Universities are crucial players in addressing the challenges our world faces through innovation. However, many struggle to adapt to the rapidly evolving demands of the 21st century.
These challenges include bureaucratic processes, resistance to adopting new technologies and methodologies, difficulties in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and a slower pace in adapting to labor market needs.
The EU CATALISI project directly confronts these systemic issues by offering a suite of targeted acceleration services for their research and innovation ecosystems.
How do we do it and where to find all the materials for universities who also want to transform their systems?
The project is built upon two blocks: Four Facilitators that provide acceleration services and knowledge transfer, and Seven Implementers leading universities that serve as powerful demonstrators, implementing acceleration services within 14 areas of intervention. These 14 areas of intervention focus on knowledge creation, up-skilling talent, open science and research assessment, inclusion, sustainability, and societal engagement among others. More information can be found here: https://catalisi.eu/
CATALISI offers 7 acceleration services that help universities tackle and improve the 14 areas of intervention:
- The CATALYST Hub focuses on
a. Learning: https://catalisi.eu/catalisi-marketplace/ A series of online webinars designed to provide universities with insights and strategies for institutional transformation through best practices, research findings, and actionable strategies.
b. Funding: https://catalisi.eu/funding-opportunities/ Access to different funding opportunities related to sustainability in education, research and HEI campus operations.
c. Collaboration: https://catalisi.eu/collaboration/ Find acceleration services provided by the partners, connect with CATALISI Community of Practice, check out other HEI Transformation Initiatives, expand your alliances through the commercialization of research results.
2. Capacity Building and Outreach provides universities with essential methods and skills through Twinning exchanges, mutual learning workshops, and tailored webinars. https://catalisi.eu/about/apre/
3. The Community of Practice, is a collaborative group where academia and other stakeholders address challenges, exchange insights, and provide guidance. https://catalisi.eu/about/apre/
4. Living Labs provides participatory, real-world environments for co-creation and testing with university staff, and external stakeholders. https://catalisi.eu/enoll/
5. Counselling offers guidance, mentoring, and coaching.
6. Transformational Pathway sets a tailored agenda and action points for transformation of each HEI.
7. A predictive study on skills anticipation analyses labour market trends to determine future skill needs.
Our seven implementers are at the forefront of this change. They are becoming beacons of progress, demonstrating that transformation is not only possible but beneficial, setting a precedent for other European HEIs. If you want to know more about their challenges and methodologies check out our implementer’s stories of transformation: https://catalisi.eu/consortium/
All CATALISI resources, including guidelines and transformation pathways, are available on our website. We encourage more universities to leverage these tools and services to transform their own institutions, fostering a more innovative, and sustainable higher education ecosystem in Europe.The project runs until December 2025. https://catalisi.eu/consortium/
