The Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) was established in 1925. It is the biggest University in Greece. Today, it accounts around 60,000 students in all fields of science and technology. There are 45 Schools currently in operation within AUTH, which are organized into 12 Faculties. Some indicative figures are: 1,500 administrative personnel, 2,000 professors and researchers, 6,000 graduates per year, 110 post graduate courses, 550 Ph.D. per years.

During the last 12 years 4,500 programmes were implemented by AUTH, in which over 10,000 University staff and external co-operators have participated. Within the framework of these programmes, there has been extensive cooperation with Universities, research centres and other bodies in Greece and throughout Europe, as well as in other countries outside Europe.

The Department of Agricultural Economics is one of the seven Departments of Faculty of Agriculture. It offers 5 years undergraduate programs as well as M.SC. and Ph.D. programs. The staff of the Department of Agricultural Economics includes 11 full professors, 3 associate professors, 1 assistant professor, 1 lecturer and 5 technicians – administrative.

The Department includes 4 Laboratories, one of which is the Laboratory of Agricultural Informatics. AUTH participates in the project with the Laboratory of Agricultural Informatics.

AUTH has significant experience in information and communication technologies, decision support systems and support tools, governance, sustainable use of resources including biodiversity, regional planning, and environmental management. Some relevant projects include:

· Governance and Ecosystems Management for the CONservation of BIOdiversity (GEM-CON-BIO)’, Coordinator, (6th R&T Programme, Citizens and governance in a Knowledge-based society, Governance for Sustainable Development ,2006/2008)

·  System for water monitoring and sustainable management based on ground stations and satellite images’ (COPERNICUS, 1998/2001)

·  Sustainability of European Irrigated Agriculture under Water Directive and Agenda 2000-WADI’ (5th R&T Programme - Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development, 2001/2004)

·  Investment actions conventional and emerging farming systems under different policy scenarios’ (Tender of the Joint Research Centre (IPTS) of the European Commission in Seville, 2006/2007)

·  Diversification for Tobacco Growing Regions in the Southern European Union (DIVTOB)’ (6th R&T Programme, Policy oriented research – Scientific support to policies, 2006/2007)

·  Development and utilization of vulnerability maps for the monitoring and management of groundwater resources in the Archimed area (WATER MAP)’ (Interreg Archimed, 2006/2007)

· Planning and development of a computerized platform for the traceability in food industry’ (Greek General Secretary of Research and Technology, 2006/2007)

· De.Ma.S.Sy.Fa.L.- Decision support systems for Farm and Land Management’ (Bilateral project between Greece and Italy, 1997/2001)

·  RI.T.A. - Re-conversion of the Rural Territory: Training of trainers and technicians to bring again forests and the natural state in the Mediterranean area, according to EEC regulations 2078 and 2080, using distance training methods supported by new informatics technologies’ (LEONARDO DA VINCI, 1996/99).

·  Development of a system for the life long training and distance certification of qualification in SME’ (EQUAL 2002/2005)

·  Improvement of adaptability of small enterprises through the life-long learning on subjects of entrepreneurship’ (EQUAL II, 2005/2007)