Participants

The UNITA participants, eleven (11) beneficiaries and two (2) associated partners, are situated in rural, mountain, Romance language–speaking and cross-border regions across Europe, in ecosystems sharing similar challenges and impacted by core-periphery dynamics.

Their cooperation aims to contribute to the educational, scientific, and cultural progress of their regions, fostering their sustainable development, strengthening the local innovation ecosystems and supporting their transition to a knowledge-based economy, whilst promoting European integration within and beyond them, transforming the way they cooperate, educate, do research, innovate, and reach out to society.

The participants align with UNITA’s nature and vision, bringing in complementary roles—in terms of study programmes, academic specialisations, competences, skills and expertise—for the scope of the actions:

University	Description	Role
	Research and teaching focused on sustainable development and interdisciplinarity; balances regional scientific, industrial and cultural traditions with aspirations for innovation, inclusiveness and societal relevance, matching the alliance’s ambitions.	Beneficiary
	National leader in mechanical, mechatronic, biotech, electronic, health and agri-food sectors; best performer in graduate employability strategies; strong expertise in developing high-level transnational networks.	Beneficiary
	Engaged in cross-border cooperation (notably with UVT); internationally recognised for advanced research in languages, culture and social sciences; contributes to the cultural heritage dimension of the alliance.	Associated Partner
	Strong expertise in teaching and learning in professional fields applied to sustainable territorial development, complementing other partners’ theoretical study programmes.	Beneficiary
	Largest UAS in Switzerland; complementary expertise in practice-oriented research and innovation projects tailored to professional field needs; innovative teaching approaches such as challenge-based and digital education.	Associated Partner
	Developed best practices in student and staff mobility management; innovative research poles; co-develops various short programmes (international summer schools, micro-credentials); department supporting experimentation with innovative teaching and learning methods (APPRENDRE); “Club des entreprises” linking local companies with the university in research, innovation and learning.	Beneficiary
	Experience with hubs and virtual incubators; extensive internationalisation and mobility programmes; strong link between teaching and research, resulting in numerous approved projects and scientific output, placing UBI highly in THE rankings; innovation as a core strategy.	Beneficiary
	Strong expertise in mobility; a leading university in the field of university teachers training; acts at an international level through partnership agreements; long-standing multilingual experience and openness to language diversity; long-standing experience in management of international partnerships and expertise in quality assurance procedures.	Beneficiary
	Extensive experience in mobility; quality assurance processes ensuring high standards in education; several pedagogical innovation projects annually to foster teaching innovation and enhance student learning experiences; expertise in methods that foster multiliteracy skills; multiple BA and MA programmes taught in foreign languages; strong collaboration with industry through “Industrial Academic Chairs”.	Beneficiary
	National leader in regional engagement and European model for Smart Specialisation Strategy alignment; deeply engaged in cross-border cooperation with UPPA; long-standing strategic partnership with UniZar through Campus Iberus.	Beneficiary
	Awarded the label of University of Excellence (ISITE call); consistent ecosystem of industrial partners (large companies & SMEs) leading to research development in closer relationships with territorial companies; among the top universities in France for the proportion of outgoing students; several inter-university cooperation agreements.	Beneficiary
	Experience in developing e-learning processes and online courses; strong involvement in thematic clusters of companies and public institutions to ensure knowledge transfer from research to regional economy; student-centred approach in teaching and learning, customising course content to student needs; extensive experience in mobilities and recognised by ANPCDEFP as a model of good practice for managing mobility for students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds.	Beneficiary
UNITA GEIE	Increases the alliance’s institutional autonomy and partners’ financial and regulatory independence, including nomination of temporary and permanent alliance staff.	Beneficiary

Associated Partners

In addition to HES-SO and CHNU, the project includes 50 external non-university associated partners from the partners’ countries, representing regional socio-economic actors, public authorities, a quality assurance agency, policymakers and civil organisations. With diverse missions, expertise and needs—from municipal and regional institutions to development agencies, professional education agencies, networks and companies in R&I hub focus areas—they will actively participate in Task Teams (TT), sharing professional experience with students and staff at Master/Doctoral level or in specialization courses. They will also cooperate with strategic actors engaged in achieving joint results and providing services such as internships and specialised practical courses. Details of AP involvement per work package (WP) and TT can be found in the Grant Agreement (Section 4.2).

Beneficiary Partners, together with all Associated Partners, will constitute a unique ecosystem ensuring the transformative impact and sustainability of UNITA’s new university model.

International Organizations:

• AUF - Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie
• Apicad - Association internationale pour la promotion de l'intercompréhension à distance
• Euromontana
• AULP - Associação das Universidades de Língua Portuguesa
• OEI - Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos

National Organizations:

• Consorcio Campus Iberus
• ACPUA - Agencia de Calidad y Prospectiva Universitaria de Aragón

Local Authorities:

• Consiglio Regionale del Piemonte
• Cittá di Torino
• Città di Cuneo
• Comune di Torino
• Regione Piemonte
• Camera di Commercio, Industria, Artigianato
• Europe Direct Torino
• Istituto Universitario Studi Europei
• CIMBSE - Comunidade Intermunicipal Beiras e Serra da Estrela
• Gobierno de Aragón
• Diputación Provincial de Zaragoza
• Agencia de Calidad y Prospectiva Universitaria de Aragón
• Ayuntamiento de Zaragoza
• Campus Iberus de Excelencia Internacional
• Dirección General de Universidades del Gobierno de Aragón
• Conseil départemental 64
• Conseil départemental de la Savoie (CD73)
• Conseil départemental de la Haute-Savoie (CD74)
• Conseil départemental des Pyrénées-Atlantiques
• Conseil départemental des Hautes-Pyrénées
• Fondation USMB
• Timis Country Council - Directorate for Culture and Patrimony
• CCDRC - Comissão de Coordenação e Desenvolvimento Regional do Centro
• Aldeias Históricas de Portugal
• Comune di Brescia
• Fondazione ENAIP Lombardia
• Comunità Montana della Valle Camonica
• EGTC Euroregion Nouvelle-Aquitaine Euskadi Navarra
• Departamento de Universidad del Gobierno de Navarra
• Brasov County Council
• Brașov Metropolitan Agency for Sustainable Development
• Centru Regional Development Agency (ADR Centru)
• ALT Brasov - Cluster for Innovation and Technology

Universities:

• Università degli Studi Roma 3

Representatives of the Socio-Economic World:

• Cofindustria Piemonte
• Camera di Commercio Industria Artigianato e Agricoltura di Torino
• API - Associazione Piccole e Medie Imprese
• EnerArea - Agência Regional de Energia e Ambiente do Interior
• Resiestrela - Valorização e Tratamento de Resíduos Sólidos
• OEI Portugal
• OLANO Portugal, Logistics and Distribution, Lda.
• Saica
• Fertinagro Biotech
• IBERCAJA
• Teréga
• Club des entreprises de l'Université Savoie Mont Blanc
• Pôle de compétitivité TENERRDIS
• CEPyA - Cluster des Entreprises des Pyrénées Adour
• AdrVest - Agenția Pentru Dezvoltare Regională Vest
• ROSENC - The Romanian Sustainable Energy Cluster
• Ambiente Parco
• Confindustria Brescia
• A2A S.p.a.
• ADITECH
• SODENA
• CEIN
• Cowork Timisoara
• Ecostuff
• Theoretical Highschool Grigore Moisil NO
• Orange, via Orange Romania