FUNDACION DEUSTO-DEUSTU FUNDAZIOA

Their core work

Fundación Deusto is the research foundation of the University of Deusto in Bilbao, one of Spain's leading private universities. They conduct applied research spanning social innovation, energy systems, data science, and mathematical modelling, often bridging academic research with public policy and urban challenges. Their work focuses on translating EU-funded research into practical tools for public administrations, youth empowerment, and energy transition planning. They frequently operate as a linked third party to the university, providing specialized research capacity in interdisciplinary projects.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2016–2018), Fundación Deusto focused on technical domains: NLP for public services, energy-efficient building behaviour, security analytics, and a major ERC grant in mathematical control theory. From 2019 onward, their portfolio shifted decisively toward social sciences — youth empowerment, gender equality in research institutions, urban inequality, and citizen science. The energy work also evolved from device-level efficiency (GREENSOUL) to system-level causal modelling of household energy behaviour (WHY).

Fundación Deusto is moving firmly toward participatory social research and policy co-creation, making them a strong partner for projects addressing inequality, youth engagement, or the social dimensions of the energy transition.

How they like to work

Fundación Deusto most often participates as a third party (6 of 12 projects), reflecting its role as the research arm linked to the University of Deusto rather than an independent consortium lead. When they do take direct roles, they can coordinate effectively — demonstrated by two coordinator positions including a prestigious ERC Advanced Grant. With 140 unique partners across 23 countries, they operate within large European consortia and bring a broad, well-connected network rather than deep ties to a few repeat partners.

They have collaborated with 140 unique partners across 23 countries, indicating broad European reach. Their network spans from technical ICT partners to social research organizations and public authorities, reflecting their interdisciplinary profile.

What sets them apart

Fundación Deusto combines an unusual breadth: rigorous mathematical research (ERC-level), applied ICT (NLP, data analytics), and deep social science expertise (youth policy, gender equality, citizen engagement). This makes them particularly valuable for projects that need to connect technical solutions with real-world social impact assessment. Based in the Basque Country — a region with strong innovation infrastructure — they bring both Spanish and regional institutional connections.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DYCON
  ERC Advanced Grant worth EUR 1.6M — their largest project and a marker of world-class mathematical research capacity in dynamic control of PDEs.
• Waste4Think
  Coordinated a EUR 1.2M project integrating waste management with lifecycle thinking — demonstrates ability to lead applied, multi-partner research.
• UPLIFT
  Addresses urban inequality and youth policy co-creation across multiple European cities, reflecting their recent pivot toward participatory social research.