As the initiator and director of the European University E³UDRES², the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences is ideally positioned throughout Europe and is actively involved in the further development of the European Higher Education Area. In March, at the “E³UDRES² Spring Summit” in the Netherlands, an intensive exchange took place with companies, business and regional development agencies on potentials in the further development of Smart & Sustainable Regions. Hannes Raffaseder, Managing Director of the University of Applied Sciences and E³UDRES² President, was also present at a high-level meeting in Brussels on the role of European Universities for European competitiveness.
St. Pölten, 27.03.2025 – The E³UDRES² Spring Summit at Saxion University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands brought together around 150 experts from all over Europe to discuss current challenges facing European regions in global competition. The focus was on the changing tasks of universities and the development of concrete measures to exploit existing opportunities.
Close cooperation with international partners
A central item on the agenda was the International Stakeholders Forum, which promoted dialogue with successful leading companies such as Thales, Demcon and IBM. By working with E³UDRES², companies gain low-threshold access to a network of over 100,000 talents and numerous experts from all over Europe. Joint initiatives such as the E³UDRES² Living Labs, hackathons, boot camps and the joint degree master’s programmes starting in autumn specifically promote innovation and excellence in education and training.
The close Europe-wide cooperation of nine regions in areas such as digitalisation and artificial intelligence, health, well-being and social inclusion, resilient economy and innovation and creative industries brings numerous new opportunities for the forward-looking further development of “Smart & Sustainable European Regions”. This creates great added value not only for students and employees of the universities involved in E³UDRES², but also for the regional partners from business, administration, politics and society. In recent years, more than 500 European students have already dealt with regional challenges and developed 53 solutions for specific questions from the economy.
“Valuable synergies and knowledge transfer”
Anna Kofler, Managing Director of the St. Pölten-based start-up thynkAI, was present at the International Stakeholders Forum: “The European University E³UDRES² enables us to exchange ideas with leading players from science, business and society. This close networking creates valuable synergies for us, especially in the AI space, which enable a targeted and efficient transfer of knowledge in a fast-moving market. Everyone brings different perspectives to the table, and this interdisciplinary dialogue and valuable exchange strengthens our competitiveness.”
High-level meeting on the future of European universities
In his function as E³UDRES² President and President of EURASHE, the European Association of Applied Sciences in Higher Education, Hannes Raffaseder, Managing Director of the University of Applied Sciences, took part in a high-level meeting at the beginning of March on the role of the European Universities Initiative for Europe’s competitiveness in global contexts. On a panel with Roxana Minzatu (Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Pensions of the European Commission), he spoke to around 130 rectors of the 65 European Universities.
Raffaseder pointed out that the European Union must be even more ambitious and enable disruptive innovations – especially in the way knowledge is transferred. “In this way, we can teach future-relevant skills, ensure the employability of our graduates and attract talent regardless of age, gender, origin or social background,” he explained.
He also underlined the importance of diversity as one of Europe’s most valuable assets: “The targeted promotion of diversity is crucial. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, we should create an intelligent network of alliances built on unique and outstanding profiles.”
Interest from neighbouring countries
There is also great interest in the activities of E³UDRES² and the strategic development of the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences in other countries. Recently, the Czech Deputy Minister of Education Jiří Nantl visited the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences to find out about the overall development and possible cooperation opportunities.
Union of Skills against the shortage of skilled workers
European universities such as E³UDRES² also play an important role in the “Union of Skills” recently presented by the European Commission. Union of Skills aims to improve education and training and actively address the shortage of skilled workers in the EU and increase European competitiveness.
Among other things, the programme provides for better recognition of qualifications in the EU and, in the longer term, the development of joint study programmes with a joint degree.
Vision: Creating fully-fledged European universities
“The European Commission has thus clearly spoken out in favour of further strengthening the European University alliances,” said Raffaseder. “Our vision goes even further: We strive to create fully-fledged European universities that go far beyond the usual exchange of experience in international networks through close strategic cooperation and numerous joint activities in teaching, research, innovation and science communication. E³UDRES² is already taking important steps in this direction – with a strategy jointly developed by the nine universities, the establishment of joint research centres, interdisciplinary activities with students and regional partners, and the development of innovative joint master’s programmes in the fields of digital technologies, health and media.”
Save the Date: E³UDRES² Science Festival
In May, E³UDRES² will bring the first Science Festival to St. Pölten. The E³UDRES² Science Festival celebrates research, knowledge transfer and international collaboration: Under the motto “Local Pulse, Global Waves”, researchers from St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences will present their projects on 21 May 2025 and invite you to discover. Hands-on stations, workshops and lab tours show how science is shaping our future. The event is open to everyone, admission is free.
Further information: E³UDRES² Science Festival — St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences
