Research and innovation are at the core of the Alliance’s mission and play a fundamental role in strengthening collaboration and generating societal impact.
They also contribute to shaping the Alliance’s strategic vision and guiding its long-term development.
The research strategy aims to identify UNITA’s main research focus areas and to foster the development of UNITA research communities, strengthening collaboration among partner institutions.
In parallel, the innovation strategy seeks to facilitate knowledge exchange and promote cooperation across different domains of innovation activities, enhancing the Alliance’s collective impact.
UNITA Research Strategy Principles
Connection with territories
Research rooted in local and regional contexts,particularly in rural, mountainous, and cross-border areas, addressing real territorial needs and challenges through strong engagement with local and regional communities.
Open Science
UNITA promotes transparency, accessibility, and sharing of knowledge throughout the research process. Open access to publications, open data, and responsible research practices are key tools to enhance scientific quality and reproducibility.
Bringing science closer to citizens
Citizens are actively involved in research activities, from data collection to co-creation and dissemination of results. Citizen science is considered both a methodological approach and an educational tool to strengthen scientific literacy, democratic participation, and mutual learning between researchers and society.
Innovation
Transformation of research results into innovative and sustainable solutions, policies, services, and technologies, with measurable social, economic and public health impact.
UNITA Research Strategy:
A five-stage strategy to develop research communities.
UNITA Innovation Strategy:
A four-stage strategy to develop innovation.
- Research Cartography
Indicates interest in developing research collaborations. - Matching Events
Participate in events to connect with partners across UNITA universities.
Identify potential collaborations and synergies. - Starting Grants
Funding to initiate research projects involving at least three UNITA universities.
Includes initial resources to support the start of the project. - Sharing Infrastructure
Access to research infrastructures and platforms available across partner universities, enabling the development of collaborative work. - Advanced Grants
Funding to further develop ongoing research projects and support applications to international funding calls.
Key results achieved on research
Peer review paper: more than 400 PR paper.
Matching events: 12 matching event, 479 researchers.
Starting Grants calls: 12 research Starting Grants calls. 151 projects submetted. 79 projects funded (52%).
Bips: More than 34 summer/winter school.
Sharing infrastructures: 180 specific equipment, 166 plateformes.
- Innovation cartography
Cartography of the Smart specialization strategies and ecosystems. - BIP «One Step Beyond”
Entrepreneurship education (practical applications of research findings) – dynamics of entrepreneurship and innovation. - Starting Grants
Fund early-stage proof-of-concept initiatives, developed collaboratively by teams from at least two UNITA partner universities. - Advanced Grants
Boost tech transfer to new heights.
Tap into advanced funding opportunities and support from UNITA.
Key results achieved on innovation
Smart specialization strategies and ecosystems Cartography.
Mapping smart specialization strategies for all UNITA regions
Alignment of universities with these strategies.
Starting tech transfer Grants: 2 calls, 23 projects, 10 projects funded.
2 Bips on entrepreneurship.