The HubIT consortium, of which LOBA is a member, has created the European Framework Model (EFM): a set of tools, definitions and benchmarking guidelines that aim to activate constructive interactions between stakeholders - the Social Sciences and Humanities community, the ICT community and other relevant audiences - contributing to a responsible approach to R&I (Research & Innovation).

The research conducted for the EFM served as the basis for the HubIT platform, which, in turn, was conceptualized into HubIT Metropolis: an online hot-spot whose goal is to promote a more sustainable and responsible approach to R&I in ICT, providing a set of resources to make this a reality.

The idea that a great user experience can also be fun and engaging was the premise behind this website. From the homepage, the user can visit the three HubIT Metropolis stations. Each station has a set of tools (and stops) that the visitor can use. The more than 10 tools include a social networking platform with chat, private area filters, custom features, and more.

Most of HubIT's website was developed from scratch by LOBA, meeting the needs of the platform. The website was developed using VUE.js, PHP and Laravel Framework, the chat server with Node.js, and the data is stored in a MySql database. In order to keep the site accessible to people with disabilities, an accessibility menu was incorporated.

The use of the Google Analytics tool helped monitor performance and improve the project's communication and dissemination strategy. LOBA was responsible for managing the website, namely in terms of new features and updating with new content created by our team and the HubIT consortium throughout the life of the project.