ROYAL MELBOURNE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY SPAIN SL

Their core work

RMIT Europe is the European hub of RMIT University (Melbourne, Australia), operating from Madrid as a bridge between Australian and European research ecosystems. They specialize in research translation, doctoral training, and open innovation — running programs that connect industry needs with academic capabilities across both continents. Their work spans an unusually broad range from social innovation and citizen engagement to advanced materials and digital transformation, reflecting a university platform role rather than a single-discipline lab. They are particularly active in designing and coordinating large-scale doctoral and researcher exchange programs funded through Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2016–2019, RMIT Europe focused heavily on social science topics: citizen engagement, participatory governance, responsible research and innovation, and adult education for vulnerable groups. From 2020 onward, a clear pivot emerged toward large-scale doctoral training programs (EINST4INE, REDI), creative and transdisciplinary research, and more technical domains like advanced biomaterials and infrastructure security. This shift suggests a maturing European operation that moved from contributing to others' social science projects toward leading its own research training agenda with stronger STEM components.

RMIT Europe is scaling up as a doctoral training powerhouse connecting Australian and European research, with growing ambitions in STEM fields alongside its established social innovation base.

How they like to work

RMIT Europe operates predominantly as a participant (8 of 11 projects) but takes the coordinator role for its most strategically important projects — all three coordinated projects are MSCA training and mobility programmes. With 168 unique partners across 31 countries, they maintain an exceptionally broad and diverse network rather than relying on repeat collaborators, which is consistent with their platform role as a connector between ecosystems. This makes them an attractive partner for consortium builders who need a bridge to Australian research or a partner experienced in managing international doctoral programmes.

Exceptionally wide network of 168 unique partners across 31 countries, reflecting their role as an intercontinental research connector. Their geographic reach spans well beyond Europe into the Asia-Pacific region through the RMIT University link, which is rare among H2020 participants.

What sets them apart

RMIT Europe is one of very few organizations in H2020 that structurally bridges Australian and European research — this intercontinental positioning is genuinely rare and valuable for projects needing global reach. Their unusual combination of social science credibility with emerging STEM capabilities, all wrapped in a dedicated research translation and training mandate, means they can contribute to consortium proposals across a remarkably wide range of topics. For anyone building a consortium that needs an experienced MSCA partner or a gateway to Australian university capabilities, RMIT Europe is a distinctive choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• REDI
  By far their largest project (€4.4M, coordinator) — a COFUND doctoral programme that represents RMIT Europe's strategic bet on becoming a major European doctoral training hub.
• EINST4INE
  €1M coordinated training network on industry digital transformation, demonstrating their ability to lead multi-partner research training across innovation ecosystems.
• CreaTures
  Their largest single participation budget (€454K), applying creative and artistic practices to sustainability transformation — showcasing their strength in unconventional transdisciplinary approaches.