Hellenic Institute of Transport

What Hellenic Institute of Transport does

The Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT / Ι.ΜΕΤ.) is a Greek non-profit research institute belonging to the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH / Ε.Κ.Ε.Τ.Α.) and supervised by the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (Γ.Γ.Ε.Κ.) of the Ministry of Development. Founded with formal premises dating from 2004 in Athens and relocated to the CERTH campus in Thessaloniki in 2009, HIT today operates a headquarters in Thermi (Thessaloniki), a Piraeus branch focused on maritime transport, a Rhodes branch hosting the ELEKTRON electromobility lab, and a newer Ptolemaida branch developing a Center of Excellence for Green Transportation. The institute is organized into five research sectors covering ergonomics and vehicle technologies, intelligent sustainability and freight networks, economic and environmental issues, tourism, and horizontal actions, serving Greek ministries, road network operators, regional governments, judicial authorities, and EU research consortia.

HIT's portfolio combines applied research projects (e.g., Egnatia Accidents, ELEKTRON, H2HUB, NextETRUCK, ZEV-UP, MODALES, ReTEMS, nPETS) with fee-based technical services — most notably road accident analysis priced at €1,300–€1,800 per case depending on volume — and operates a substantial physical research infrastructure including full-scale and motorcycle driving simulators, a VR unit, a Level-4 automated vehicle, electric vehicles with charging stations, portable air-quality monitoring pods, a KYON quadruped robotic dog, a mobile environmental unit, and an Infrastructure-as-a-Service cloud platform (KOMVOS). The institute maintains ISO 9001 quality standards and GDPR-compliant data practices, and is described as internationally recognized within Greece's transport-research landscape.

Commercially, HIT is an event-driven, publicly funded organization: project acquisition occurs through competitive European and national research calls, direct government commissions, and partnerships with public-sector entities, with revenue derived almost entirely from grants and contracted technical services rather than commercial product sales. Customer engagement is direct — through government contracts, judicial commissions, and research-consortium agreements — supplemented by visibility-building through flagship European events such as CIVITAS Forum 2026 (co-organized with the Municipality of Thessaloniki and the European Commission) and an active digital presence across LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and X/Twitter.

Name

Hellenic Institute of Transport

Legal name

Institute of Sustainable Mobility and Transport Networks (Ι.ΜΕΤ.)

Website

https://imet.gr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HIT is a Greek non-profit transport research institute under CERTH, delivering applied research, road-accident analysis, and specialized laboratory services (simulators, automated vehicles, air-quality monitoring) to Greek ministries, road operators, judicial authorities, regional governments, and EU research consortia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Transport Research Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Support Activities for Transportation (488), Other Support Activities for Transportation (4889)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Transportation & Traffic Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Road Safety Audits, Engineering & Data Analytics Services (RSA, Blackspot Analysis, Vision Zero Programs) (TLAJAGAM), Transportation & Infrastructure Planning (BPAHAKAF), Multi-Point Inspections & Safety Checks (DVIR/Annual/Periodic) (TLAKAGAB)

Keywords

• Transport research services
• Road safety analysis
• Sustainable mobility research
• Electromobility research
• Maritime transport research

Headquarters

HQ city

Thessaloniki (Thermi)

HQ country

Greece

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Public Research Grants and Project Funding: HIT operates as a non-profit private legal entity under the supervision of the General Secretariat for Research and Innovation (Γ.Γ.Ε.Κ.) of the Ministry of Development. The institute conducts fundamental and applied research programs funded by European and national competitive research calls.
2. Technical Services (Road Accident Analysis): Fee-based technical services including in-depth road accident analysis provided to road network operators, public authorities, and judicial bodies. Pricing follows European benchmarks.
3. Research Studies and Specialized Consulting: Specialized studies and consulting engagements commissioned by government ministries, local authorities, and public/private sector organizations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Hellenic Institute of Transport (HIT) is a non-profit research institute under CERTH that conducts applied transport research across land, maritime, aviation, and combined transport domains. It delivers fee-based technical services such as road accident analysis to road network operators, ministries, and judicial authorities, and executes government- and EU-commissioned research projects covering sustainable mobility, electromobility, road safety, and tourism.

Product overview

The Hellenic Institute of Transport (Ι.ΜΕΤ.) is a research institute under CERTH offering applied research, technical services, and specialized laboratory infrastructure for the transport sector. Its portfolio spans five research sectors covering ergonomics and vehicle technologies, intelligent sustainability and freight networks, economics and environmental issues, tourism, and horizontal actions. Key service offerings include road accident analysis (microscopic/macroscopic), usability assessment of interactive systems, air quality monitoring, and traffic data analysis. Notable research infrastructure includes full-scale and motorcycle driving simulators, virtual reality units, a Level-4 automated vehicle (CERTH-HIT Mustang), electric vehicles with charging stations, a mobile environmental measurement unit, the KYON quadruped robotic dog for infrastructure inspection, and the KOMVOS cloud-based data management hub.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Road Accident Analysis Services
• Applied Transport Research Programmes
• Specialised Studies and Consulting Services
• Accident File Reading Service

