UiT The Arctic University of Norway is the northernmost university in the world. Its location on the edge of the Arctic implies a mission. Biodiversity in the Arctic, Climate change, blue & circular economy & environmental threats are topics of great public concern, and in which the UiT takes special interest. Therefore, the “Inspiring The Minds” project lies at the core of the strategic vision of the university. UiT´s eight faculties offer a broad range of study programmes. UiT hosts several Centres of Excellence. Moreover, the UiT is part of the FRAM – High North Research Centre for Climate and the Environment (Fram Centre). UiT is the lead partner of the “Inspiring The Minds”.
G-Force is a pre-seed venture capital fund that invests in early-stage climate-tech startups. The selection process for investments involves rigorous screening, multiple rounds of interviews, technical and legal due diligence, and input from industry and academic experts. In addition to providing cash investments, G-Force also offers a 6-month Seed programme in partnership with Founders Factory that provides operational support for various aspects of startup-building. G-Force works primarily with deep-tech startups that have a strong research element, many of which are university spinouts or former researchers. The company also collaborates with universities, research institutions, and innovative SMEs to provide business and startup-building expertise, and to support technology transfer and commercialization of research results. In return, G-Force benefits from access to top academic experts and promising projects born in university ecosystems.
The University of Alicante was founded in 1979, based on the Center for University Studies (CEU) established in 1968. It has a main campus in San Vicente del Raspeig/Sant Vicent del Raspeig, bordering Alicante to the north. There are roughly 27,500 students enrolled as of the 2011/12 academic year. The university offers over fifty degree programs across more than seventy departments and research groups. Its expertise spans Social Science and Law, Experimental Science, Technology, Liberal Arts, Education and Health Sciences, and five research institutes.
The University has a strong focus on innovation, with units like Technology Transfer & Research Management Service guiding staff in areas like entrepreneurship and technology transfer. It supports students with services that connect them to potential employers and promote an entrepreneurial culture. The university is particularly skilled in social innovation, with FUTURLAB being a research unit that helps public institutions and private companies become more competitive, proactive, innovative and future-oriented. Alicante Science Park is another facility that fosters innovation, providing value-added services and infrastructure to promote economic development in the Region of Valencia.
Istanbul Kültür University (IKU), which was established by the Kültür College Education Foundation (KEV) in accordance with the Law No. 4281 adopted by the Turkish Grand National Assembly on July 9, 1997, provides a high quality higher education services with the awareness that it is possible for the Republic of Türkiye and the Turkish nation to achieve its unchangeable goal of “exceeding the level of contemporary civilization”, with the awareness that it is possible for our youth to receive a qualified education.
IKU provides service in four separate campuses on a total area of 127966 square meters, on the E-5 Highway and TEM Highway, of which 70216 square meters is indoors and 57,750 square meters is outdoors. With its strong corporate culture, IKU provides education with a total of 700 academic staff, including 55 full-time Professors, 37 Associate Professors, 130 Assistant Professors, 287 part-time faculty members, 94 lecturers and 97 research assistants in 8 faculties, including Faculty of Education, Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Faculty of Law, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Faculty of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Art and Design, Faculty of Health Sciences for undergraduate degree, in IKU Vocational School and Justice Vocational School for associate degree and at the Graduate Education Institute for the master’s and doctorate degrees.
Consorzio Sol.Co. Network of Sicilian Social Cooperatives was founded in 1994 as a framework for integration, promotion, interaction, quality assurance of social work, supporting the full expression of the social value of cooperative action. Nowadays, it is one of the biggest associations in Sicily, reuniting more than 20 entities across the whole region and focusing on the full expression of the social value of cooperative action. Sol.Co. tries to give social cooperation in Sicily a new face, with both solidarity and entrepreneurial approach, putting the value of the single person at the centre of the actions.
The organisational model, used by Sol.Co., is based on the continuous search for innovative elements in order to ensure sustainability and replicability. It focuses on the full expression of the social value of cooperative action. Sol.Co. has worked in the Third sector for more than 25 years, particularly towards the most vulnerable population groups and groups at risk of exclusion. This includes immigrants, disabled people, victims of violence, children and young people from deprived areas, and teenagers at risk of exclusion and immigrant and unaccompanied minors, etc. During these years, Sol.Co. has developed many projects and initiatives that were aimed at social reintegration, promoting re-entry into the labour market and, therefore, are strong support for entities of social welfare that wish to operate in the field of social welfare.
Sol.Co. is an ISO 9001 certified company. In 2018 it is adjusted to certification 9001/2015 which covers numerous fields of intervention and further enriches the range of activities which include, for example: Assistance and reception services for immigrants, Health care and educational services of children from immigrant backgrounds. In 2012 the qualification process was enriched and Sol.Co. obtained the attribution of the LEGALITY RATING, a tool developed by the Authority for Competition and the Market (AGCM) in agreement with the Ministries of the Interior and Justice, which recognizes the rewarding of companies that operate according to the principles of legality, transparency and social responsibility. As a sign of corporate social responsibility, Sol.Co has been awarded 2 stars