challenge-
based
research

JOINT LONG TERM RESEARCH STRATEGY

‍The ECIU University has developed a joint long-term research strategy on smart regions, building on the rapid development of digital infrastructures across Europe to address common research challenges related to SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) topics.   

Check the summary here

Four distinct Challenge Based Research themes that the ECIU University will initially focus on are:

●    Energy and sustainability

●    Circular economy

●    Transport and mobility

●    Resilient communities

Two cross-cutting themes that underpin the ECIU University approach to addressing these challenges are:

●    Human capital development

●    Co-creation, including interdisciplinarity

Collaborative Research & Funding

The ECIU universities are research-intensive universities that are committed to high quality research. They have been very successful in getting European funding for research and innovation projects. The ECIU Board wishes to clearly encourage the researchers to work together and develop innovative projects with the member universities. 
Our shared research areas at glance

featured joint projects

Researcher Mobility Fund

ECIU universities are committed to ensuring that its researchers are connected by offering opportunities for collaborative research. In this context, the ECIU has a Researchers Mobility Fund, aiming to increase mobility amongst its researchers. Researchers from ECIU universities interested in establishing or extending high-profile collaborative scientific relations with ECIU partners may apply for travel support.
Learn more

RUNIN

The aim of the RUNIN network program is to train researchers on how universities contribute to innovation and economic growth in their regions. We do this through research, seeking to examine how universities fulfil their third mission in relation to regional industry and their engagement with regional firms and institutions.
More info

TEFCE

The objective of the TEFCE project is to develop innovative and feasible policy tools at the university and European level for supporting, monitoring and assessing the community engagement of higher education institutions.
Learn more

SMART-ER  

activities STart on
1 February 2021

The ECIU University Research Institute for Smart European Regions (SMART-ER) is a research, innovation and education strong alliance, enabling all member universities to jointly address complex societal challenges under the framework of the UN SDG11 (Sustainable cities and communities).

The ECIU University SMART-ER Research Institute will design, develop and implement research; will value-capture and deliver solutions to current and future UN SDG11 challenges, identified by the ECIU University. Activities will be implemented by bringing together scientific and management research capacities at the 12 ECIU University member institutions.

The challenge-based approach adopted by the ECIU University allows engagement of societal stakeholders and learners in creating and working on challenges and exploiting results. The SMART-ER Research Institute, together with diverse stakeholder groups at a local, national and international level, will work according to a shared Research and Innovation Agenda. To achieve this, the ECIU University will align research capacities and will bring together researchers as an example of how to overcome the limits of each single institution.

The SMART-ER Research Institute will implement a new model of barrier-free  They will promote a dialogue with society, to help overcome the limitations of disciplines, sectors and countries being mainly based on a virtual collaborative environment. Jointly, the institutions will pilot capacity building programmes (Seed Programme and SMART-ER Academy) and citizen science initiatives that will be used as a testbed to put into practice all the mechanisms and structures built.

Strategic SMART-ER initiatives

Develop a common research and innovation agenda and convergence action plan, in synergy with education strategies and regional engagement, sharing infrastructures and resources
Develop and implement strategies for strengthening human capital and collaborations in research and innovation.
Contact your local ambassador to learn more
Promote and integrate dialogue with society in research and innovation activities of SMART-ER

Featured News & Events

All
Learners
Business & Society
University Staff
Researchers
EU Affairs
See all news