UniTS and the University of Rijeka (UNIRI) have launched efforts to strengthen their collaboration through an official meeting. The two institutions share a strong focus on research, innovation, engagement with the local area, and their strategic position in the Upper Adriatic region.

Among the first initiatives identified to give concrete form to the agreement is the organization of Joint Research Day Seminars, initially focusing on three areas: Naval Engineering, Blue Economy and Physics. The two universities will explore potential collaborations in other strategic fields in the future.

The collaboration may also be extended to administrative and student communities through staff meetings, student entrepreneurship programmes, technology transfer initiatives and Erasmus Traineeship opportunities.

The meeting builds on a relationship that began in 2001 and has led over the years to nearly one hundred joint scientific publications, as well as joint participation in NAHV – North Adriatic Hydrogen Valley, the major European project dedicated to developing the renewable hydrogen economy in the Upper Adriatic region, which originated from an UniTS initiative.

The meeting was attended, on behalf of UNIRI, by Rector Goran Hauser, Vice-Rector for Strategic Projects Goran Vukelić and Vice-Rector for Digitalisation and Development Marin Karuza. Representing UniTS were Rector Donata Vianelli, Vice-Rector for Research Paolo Fornasiero, Vice-Rector for Relations with Companies and the Local Community Guido Bortoluzzi and Delegate for Technology Transfer and Relations with Research Institutions Erik Vesselli.