The need for integrated management and protection of both transboundary watersheds and natural resources within the context of sustainable development, through innovative applications and more effective governance, was the catalyst for establishing i-BEC (Interbalkan Environment Center), as a flexible non-profit organization focused on international actions.

i-BEC seeks to promote a collaborative approach to the sustainable management and protection of natural resources, together with the achievement of a harmonious socio-economic development in Greece, in the broader Balkan region and other interested countries, through cooperation agreements, which define the international activities of i-BEC as an international organization in these countries.

i-BEC is supported by 14 partners, [six decentralized, four regional, three municipal, administrations and Aristotle University of Thessaloniki] so it represents the academic community and every level of public agencies. i-BEC, in partnership with the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, is a key influencer on environmental research in Greece with more than 200 publications, mostly in international journals.