private entities in a wide spectrum of fields, aiming at achieving economic and social growth and measurable impact.  ReadLab Brussels specializes in policy facilitation, offering strategic guidance and expert recommendations to help shape and influence policy frameworks. Our team has a proven track record in supporting policy reform and facilitating stakeholder engagement to achieve consensus and drive effective implementation. We excel in creating comprehensive policy strategies that address complex challenges and promote sustainable development, ensuring that our clients are equipped to navigate regulatory environments and optimize their impact on society. They have cooperated with a wide range of private, public and non-profit organisations in Europe, Northern Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific and the Western Balkans, transferring technical knowledge and designing novel products.   Drawing on the diverse experience and expertise of its staff, the organisation provides, among others, research and analysis, quality assurance and evaluation, technology-enhanced solutions, public policy consultancy, innovation management and marketing and campaigning services.

European Centre for Women and Technology (ECWT)
The European Centre for Women and Technology (ECWT) serves as a European-level hub for collaboration among leading public-private actors, academia, and NGOs to significantly increase the number of girls and women in technology, specifically ICT. It functions as a European single point of contact for information, data collection, and analysis, developing methodological tools to attract more girls to STEM. It is a multi-stakeholder based community with National Point of Contacts in 30+ European countries. ECWT nurtures and retains women in the knowledge economy through industry and entrepreneurial careers, promotes female talent to add value to ICT solutions, supports more female ICT start-ups, and consolidates the largest network for closing the Digital Gender Gap in Europe. Endorsed by UN GAID and the European e-Skills Association (EeSA), ECWT has been a member of the Secretariat of the Grand Coalition for Digital Jobs and the Digital Skills and Jobs Coalition (DSJC) projects. It has been involved in major e-Skills and e-Leadership Skills projects and tenders led by empirica, organized EU Presidency Conferences, bi-annual and annual e-skills campaigns and activities, hosted the European Commission’s Women in Tech events at annual ICT Conferences, and co-organized the 4.0 Skills - Women’s Path to Ikigai Conference at World Expo in Dubai to safeguard the gender dimension of the Digital Transformation agenda. ECWT is a member of the Pact for Skills in Digital and the Pact for Skills in Microelectronics and, through the ALLPros project, has helped set up a horizontal working group (TWG) to safeguard the gender dimension on the Pact for Skills Agenda. ECWT is also the co-founder of the Greek Innovation Lab for Women (#GIL4W), recognized in the 2023 report on gender equality in the European Union as a best practice example. Additionally, ECWT initiated the Gender Observatory through the EIT Climate KIC Community as part of the DISCO project.

Universidad de Zaragoza (UNIZAR)
The University of Zaragoza (UNIZAR) is a public teaching and research institution which combines almost five centuries of history (since 1542) with a constantly updated range of courses. The University of Zaragoza has more than 33,000 students; 5,100 teaching and research staff and over 1,800 administration and service staff. It offers courses in all areas, Students can choose between 54 Bachelor’s degrees and, in terms of graduate studies, 55 master degrees and 45 doctoral programmes, in addition to 90 specific courses (postgraduate degrees and specialist diplomas). In particular, The School of Engineering and Architecture (EINA) offers a comprehensive range of programmes. It provides 10 undergraduate degrees and 11 master's degrees, one of which is specifically focused on renewable energy and efficiency. UNIZAR also has over 90 departments, faculties, research institutes and other institutions. UNIZAR has consolidated its position in international rankings and it is now among the top 2% of the most prestigious universities worldwide. It is one of the 10 best out of the 84 throughout Spain. We are among the highest-rated 25 best worldwide in sports science (the first in Spain), among the top 100 in chemistry (also the first in Spain) and among the best 200 in Computer Science (the fourth in Spain). UMNIZAR offers a variety of VET programs, such as ICT, arts, and sports education.

Energy Agency Province of Cádiz (APEC)
APEC is a nonprofit foundation with funding by the Provincial Government of Cádiz. It was created in 2006 within the framework of the Intelligent Energy for Europe and since then has worked in close contact with local public entities and key stakeholders, developing and disseminating sustainable energy management throughout the province on behalf of the Provincial Government (45 municipalities, 1,2 Million inhabitants). As a part of the Provincial Government, the Agency develops legal and technical assessment among municipalities and other stakeholders, offering assistance about sustainable technologies, good practices or the best financial solution to perform renewable or efficient energy projects. APEC has also experience on international and national projects management (including H2020, Interreg, etc.) and in behaviour change through actions such as education, training and increasing awareness among specific target groups (especially public representatives and civil servants) on topics dealing with the energy efficiency and renewable energy, climate change and so forth. It is therefore ideally placed to act as the link between public administrations, private sector, knowledge centers and citizens to promote innovation, knowledge transfer and skills and attitudes improvement on climate change, sustainable development and environmental protection. APEC participates actively in EnerAgen (www.eneragen.org) – the Spanish Association of Energy Agencies, being involved in the elaboration and debate of national and policies on energy, as well as specific network projects. The Agency works also closely to the Provincial Government of Cádiz who develop an annual environmental education programme and owns well equipped facilities devoted to environmental education.

Inercia Digital (Inercia)
Inercia Digital S.L. is an innovative Andalusian organisation specialising in training and innovation in digital skills at an international level. It is a VET centre officially accredited by their regional government and their main area of expertise is fostering digital and entrepreneurial skills, which they make accessible through their Virtual Campus, approved by the Regional Government of Andalusia as a Virtual Training Centre for Employment (# 66044). Their mission is to drive training and innovation in digital skills across Europe, for educational institutions as well as professionals, for the labour market and for all European citizens in general.

Sistemas Urbanos de Energias Renovables (URBENER)
Urbener is a technology company established in 2010. It operates in the Wholesale Energy Markets, specializing in managing the purchase and sale of energy for clients, providing a comprehensive service. Since 2010, URBENER’s goal has been to bring the Wholesale Markets closer to all energy consumers, facilitating access through innovation. The company acts as Representatives in the Spanish Electrical System, managing the purchase and sale of electricity for its clients in the Wholesale Market.