LUISS LIBERA UNIVERSITA INTERNAZIONALE DEGLI STUDI SOCIALI GUIDO CARLI

Their core work

LUISS is a leading Italian private university in Rome specializing in social sciences, political science, economics, and law. Within H2020, they contribute deep expertise in European governance, democratic institutions, digital transformation policy, and the intersection of technology with society. Their research translates into policy recommendations on EU reform, rule of law, citizen engagement, and the governance implications of digitalisation. They bridge academic political theory with practical questions about how Europe governs itself and adapts to technological and societal change.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015–2019), LUISS focused heavily on traditional European integration questions — fiscal rules, EU treaty choices, democracy, rule of law, sovereignty, and cultural heritage governance. From 2020 onward, a clear pivot emerges toward digitalisation, technology assessment, AI governance, media innovation, and the global dimensions of digital policy (notably through PRODIGEES linking digitalisation with emerging powers and the 2030 Agenda). They are evolving from a purely political-science institution into one that addresses how digital transformation reshapes governance and society.

LUISS is moving toward the governance dimensions of AI, digital transformation, and sustainable development — expect them to seek partners at the intersection of technology policy, digital ethics, and European competitiveness.

How they like to work

LUISS overwhelmingly participates as a partner (13 of 15 projects) rather than leading consortia, suggesting they are a trusted contributor who brings social science depth to multidisciplinary teams. They have coordinated only twice — ISEProD (an ERC Advanced Grant, inherently PI-led) and MOBILISE (a small CSA) — indicating they prefer joining large research consortia rather than managing them. With 109 unique partners across 32 countries, they are a well-connected hub that does not repeatedly work with the same groups, making them an accessible partner for new collaborations.

LUISS has built a broad European network spanning 109 unique consortium partners across 32 countries, reflecting genuinely pan-European reach rather than a narrow regional cluster. Their partner diversity suggests they are valued across different research communities — from political science to digital innovation.

What sets them apart

LUISS occupies a distinctive niche as a social sciences university that systematically connects political governance research with digital transformation and economic policy — a combination few institutions cover with equal depth. Unlike technical universities that study digitalisation from an engineering angle, LUISS brings the governance, democratic legitimacy, and societal impact perspective that EU programmes increasingly require. For consortium builders, they offer the kind of social science and policy analysis backbone that makes proposals credible on the "responsible innovation" and "societal impact" dimensions.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ISEProD
  Their largest project (EUR 1.9M) and an ERC Advanced Grant — a marker of individual research excellence in European productivity economics, and one of only two projects they coordinate.
• PRODIGEES
  Represents their strategic pivot toward digitalisation governance, linking EU and emerging powers around the 2030 Agenda and technology assessment — a bridge between their political science roots and their digital future.
• RECONNECT
  A flagship EU democracy project addressing the gap between EU institutions and citizens through rule of law and democratic legitimacy — core to LUISS's identity as a governance research institution.