FOREWORD

KNOWLEDGE
THAT MATTERS

Knowledge truly matters when it changes lives.  At ECIU, we measure the value of knowledge by its ability to drive progress, strengthen communities, and build more sustainable, just societies. This year’s ECIU Magazine,  “From Knowledge to Impact: People Shaping the Future” showcases not just what we do, but the tangible results we deliver.

Across Europe, research and innovation (R&I) are proven engines of well-being and competitiveness. As the European Commission’s 2024 Impact Assessment on Horizon Europe confirms, every euro invested in R&I can generate up to €11 in societal benefits, fueling advances in health, climate action, and digital transformation. This multiplier effect underscores the indispensable role of universities in building a resilient Europe.

At ECIU, R&I is at the core of our mission. Through our R&I Hub — a network of over 1,200 researchers — and initiatives like the Researchers Mobility and Seed Programmes, we break down barriers. We foster international collaboration and provide crucial funding to ensure groundbreaking research is translated into solutions with real-world relevance.

But innovation cannot happen in a vacuum. Our deep collaboration with industry, municipalities, and local stakeholders ensures that learning is transformative and directly addresses emerging skills gaps — a challenge affecting over 80% of European employers. Within ECIU University, we have pioneered microcredentials and a teaching model that empowers students, educators, and researchers to co-create solutions with society.

The bridge between discovery and impact is built through action. Our innovation hubs, incubators, and cross-sector partnerships are the engines that convert academic knowledge into tangible solutions. This magazine provides the proof: we feature pilot projects that have already improved community well-being, reduced environmental footprints, and spawned new startups and technologies.

These stories of measurable impact include Traceless, a startup creating sustainable alternatives to plastic; cutting-edge medical implants that are improving patient lives; and the Manufacturing Box, which upcycles plastic waste into building materials.

These examples, alongside strategic projects like CREATE, DIVERSE+, and NEXT-UP, demonstrate how cross-border and interdisciplinary collaboration magnifies our effect.

In an interview, Mindaugas Bulota, Chair of the ECIU Innovation Directors’ Group, adds a critical perspective, explaining how universities can actively drive European competitiveness by turning research into societal benefit.

Ultimately, impact is not a final destination but a continuous journey of learning and collective action. ECIU is committed to this path, proving that knowledge reaches its full potential only when it delivers measurable benefits for all — setting a new standard for the universities of the future.

Paulo Ferreira, 

ECIU Vice-President and Rector of the University of Aveiro