Research & Innovation UNITA bridges territories, Europe and the world around European values and shared identity

Roadmap to European Research & Innovation Institutes (ER2I) for 2028–2034 : transitioning thematic hubs into sustainable, autonomous institutes anchored in mountainous and rural ecosystems.

🏛️ The Vision: ER2I 2034

By 2034, UNITA will move beyond temporary project groups to establish **six sustainable European Research & Innovation Institutes (ER2I)**. These will be:

⚖️ Autonomous: Legally and financially independent entities within the UNITA EEIG.
🏔️ Place-Based: Drivers for innovation in peripheral and cross-border regions.
🎓 Research-Led: The core engine for UNITA’s Graduate Schools and PhD programs.

🔍 1. State of the Art

Current Achievements:

6 Thematic Hubs active with co-leadership.
1,486 projects mapped in the Research Cartography.
52+ PhD co-tutelles and the CHORAL project (42 PhDs).
Common Open Science platform on Zenodo.

Critical Gaps:

Staffing: Hub management requires more HR than current budgets allow.
Engagement: Need for deeper researcher identity within the hubs.
Legal: National constraints hinder unified IPR and strategy deployment.

🌐 2. Strategic Context

PESTEL Analysis

🏛️ Political: EU MFF (2028-34) support for "European demonstrators" of innovation.
📈 Economic: Risk of public dependency; need to leverage Agri-tech and Green Energy.
👥 Social: ER2Is as drivers for youth retention and reversing rural brain drain.
🤖 Technological: Leading in "Applied Rural Tech" and remote health solutions.
🌱 Environmental: Mountain regions as "Living Labs" for climate adaptation.
⚖️ Legal: Complexity in harmonizing Intellectual Property (IPR) across partners.

🚀 3. Action Plan

🏗️ Action 1: Governance & Legal Framework

Goal: Integrate institutes within the UNITA EEIG.
2028-30: Conception of the integration framework.
2030-34: Full implementation of ER2I management bodies.

🧪 Action 2: Scientific Identity & Talent

Flagships: Develop high-competition projects for European calls.
Joint Degrees: Aiming for 15+ joint programs (6 at Graduate level).
Pipeline: Use the CHORAL model to recruit global top-tier PhD talent.

🤝 Action 3: Shared Resources & Ecosystems

Infrastructure: Sustainable model for EEIG to host common scientific tools.
Stakeholders: Incorporate local private/public actors into ER2I governance.

📈 4. R&I Performance Indicators

Indicator Focus Areas:

ER2I Autonomy: Legal status achievement (Target: 6 Institutes).
PhD Excellence: Number of active co-tutelles and MSCA candidates.
External Funding: Revenue generated from competitive EU calls (Horizon Europe/MFF).