The 18 associated partners of 4EU+ Alliance represent a diverse spectrum of society: small and large companies, third-sector organizations such as associations and foundations, local and regional authorities and their agencies, chambers of commerce, social and health public bodies, as well as European and international organizations. Their contributions to the work of 4EU+ will enhance the development of innovative curricula and key competences of students, fostering entrepreneurial attitudes and increasing their employability. Additionally, the educational and lifelong learning materials developed by the Alliance will be disseminated through the networks of the associated partners, reaching a broader audience and promoting continuous learning.
With its 17,000 employees and 495 structures, the SOS Group is one of Europe’s foremost social and societal undertakings. For more than 30 years now, the SOS Group has been putting economic efficiency at the service of the interests of the general public. In so doing, it provides responses to the issues of today’s society by developing innovative solutions in its five main fields of activity.
The SOS Group is developing offers for education and especially Higher Education with the Impact Campus project, which offers tools and training programs on social and environmental causes to train students and help them be able to face the great challenges of the 21st century.
With more than 170 years of research expertise and 430 scientists, Essilor is specialised in visual health. It is the largest private optical and ophthalmic research centre in the world. The firm collaborates with universities and institutions to find solutions to modern needs.
Essilor will support the 4EU+ Alliance into setting up a European Education Area by helping to further the relations between the partner universities into a comprehensive research-intensive European university.
With a history in the water and waste sectors stretching back over 160 years, SUEZ is working on all 5 continents in the service of an efficient and sustainable management of resources. The SUEZ Group intends to collaborate closely with the Alliance on, among other things, promoting internships, examining the possibility of setting up research contracts and contributing to training sessions for the Higher Education Institutions.
The SUEZ Group sees this co-operation as an opportunity that will bring mutual benefits and encourage knowledge and know-how sharing not only amongst the partners but also within the EU. lt will increase support for regional development and help promote European values and identity.
The Ricoh Company, Ltd. is a Japanese multinational imaging and electronics company. The Group has sales and support, production, and research and development operations in around 200 countries and regions under regional headquarters in USA, UK, Singapore, and Japan.
In its core office, printing, and other business categories, it offers innovative approaches and solutions that accommodate advanced contemporary information requirements. Ricoh is interested in closely collaborating with the Alliance within the four proposed flagships in areas such as resource and capacity exchange, ideation and concept development.
Novo Nordisk is a global healthcare company with more than 95 years of innovation and leadership in diabetes care. This heritage has given the company the experience and capabilities that also enables it to help people defeat other serious chronic diseases. Headquartered in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs approximately 43,200 people in 80 countries and markets its products in more than 170 countries.
Noro Nordisk fully welcomes an open dialogue and collaboration with the 4EU+ Alliance and its consortium members. The company intends to participate as an External Advisor on the development of education and lifelong learning. Where possible, Noro Nordisk will also supply relevant data and information to support the research and development within the project.
SAP; Systeme, Anwendungen und Produkte in der Datenverarbeitung, ("Systems, Applications & Products in Data Processing") is a German-based European multinational software corporation that makes enterprise software to manage business operations and customer relations. SAP is headquartered in Walldorf, Baden-Württemberg, Germany with regional offices in 180 countries.
An essential pillar of the company’s sustainability and social commitment is its close cooperation with universities worldwide as part of the SAP Higher Education Program. SAP plans to contribute to the 4EU + Alliance through internships at SAP in Walldorf and other SAP locations, and to support bachelor and master theses as well as SAP Next-Gen Projects.
Volume Graphics develops software for the analysis, simulation and visualization of industrial CT data, with its customers’ primary applications being dimensional metrology and quality control. With more than 20 years of experience in the field and as a software supplier to a large percentage of industrial CT users, Volume Graphics has extensive expertise in the needs of the CT user community.
Volume Graphics will offer counseling to the 4EU+ Alliance on various aspects, including the development of study programs. Additionally, the company will provide internships for students and ensure the participation of its employees in courses and workshops offered by 4EU+.
Arexpo s.p.a. was founded in 2011 with the purpose to acquire the sites that hosted Expo Milano 2015. The expo was joined by 141 countries from every continents attracting over 21 million visitors. Today, the company has the task of improving and developing the whole area to become a scientific and technology district of global excellence, MIND Milano Innovation District.
Arexpo will work with the 4EU+ Alliance on clearly defined tasks in research, innovation and education. ln particular, MIND's main goal is to create an environment focused on innovation, shared by universities, research centres and companies, driven by the principle that only a mutual cooperation can provide effective, cross-board innovation.
Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, is the cultural, economic and governmental centre of the country; it is one of the major financial centres of Northern Europe with the Copenhagen Stock Exchange. Copenhagen's goal of becoming C02 neutral by 2025 is clearly connected to a strong focus on growth, employment and quality of life. Copenhagen will focus on the development of industrial clusters that have a competitive advantage, by strengthening dialogue with the business community, and by building partnerships with both commercial and scholarly institutions.
The Municipality of Copenhagen therefore sees the 4EU+ Alliance as a promising forum for dialogue, collaboration and mutual learning between some of the most progressive and forward-thinking cities and universities in Europe.
