The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), Greece’s oldest educational institution, proudly coordinates the META-TOO project. Founded in 1837, NKUA is renowned for its influential role in education and culture, supported by extensive academic and research facilities, including 15 Centers of Excellence, University Hospitals, and 283 Laboratories.  Research is a cornerstone of NKUA, highlighted by collaborations in 29 countries and participation in global networks like the CIVIS European Civic University alliance. The Special Account for Research Grants (SARG) manages over 4,000 active projects, involving 5,000 to 8,000 researchers annually, with funding from European and national sources.

For META-TOO, NKUA will leverage the expertise of three key departments: the Department of Informatics and Telecommunications (DIT), the Department of Psychology, and the Department of History and Philosophy of Science. DIT, renowned for its wide-ranging Computer Science expertise and five ERC Research Grants, will contribute with its multidisciplinary Narralive research team, focusing on human-computer interaction, user-centered design, evaluation, replicability assessment, and VR experiences development.  The Experimental Psychology Lab within NKUA’s Psychology Department brings specialized knowledge in Cyberpsychology and the interplay between human psychology and digital realms, including the metaverse and immersive technologies. This lab, active since the 1930s, has recently enhanced its research capabilities by incorporating VR technology. Additionally, the Department of History and Philosophy of Science will offer expertise from the Interdepartmental Program of Graduate Studies in ‘Science, Technology, Society—Science and Technology Studies.’ This program prepares graduates to address and analyze issues at the intersection of science, technology, and society, focusing strongly on gender and technologies such as AI, algorithms, and big data.

Through this collaborative effort, NKUA aims to advance the META-TOO project, driving innovation and interdisciplinary research at the forefront of digital and immersive technologies.

Inria is the French National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology, and since January 2024, has been responsible for the Agence de Programmes dans le numérique (Digital Programs Agency), designed to strengthen the collective dynamics of higher education and research. Its DNA is based on world-class research, technological innovation, and entrepreneurial risk. Within 220 project teams, most of which are shared with major research universities, more than 3,800 scientists are exploring new avenues, often in interdisciplinary collaboration with industrial partners, to meet ambitious challenges. As a technology institute, Inria supports a wide range of innovation paths, from open-source software publishing to the creation of technology startups (Deeptech). Two project teams at the Inria’s Center of Rennes University contribute to the project (Hybrid and VirtUs). Hybrid is a joint-project team from Inria, CNRS, INSA Rennes, and the University of Rennes. The scientific fields of Hybrid are Virtual Reality and 3D interaction with virtual environments. Hybrid research focuses on multiple user inputs and intends to exploit both motor activity (motion-tracking) and mental activity (brain-computer interfaces). VirtUs is a joint project team from Inria, the University of Rennes and the University of Rennes 2, which is positioned at the interface between digital science and motion science. The VirtUs team’s main objective is to create and simulate immersive populated virtual spaces where virtual and real humans coexist, with a sufficient level of realism of both the virtual environment and scenario so that its results can be transposed to reality.

Fundació de Recerca Clínic Barcelona-Institut d’Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi I Sunyer (FRCB-IDIBAPS) aims to perform, promote, manage, and disseminate, research, and innovation within the field of biomedical science, focusing in particular on basic, translational and clinical research within the Hospital Clínic de Barcelona (HCB) (https://www.clinicbarcelona.org/en). HCB is a university hospital ranked the best hospital in Spain and 63rd worldwide according to Newsweek, with 4,500 professionals covering most of the medical specialties. HCB is placed in a top position in research and innovation (e.g., a top participant in Societal Challenge 1-Health in H2020 in Spain), contributing highly to the research and innovation ecosystem in Catalonia, Spain, and Europe. FRCB-IBIBAPS and HCB are integrated within the Campus Clínic, a reference campus in healthcare, research, and teaching activities to achieve excellence. 

FRCB-IDIBAPS research activity is led by 100 research groups, with more than 1.500 researchers (including predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers, accredited researchers, group leaders, etc.) and more than 300 technical support personnel, organized in 5 Research Areas: Biological aggression and response mechanisms; Respiratory, cardiovascular and renal pathobiology and bioengineering; Liver, digestive system and metabolism; Clinical and experimental neuroscience; and Oncology and hematology. The institution also has three cross-sectional research groups: Primary care, Nursing, and Clinical Pharmacology.

FRCB-IDIBAPS scientific impact is reflected in more than 1.500 original articles published: 1.025 Q1 articles and 414 D1 articles in 2022. Significant knowledge transfer efforts have been translated into a portfolio of 71 patents (23 new ones in 2022), 59 license agreements (9 new ones in 2022), and 12 spin-offs. 

Research groups are supported by core technical facilities – Biobank, Flow Cytometry and Cell Sorting, Functional genomics, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and Medical Statistics, alongside proficient supporting services – European and International Projects Office, Communications, Scientific Coordination, Legal Services, Knowledge and Technology Transfer Office, etc.