The BEYOND Centre of Earth Observation Research and Satellite Remote Sensing of the National Observatory of Athens (IAASARS/NOA) is a leading Greek centre for Earth Observation research and operational services. It develops and operates satellite-based applications for natural-disaster monitoring and management, wildfires, floods, geohazards, agriculture, biodiversity, solar energy, health and climate-related risks, while also providing access to Copernicus satellite data and supporting civil-protection and decision-making activities. BEYOND’s mission is to transform space-based information into authoritative, operational services, strengthening Greece’s role in Earth Observation, remote sensing and space-enabled environmental intelligence.

Corallia is a leading organisation in the Greek innovation ecosystem and a unit of the Athena Research Center, with a long-standing role in developing Greece’s space and deep-tech sectors. It has been instrumental in building the Greek space ecosystem through initiatives such as the si-Cluster and ESA BIC Greece, connecting companies, startups, universities, research institutes, investors and public authorities. Corallia supports space and space-enabled ventures through incubation, business development, mentoring, access to funding, technology transfer, internationalisation and links to ESA and the wider European space ecosystem. Its activities span areas such as satellite technologies, Earth Observation, telecommunications, electronics, software and downstream applications, helping Greek space companies grow, collaborate and compete internationally.

The Center for Space Research and Technology (CSRT) of the Academy of Athens is a specialised research unit dedicated to space science, space environment studies, and advanced space-related technologies. Its work covers areas such as solar-terrestrial physics, space plasma, radiation environments, space weather, planetary and heliospheric research, and the development of scientific tools, models and instrumentation relevant to space missions and applications. Through long-standing collaborations with leading international research institutions and space agencies, including ESA and NASA-related activities, CSRT contributes high-level scientific expertise, publications, white papers, conference leadership and research capabilities to the Greek space ecosystem, strengthening Greece’s role in international space science and technology.

The Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR) is Greece’s leading public research organisation for marine and aquatic sciences, conducting multidisciplinary research across oceanography, marine biology, fisheries, aquaculture, biodiversity and environmental monitoring. Within the space ecosystem, HCMR is an important user and provider of Earth Observation–enabled services, combining satellite data with in-situ measurements, numerical modelling and marine information systems to monitor the Mediterranean and Greek seas. Its activities support applications such as ocean-state forecasting, coastal and marine environmental assessment, climate-change monitoring, ecosystem management, maritime safety and sustainable use of marine resources, making HCMR a key interface between space-based observations and operational marine science in Greece.

The Institute of Astrophysics (IA) at FORTH began its journey in 2019 and is the only research institute in Greece devoted exclusively to Astrophysics. It builds on nearly three decades of highly successful research activity by the astrophysics group within the Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL) of Department of Physics of the University of Crete. Its goal is to understand the cosmos, and to have tremendous fun while doing so. Its work focuses on some of the most persistent open questions of theoretical and observational astrophysics, and in the process it trains the next generation of scientists and engineers for careers in astrophysics and beyond. The institute works within the strongly multidisciplinary environment of FORTH, building strategic international partnerships and acting as a home or meeting point for outstanding researchers from around the world. It gives back through outreach, education, innovation, and joint and mutually beneficial projects with the local authorities and the private sector.

The Institute for Environmental Research and Sustainable Development (IERSD) of the National Observatory of Athens conducts basic and applied research on the environment and sustainable development through an interdisciplinary approach. Its work is organised around four main pillars: the atmospheric environment, meteorology and hydrology, climate and climate change, and energy. Within the space ecosystem, IERSD is particularly relevant through the use of satellite observations, Earth Observation data, atmospheric monitoring and geospatial information to support weather forecasting, climate analysis, environmental monitoring, renewable-energy assessment, natural-hazard preparedness and resilience.

The Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas (FORTH) is by far the most successful experimental research centre in Greece. The Institute of Electronic Structure and Laser (IESL) is the largest (180 personnel) of its six institutes. In a 2014 evaluation of all Greek research institutes, it was ranked at the top, being the only institute to be given the maximum possible score on all criteria evaluated. In the research activities at IESL, particular emphasis is placed on fundamental research and the involvement in high-technology areas. The institute is centred around five subject areas: Lasers and Applications, Materials (polymers, electronic, magnetic, and photonic materials), Microelectronics, Environment, and Theoretical/Computational Physics and Chemistry. Emphasis is placed on both fundamental research and the development of high technology. On the technological side, there is the development of novel industrial and medical applications of lasers and optoelectronic systems. In addition, there is a significant technological expertise in the use of lasers for the preservation of cultural heritage. IESL-FORTH has realised and/or managed more than 500 industrial and/or biomedical projects, including several RTD EC projects. FORTH has successfully concluded several contracts with ESA. The OBST project (OBST-ESA Contract No. 4000112744/14/NL/PA) has been successfully completed in April 2018, where a TRL3 fibre splitting module demonstrator breadboard, as specified by ESA, was successfully manufactured.

