The Jožef Stefan International Postgraduate School (Mednarodna podiplomska šola Jožefa Stefana, MPŠ), founded in 2004, is a higher education establishment and a research organization. It employs about teaching and research staff and has more than 200 doctoral level students. It provides highest quality postgraduate studies through a joint research and educational process. It contributes to bridging the gap between science and industry and the strengthening of the role of science and advanced technologies in society. MPŠ is the academic branch of the Jožef Stefan Institute, which forms its research and infrastructural base.

The International Institute for the Implementation of Sustainable Development (MIITR) is a private NGO, established in 2017 in Maribor, Slovenia. Its main activity is research and development in the fields of sustainability, comprehending environmental, economic, social, and lately smart and digital dimensions. MIITR personnel has a high level of expertise on project development, analysis, evaluation and dissemination. The institute is actively involved in various EU projects and in globally significant networks and initiatives for creating an active and sustainable society.

The Innovation Hive is a private non-profit organization, located in Larissa, Greece. Its main mission is bringing open innovation in different areas of the applications, based on the large partnership of stakeholders. Through the creation of a symbiotic alliance between the society, the academia and the Industry, Innovation Hive’s goal is to find solutions to the new innovation challenges, to achieve growth, sustainability and maximize the impact to the society.

Ghent University was established in 1817 and has 11 faculties, which offer high quality and research-based educational programmes in almost each scientific discipline. Currently there are about 9000 staff members and over 41000 students. More than 11% of the student population is international. The university is very active on the international scene, scores high in the rankings: no. 69 in the Shanghai ranking and no. 107 in the Times Higher Education, and has been at the forefront of the implementation of all European higher education funding programmes since the start of the Erasmus programme.

Universitat Politecnica de Catalunya (UPC) offers a variety of research based degree and life-long education programs. The UPC is an International Campus of Excellence with projects: the Barcelona Knowledge Campus (BKC) and the Energy Campus, through which it promotes employability, social cohesion and regional economic development. It interacts with research centres, science and technology parks, businesses and other agents as a hub for attracting talent in emerging research areas. Through its four UNESCO Chairs, the UPC contributes to the exchange of knowledge and fosters cooperation.

Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) specializes in engineering science and technology and has profiled itself into one of the leading international institutions with a clear focus on excellence in a strongly international environment (more than 80 nationalities). For eleven years in a row TU/e was ranked as the best university of technology in the Netherlands when education is concerned. CWTS Leiden Ranking 2018 concluded that TU/e has the strongest partnership with industry in the world. On the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Ranking in 2018, TU/e was on the excellent 169th position.