Vision and Mission
EURECA-PRO’s vision is to become the global educational core hub and a leader in interdisciplinary research and innovation for responsible consumption and production (RCP) of goods and resources by 2040. The alliance aims to drive sustainability through education, research, and innovation.
As a European role model for inter-university cooperation, EURECA-PRO fosters seamless collaboration across borders and actively involves society in its objectives and actions. It focuses on generating interdisciplinary, holistic knowledge on RCP and integrating this into all educational activities.
EURECA-PRO is committed to educating future-oriented, multi-dimensional leaders and ensuring its research has tangible, positive impacts on society. By eliminating barriers and deepening cooperation, the alliance works towards a more sustainable, responsible, and inclusive future.
The Long-Term Mission in Detail
By 2040 EURECA-PRO implements all structures and actions necessary to reach its laid-out vision. Out of these actions, Research Lighthouse Faculties eventually evolve. They unite research clusters which generate interdisciplinary, holistic and systemic knowledge on RCP. The Project Factory PROFA is established as a tool for RCP knowledge creation, providing livinglabs and action spaces interweaving cross-sectoral innovation and societal contribution into ideation and creation processes. The knowledge created is then transferred into the educational activities that are housed in the EURECA-PRO Life-long Learning Academy ELLA, the Doctoral School and the Degree Programmes that are set up. In these schools and programmes critical, future-oriented, multi-dimensional change-makers and citizens on all levels are cultivated and transversally skilled by highly innovative educators. Through EURECA-PRO’s unified approach in establishing joint structures and cross-border collaboration encompassing extensive exchange and mobility between the partners, barriers can be identified and strategies devised to eliminate these for the evolution of deeply integrated cooperation.
This huge endeavour seeks to transform the mindset of all stakeholders involved so that science, education, innovation and integration are recognised as key to the solution of complex societal challenges. Only interdisciplinary and systemic approaches can lead to the desired solutions.
EURECA-PRO Position Paper:
Shaping the Future of Responsible Consumption and Production
This position paper is the result of an open seminar held in Brussels in June 2024, which convened key stakeholders, including representatives from UNIDO, JRC, DG GROW, and DG EAC. These discussions served as a foundation for EURECA-PRO to formulate 10 actionable recommendations aimed at addressing the intricate sustainability challenges tied to societal transitions towards responsible consumption and production.
Message from the EURECA-PRO rectors on the main achievements of phase 1.0
In the first project phase of EURECA-PRO (2020-2023), our partner universities laid the foundation for the international and interdisciplinary cooperation among researchers, staff and students across the partner universities to build a strong and strategic university alliance. It introduced new study programmes on Responsible Consumption and Production and established research groups and 6 lighthouse missions as well as an international renowned conference on RCP. In the next phase (2023-2027) the alliance will continue making headway towards becoming the centre of excellence in Europe for education and research on responsible consumption and production as well as moving towards the long-term goal of creating a virtual and integrated European campus until 2040.