The Institute of Informatics & Telecommunications (IIT) of the National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos” is a major Greek research institute active in informatics, telecommunications, artificial intelligence and next-generation networks, with particular emphasis on AI and 6G technologies. Its research groups combine fundamental and applied research across intelligent information systems, communications, networking, cybersecurity, data technologies and digital services, participating extensively in national and European R&D programmes. Within the space ecosystem, IIT is particularly relevant through its work on satellite and non-terrestrial communications, antennas and RF technologies, AI-enabled communications and networking, including ESA projects such as deployable satellite antenna developments.

The Institute of Accelerating Systems and Applications (IASA) is an interdisciplinary research institute in Athens affiliated with departments of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). Its research spans accelerator science and engineering, nuclear and particle physics, nuclear medicine and imaging, automated control, scientific computing, environmental physics, microwave engineering and telecommunications. Within the space ecosystem, IASA’s expertise is particularly relevant to particle and radiation physics, detector and instrumentation technologies, RF and microwave systems, advanced control and data-acquisition systems, scientific computing, and radiation-environment studies that can support space science, satellite payloads and space-system testing.

The Institute of Communication and Computer Systems (ICCS) is the research institute of the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA). Established in 1989, ICCS conducts interdisciplinary research across hardware and software technologies, computer networks, digital communications, automation, energy systems, biomedical and biomechanical technologies, information systems, decision-support systems and photonics. Within the space ecosystem, ICCS is highly relevant through its activities in satellite and quantum communications, photonics, RF and microwave systems, AI, robotics, cybersecurity, sensing, Earth Observation applications and advanced electronics, while also supporting technology transfer and the creation of deep-tech spin-offs.

The Institute of Robotics (I.RO.) of the Athena Research Center was formally established in 2023 as Greece’s first research institute dedicated specifically to robotics science and technology. It builds on the pre-existing Robot Perception and Interaction Unit and conducts research across robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, perception, human–robot interaction and intelligent control. Within the space ecosystem, I.RO.’s expertise is particularly relevant to autonomous navigation, robotic perception, manipulation, AI-enabled inspection and operation in unstructured or hazardous environments, supporting future applications in planetary exploration, orbital servicing, autonomous spacecraft systems and remote inspection.

The Industrial Systems Institute (ISI) is a leading R&D institute of excellence conducting basic research and exploratory development on ICT. ISI was established in Patras, Greece, as a non-profit research organisation, operating today under the auspices of the General Secretariat for Research & Innovation. Since 2003, ISI has been part of the Athena Research Centre (ARC) as one of its four core research institutes. Its main research areas are: Intelligent Systems & Robotics, Networked Embedded Systems and Real-Time Systems, Production Systems, Processes, and Enterprise Interoperability, Enterprise Information Systems, Security and Protection of Systems, Networks, and Infrastructures, Advanced Materials & Structures.

The Space Programmes Unit (SPU) operates under the General Directorate of the “AΤΗΕΝΑ” Research and Innovation Centre in Information, Communication, and Knowledge Technologies (ARC). The principal objective of the Space Programmes Unit is to foster participation of Greece in all aspects of the country’s membership in ESA and assist the nation’s competitiveness by advancing the use of leading-edge technologies in space engineering and science in the national, European, and international domains. The Space Programmes Unit, as part of the General Secretariat of Science and Technology, advances the GSRT agenda of public service through research, technological literacy, and the application of knowledge to the nation’s affairs. The unit’s areas of activity include: Feasibility Studies for Innovative Space Mission Concepts, Innovative Space Systems Feasibility, In-Orbit Demo Applications with Nano-Satellites, Nano-Satellite Constellation Missions, On-Board Data Processing Units, S/C Housekeeping & Essential Telemetry, Space Weather.