The INNOVADE project is entering an ambitious new phase of growth and technological sophistication. We are thrilled to announce the official onboarding of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) as a strategic partner. This step was made possible through the Hop-On service of the Horizon Europe programme. As we continue to reimagine digital civic engagement throughout the continent, this expansion significantly strengthens the project’s technical depth and geographic reach.

Thessaloniki Joins as Third Pilot Municipality

The arrival of AUTH brings world-class expertise in citizen science, a discipline that will be pivotal in refining how we bridge the gap between scientific inquiry and public policy. Beyond academic rigour, this partnership introduces Thessaloniki as INNOVADE’s third pilot municipality. Joining our existing partners in Geel (Belgium) and San Martín de la Vega (Spain), Thessaloniki will provide a high-scale urban environment to test the robustness and scalability of the INNOVADE Digital Democracy App.

Developing the Next Generation of Democratic Tools

In tandem with our new partnership, INNOVADE is proud to unveil two additional Key Exploitable Results (KERs) that leverage cutting-edge technology to solve the "disillusionment gap" identified in our recent research.

DemocratAIze – Decoding Democracy Participation (KER 9) One of the greatest challenges for governments is the sheer volume of citizen input. DemocratAIze is an open-source tool designed to solve this by analysing user-generated content within the app. By processing public discourse through advanced analytics, it translates raw citizen engagement into actionable insights, ensuring that no voice is lost in the "black hole" of administrative data and that local leaders can make evidence-based decisions.

DemocraSeek – Digital Democracy Knowledge Navigator (KER 10) To ensure our 300-page Interdisciplinary Knowledge Base on Digital Democracy respects the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) principles, the project will be developing a tool called DemocraSeek, implementing a natural language interaction layer on top of our research, allowing citizens and policymakers to "talk" to the data. By simplifying complex concepts and fostering inclusive civic education, DemocraSeek removes the barriers of technical jargon and empowers a more informed electorate.

A Resilient Future for European Governance

These updates represent a significant leap toward our goal of delivering scalable, replicable solutions for a digitally enhanced public sphere. By combining the citizen science expertise of AUTH with AI-driven tools like DemocratAIze and DemocraSeek, INNOVADE is ensuring that the future of European democracy is not just digital, but truly intelligent and inclusive.

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