Milan is a leading global city, with strengths in the fields of the art, commerce, design, education, entertainment, fashion, finance, healthcare, media, services, research and tourism. Its business district hosts Italy's stock exchange and the headquarters of national and international banks and companies. In terms of GDP, it has the third-largest economy among European cities after Paris and London. The city hosts numerous cultural institutions, academies and universities, with 11 percent of the national total enrolled students.
The City of Milan believes that this co-operation will bring mutual benefits and encourages knowledge and know-how sharing not only amongst the partners but also supports regional development and helps promote European values and identity within the EU.
City of Warsaw is the capital of Poland and is responsible for two local administration levels in Poland (county and commune). The city is active on the international level, fostering reciprocal exchange and cooperation with other cities in Europe and beyond. In international cooperation, the city is involved in a number of projects related to smart social inclusion, entrepreneurship, cultural access and entitlement, local energy leadership and the Green Digital Charter Toolkit.
The key aims of the 4EU+ Alliance are fully aligned with City of Warsaw and the Alliance anticipates joint seminars and workshops on urban challenges and civic education, co-organised activities aimed at strengthening the pro-entrepreneurial and pro-innovative attitudes of students and Warsaw residents in general, and possible internship programmes within the municipal entrepreneurship support centres.
The City of Heidelberg is located in the southwest of Germany, in the Baden-Württemberg state. Like other 4EU+ cities, Heidelberg is part of the C40-Network, in which mayors of nearly 100 world-leading cities collaborate to find solutions to the climate crisis.
The City of Heidelberg will work with the 4EU+ Alliance to promote the inclusion of citizens in the exchange of activities, offer counseling for the development of various programs as an external advisor, and support the development of an inter-university campus system.
The Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region (Metropolregion Rhein-Neckar), often referred to as Rhein-Neckar-Triangle, is a polycentric metropolitan region located in south-western Germany, between the Frankfurt/Rhine-Main region to the north and the Stuttgart Region to the south-east. Rhine-Neckar has a population of approximately 2.4 million people, with major cities being Mannheim, Ludwigshafen and Heidelberg.
The 4EU+ Alliance, with Heidelberg University as a strong and innovative partner already, shares a multitude of collective ambitions with the region. Rhine-Neckar is thus very happy to support the Alliance in establishing a model for a European University.
Founded in 1996, BioRN is a science and industry innovation cluster based on the constant interaction between academia industry and government for the production, transfer and application of knowledge in the Life Sciences.
BioRN will work with 4EU+ to promote the visibility of Health and Life Sciences, but also to foster health innovations among the partners and create a rich transnational ecosystem.
The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) is the largest biomedical research institute in Germany and a member of the Helmholtz Association of National Research Centers. In over 90 divisions and research groups, the DKFZ’s more than 3,000 employees — of whom over 1,200 are scientists — investigate the mechanisms of cancer, identify cancer risk factors, and seek strategies to prevent individuals from developing cancer.
DKFZ will collaborate with 4EU+ to enhance the visibility of health and life science at a European level and foster life science innovations among the partners to create a rich transnational ecosystem. Additionally, DKFZ will support the establishment of a network for seamless mobility for young researchers, PhD students, and staff, and offer counseling for study programs.
The Czech Chamber of Commerce is the largest and the most representative business association in the Czech Republic. It has more than 15,000 members organized in 62 regional chambers and in 110 branch associations. The Czech Chamber of Commerce’s mission is to create opportunities for entrepreneurship, to promote and support measures that contribute to the development of business environment in the Czech Republic and thus to the overall economic stability of the state.
The Czech Chamber of Commerce will work with 4EU+ to put in place a system of cooperation between employers and universities, covering different scientific subjects, research and education.
This Chamber of commerce is a public body focused on the needs of local businesses; its primary mission is to work as a key component of the local economy. It has served as a reference point for the business community since 1786. Today, it supports businesses and promotes the local economy, working at both national and international levels. The Chamber of commerce has set up four special agencies in domains such as commercial dispute resolution and innovation and research. It is also the controlling shareholder of two investee companies.
Camera di Commercio di Milano Monza-Brianza Lodi will join as Associated Partner of the Alliance and work on clearly defined tasks in the field of research, innovation and education. In particular, it will collaborate through their know-how in defining new hosting models for foreign students in Milan to facilitate their stay by offering increasing opportunities and ready access to services.
Assolombarda is the largest territorial association of enterprises in Italy, with 6,900 member firms located across the provinces of Milan, Lodi, Monza and Brianza, and Pavia. As part of Confindustria, the Italian Entrepreneurial Association, Assolombarda plays a crucial role in representing the interests of enterprises. The association serves as a bridge between the corporate world and various political and social entities, working to protect and promote the business interests of its members in interactions with political bodies, local authorities, and trade unions.
Assolombarda intends to collaborate closely with the 4EU+ Alliance through the involvement of its member companies in the development of educational partnership initiatives in various academic degree programmes. This collaboration aims to combine academic learning with real-world business scenarios, benefiting both students and member companies.
The Fondazione Cariplo serves communities by supporting local organizations that are best equipped to identify and address people's needs. Its mission is to close social gaps, foster strong and inclusive communities, assist individuals throughout their lives, and strengthen institutions.
The Fondazione Cariplo will collaborate with the 4EU+ Alliance particularly in implementing activities related to promoting the values of a green, digital, and resilient 4EU+ Alliance.