Sakarya University's Sakarya Center for Economic and Social Research completed a successful year in 2025 with projects implemented under the European Union's prestigious Horizon Europe and Digital Europe Programs. Our Center has contributed to Europe's goals in critical research areas by assuming the roles of implementer, coordinator, and key partner in these projects.
These studies, in which SESAM participated, focused on developing concrete, scientifically based solutions across a wide range of objectives, from European cities' climate neutrality goals to sustainable agricultural practices. Our Center is developing its methodological and scientific leadership by assuming the roles of implementer or coordinator in the following projects:
DIGI-BIO (Initiator): This project, which accelerates the scaling and commercialization of biodegradable materials, pioneers innovative solutions through the Coordinated Assessment Acceleration (CVA) methodology. We support Europe's green and digital transformation by providing a proven framework for interdisciplinary assessment through digital twins and Living Labs. FERTILOOP (Executive): This environmental revolution project, which aims to eliminate the use of microplastics in European horticulture, integrates bio-based containers made from agricultural waste and controlled-release nutrient systems. By creating circular economy solutions, we aim to reduce fertilizer losses and achieve superior environmental performance.
RE-ACT (Executive): This project aims to increase citizens' preparedness actions and close the "knowledge-behavior gap." By redefining resilience as a "social skill" developed within the community, we are developing a cost-effectiveness analysis for budget optimization with international stakeholders and a scientific roadmap for the EU's "Preparedness Alliance."
Key Partnerships in Digitalization and Climate Resilience (GAIA Projects)
SESAM is also a key partner in the GAIA Projects group, contributing to laying the foundation for digital sovereignty and climate adaptation in Europe:
GAIA-COMPLY & GAIA-URBAN: These Digital Europe projects build on the GAIA Protocol. By supporting municipalities' compliance with climate, ESG, and governance frameworks, we aim to reduce compliance costs by at least 30% and achieve high financial savings (ROI). With significant in-kind infrastructure support from OTI Group, we are securing data sovereignty through pilots covering over 2.5 million citizens.
GAIA-HELIOS: Designed to mitigate the impacts of extreme heat events, this project provides predictive planning tools that simulate the impacts of temperature mitigation measures such as building renovation and urban greening, creating a clear evidence base for scaling up climate adaptation strategies.
GAIA CLIMATE-ROI: Builds the first European backbone to verify municipal climate actions based on Return on Investment (ROI) and ESG metrics. This project aims to reduce planning costs by 30-50% and position the EU as a global leader in ROI-based climate transition.
GAIA Protocol: Develops a transparent, reliable, and high-performance verification system to achieve climate neutrality goals. The project aims to increase policy credibility and citizen trust by transforming citizen actions into measurable Gaia Credits (GCs). As SESAM Research Center, we are pleased to be providing direct scientific solutions to Europe's fundamental goals of Climate Neutrality, Circular Economy, and Digital Governance through these comprehensive and multidisciplinary projects, which we are carrying out through 2025, and to reinforce our university's research competence at the international level.
