University of Bologna

The University of Bologna, the oldest university in the Western world, is a leader in innovation, offering a rich academic curriculum, cutting-edge research, and a strong international outlook. It actively participates in European research and academic cooperation, building alliances with industry and public/private institutions worldwide, including in the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Australia. UNIBO has established over 90 long-term collaboration agreements with public research institutions and universities, and 49 with private enterprises, and it is a member of 80 regional, national, and international research networks. It is ranked among the top comprehensive universities in Italy (1st or 2nd) and holds strong global positions in Life Sciences and Medicine fields, according to QS and US News rankings. It also ranks 1st for internationalization among large Italian universities (CENSIS 2022/2023). UNIBO boasts a long tradition of excellence in multi-disciplinary research, both at National and European levels in all the research areas. Activities related to competitive funding programmes are supported by the Research Division: more than 10 years’ experience and about 50 employees assisting the research groups during the whole project lifecycle. The university employs 478 researchers with an H-index over 20—more than 300 of them in biology, medicine, chemistry, engineering, and computational sciences—and promotes gender equality through its Gender Equality Plan. Fourteen of its departments have been recognized as Departments of Excellence. In the area of Health and Digital Health, UNIBO has broad expertise, from Ambient Assisted Living to digital medicine, epidemiology, regenerative medicine, pharmaceutical biotech, and systems and personalized medicine. At both national and EU levels, the university is highly active in research, with support from a dedicated Research Division and Knowledge Transfer Office. Under Horizon 2020, UNIBO participated in 356 projects (98 coordinated), received over €150M in funding, and partnered with 2,300+ organizations, including 1,600 from the private sector. In the Health-related Societal Challenge (SC1), it led or participated in 31 projects worth over €14M, making it the top Italian university in this field. Under Horizon Europe, 238 proposals have already been selected for funding, with 17 projects (3 coordinated) in the Health Cluster, receiving over €8M.