SCUOLA SUPERIORE DI STUDI UNIVERSITARI E DI PERFEZIONAMENTO S ANNA

Their core work

Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna is an elite Italian graduate school in Pisa that has become one of Europe's leading centers for biorobotics, soft robotics, and neural prosthetics. Their research spans from bioinspired robotic systems and advanced prosthetic limbs with neural control to artificial intelligence, autonomous underwater vehicles, and assistive robotics for healthcare. Beyond robotics, they contribute substantially to computational neuroscience (as a Human Brain Project partner), economics of innovation, and sustainability research. With over EUR 43 million in H2020 funding across 105 projects, they are among the most prolific Italian research institutions in EU framework programs.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2015-2018), Sant'Anna's portfolio was anchored in computational neuroscience — brain simulation, neuroinformatics, neuromorphic computing — alongside established work in upper-limb prosthetics and underwater robotics. From 2019 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward soft robotics, artificial intelligence, additive manufacturing, and applied autonomy, while maintaining their prosthetics strength. The neuroscience work receded as the Human Brain Project phases concluded, replaced by a more application-oriented portfolio emphasizing smart materials, privacy-aware systems, and sustainability.

Sant'Anna is pivoting from fundamental neuroscience toward deployable robotic and AI systems, making them an increasingly attractive partner for applied research and industry-facing projects.

How they like to work

Sant'Anna operates as both a credible consortium leader (22 coordinated projects, 21% coordination rate) and a highly sought-after specialist partner. Their 1,195 unique consortium partners across 75 countries indicate a hub organization — they do not rely on a small circle but connect broadly across European and global networks. This openness, combined with their willingness to take coordination responsibility on technically ambitious projects (MYKI, DeTOP, CYBERLEGs++), makes them a reliable anchor partner for robotics and AI consortia.

With 1,195 unique consortium partners spanning 75 countries, Sant'Anna has one of the densest collaboration networks of any European university in robotics and AI. Their reach extends well beyond the EU into global partnerships, though the core network remains firmly pan-European.

What sets them apart

Sant'Anna occupies a rare intersection: they combine world-class biorobotics with deep neuroscience expertise and strong engineering output, all within a small, elite institution. Unlike large universities where robotics is one department among many, Sant'Anna's concentrated focus means projects get direct access to top researchers without bureaucratic overhead. Their track record of coordinating high-value prosthetics projects (MYKI at EUR 1.5M, CYBERLEGs++ at EUR 1.2M) while also delivering as partners in massive initiatives like the Human Brain Project demonstrates unusual versatility for their size.

Highlights from their portfolio

• MYKI
  Coordinated EUR 1.5M ERC-level project on bidirectional myokinetic implanted interfaces — their highest-funded single project and a flagship in neural prosthetics.
• CYBERLEGs Plus Plus
  Coordinated EUR 1.2M project extending cognitive ortho-prostheses to lower limbs, demonstrating their ability to scale prosthetics research from upper to lower extremities.
• HBP SGA1
  Participation in the billion-euro Human Brain Project — one of the EU's largest scientific endeavors — working on brain simulation, neuroinformatics, and neuromorphic computing.