The European Group of Territorial Cooperation H.E.L.I.C.A.S. (Holistic Efficient Local Initiatives for Cooperation and Synergies), was established in 2017 and is the result of the cooperation of the four parts of the quadruple helix, namely:
- the Administration through Local government
- the Knowledge through Universities
- the Economy through Chambers and
- the Society through Civil Society
Ten municipalities and two Regional Unions of Municipalities of Northern Greece, four universities and two chambers are the first eighteen members of H.E.L.I.C.A.S., while representatives of two civil society organizations are participating in its Board of Directors. The participating countries are Greece and Bulgaria, while the expansion priority area is mainly S.E. Europe.
The main objectives of H.E.L.I.C.A.S. are the 11 thematic objectives of cohesion policy with the appropriate spatial specialization, in the collaborative framework of the quadruple helix.
The President of H.E.L.I.C.A.S. is the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Vice Presidents are the UNWE Rector and the President of the Kilkis Chamber. As already mentioned, the two members of the Civil Society are involved in the Board of Directors, thus capturing the dynamic of the quadruple helix cooperation.
HELICAS has been in full operation since May 2018. It is located in the Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Innovation of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, which is also a founding member. It employs two people and has set up a register of thirty external scientific partners in all of its priority areas.
HELICAS'a main priorities are the establishment of a strong internal networking mechanism with its members, its geographical expansion to the countries of Southeast Europe with the aim of enhancing and promoting sustainable and effective territorial cooperation, while launching a large series of training meetings that will It will be implemented in the period 2019-2020 and will be addressed to elected officials and members of HELICAS.