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 100 serious traffic accidents analyzed per year on Egnatia highway network over 5 years
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Municipality of ThessalonikiflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 September 2026The Municipality of Thessaloniki and HIT/CERTH are co-organizing the CIVITAS Forum 2026, the flagship event of the CIVITAS Initiative. The Forum (September 15-17, 2026) will bring together city representatives, policymakers, industry professionals, and academics from across Europe to exchange ideas on sustainable urban mobility. The European Commission's CIVITAS Initiative is also a co-organizer.
• Hellenic Train S.A.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 July 2022HIT/CERTH and Hellenic Train S.A. signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in rail transport research, as documented in the news section.
• Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Insular Policy (Greece)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2021HIT and the Ministry signed a Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation on maritime transport research and insular policy. The collaboration focuses on optimal layout of insular maritime transport with emphasis on non-profit lines. The Secretary General of Aegean and Insular Policy led the delegation, with participation from the Marine Chamber of Greece, University of Piraeus, and regional authorities.
• SUPAIR Project (Transnational Cooperative Network of Adriatic-Ionian Sustainable and Low-Carbon Ports)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2020CERTH-HIT signed an MoU to join the Transnational Cooperative Network of Adriatic-Ionian Sustainable and Low-Carbon Ports created by the SUPAIR project.
• Texas A&M Transportation InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2019Confirmation of cooperation between HIT/CERTH and Texas A&M Transportation Institute for transport research collaboration.
• University of PiraeuscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Piraeus collaborates with HIT on the Piraeus branch, which focuses on Maritime Transport Research. The branch is hosted at the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. The University participated in discussions on maritime transport with the Ministry delegation.
• Piraeus University of Applied Sciences (TEI Piraeus)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with HIT on the Piraeus branch for maritime transport research, alongside University of Piraeus and under the auspices of the Ministry of Environment and Energy.
• Elefsis Port AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerElefsis Port Authority participates in joint innovation actions with University of Piraeus and HIT/CERTH for maritime and port research initiatives.
• Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and IndustrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Piraeus branch of HIT is hosted at the premises of the Piraeus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, supporting maritime transport research activities in the Piraeus region.
• South Aegean RegioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ELEKTRON Lab of Excellence for monitoring environmental impact of transport and electromobility in island areas is hosted at the South Aegean Region headquarters in Rhodes. HIT serves as project coordinator for this initiative.
• CPERI (Centre for Research and Technology Hellas - Institute for Solid Fuels and Ambient Carbons)coreTechnology or IntegrationHIT's Ptolemaida branch is hosted at CPERI premises, focusing on developing a Center of Excellence for Green Transportation and Electromobility in Western Macedonia, supporting the region's post-lignite transition.
• Region of Western MacedoniacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeeting between HIT/CERTH and Region of Western Macedonia to discuss cooperation prospects for green transport and electromobility, supporting the region's decarbonization strategy.
• European Commission CIVITAS InitiativeflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIVITAS Initiative of the European Commission is co-organizer of CIVITAS Forum 2026 with the Municipality of Thessaloniki and HIT/CERTH. This is a flagship European sustainable mobility initiative.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• IFSTTAR / Gustave Eiffel University Transport Research: France's former IFSTTAR, now part of Gustave Eiffel University, is a major public transport research institute covering infrastructure, safety, and mobility. Its multi-modal research mandate, ownership of driving simulators and test facilities, and dependence on French and EU research funding make it a near-direct functional peer of HIT.
• Cerema (Centre for Studies and Expertise on Risks, Environment, Mobility, and Urban Planning): Cerema is a French public establishment under the Ministry of Ecological Transition providing applied research and engineering expertise in transport infrastructure, road safety, and mobility. It is a strong functional peer to HIT in serving as a government-supervised technical reference body on transport safety and infrastructure.
• VTI (Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute): VTI is a government-supervised Swedish research institute conducting applied research on road, rail, and transport systems, with driving simulators and accident analysis capability. HIT and VTI share the same institutional archetype: state-supervised non-profit, national accident data stewardship, and a focus on evidence-based transport policy.
• AIT Austrian Institute of Technology: AIT is Austria's largest non-university research institute, with a Mobility division covering transport, road safety, electromobility, and hydrogen. It is a comparable mid-sized European applied transport research institute competing for the same EU funding pools as HIT.
• TNO (Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research): TNO is a Dutch applied research organization operating across mobility, built environment, and energy. Its mobility unit conducts accident analysis, driving simulation, and smart mobility research for public clients, structurally similar to HIT's mix of grants and fee-based technical services.
• TRL (UK Transport Research Laboratory): TRL is the UK's national transport research laboratory, providing applied research, road safety engineering, accident investigation, and infrastructure testing for government and industry. It is directly comparable to HIT in scope (road, rail, and mobility), funding mix (public grant plus commercial), and the role of providing expert evidence to courts and regulators.
• SWOV Institute for Road Safety Research: SWOV is the Dutch national institute for road safety research, focused on accident analysis, driver behavior, and policy advice to government. While narrower in scope than HIT, it is highly comparable to HIT's accident-analysis laboratory and its role as the de facto national expert body on traffic safety.
• Fraunhofer IVI (Institute for Transportation and Infrastructure Systems): Fraunhofer IVI is part of Germany's Fraunhofer applied-research network and focuses on transportation systems engineering, vehicle technologies, and traffic management. Its combination of driving simulation, electromobility, and applied transport research under contract-based funding mirrors HIT's research-sector structure.
• Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI): TTI is one of the largest university-affiliated transport research institutes in the world and is already a formal cooperation partner of HIT/CERTH. Like HIT, TTI operates driving simulators, conducts accident analysis, provides expert testimony, and executes large federally funded research programs, making it the closest international analogue to HIT.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: VTT is a state-owned Finnish applied research organization with a strong mobility and transport portfolio including hydrogen, electromobility, and accident research. Its scale, public-ownership status, and integrated transport-plus-energy positioning closely resemble CERTH/HIT's institutional model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HitCerth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCS9jvbxsnB-lS74olF4R_5g
• Facebookfacebook.com/HITCERTH
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hellenic-institute-of-transport
• Instagraminstagram.com/hit.certh

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Hellenic Institute of Transport