UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI NAPOLI FEDERICO II

Their core work

Federico II is one of Italy's largest and oldest public research universities, with deep strengths spanning aerospace engineering, life sciences, computational science, and environmental research. Their H2020 portfolio reveals active research groups working on aircraft design and rotorcraft within Clean Sky joint technology initiatives, microbiome and glycobiology in the life sciences, high-performance computing for oceanographic and climate modeling, and advanced materials for harsh environments. They serve as both a training hub through extensive Marie Skłodowska-Curie mobility networks and a source of fundamental research via ERC grants in fields from photonics to celestial mechanics.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early H2020 period (2014–2018), UNINA focused heavily on aerospace engineering through Clean Sky JTI programs, fundamental research in mathematics and physics, and geotechnical/environmental engineering — with HPC applied mainly to oceanographic modeling. From 2019 onward, a clear shift emerged toward life sciences (microbiome, glycobiology, chemical biology), sustainability and climate change research, and citizen science engagement. The computational work also evolved from domain-specific ocean modeling toward broader HPC, neuroinformatics, and neuromorphic computing applications.

UNINA is pivoting from hardware-heavy aerospace and geotechnical engineering toward bio-digital convergence — combining life sciences expertise with computational methods — while adding a strong science-communication and public-engagement dimension.

How they like to work

UNINA operates predominantly as an active partner (75% of projects), joining large international consortia rather than leading them — though their 24 coordinated projects show they can and do take the lead, particularly in fundamental research (ERC, MSCA). With 1,355 unique consortium partners across 58 countries, they function as a high-connectivity hub in the European research network, comfortable working with diverse teams across disciplines. Their heavy participation in MSCA-RISE and MSCA-ITN programs (28 projects combined) signals a strong emphasis on researcher mobility and training networks.

With 1,355 unique consortium partners spanning 58 countries, UNINA has one of the broadest collaboration networks among Italian universities in H2020. Their reach is truly global, though concentrated in EU member states with strong ties to aerospace, environmental, and life science research communities.

What sets them apart

UNINA's distinguishing feature is its exceptional breadth: few single universities can offer aerospace engineering, molecular biology, HPC, food science, and geotechnical risk assessment from the same institution. This makes them a versatile consortium partner who can fill multiple roles within a single proposal. Their location in Southern Italy also positions them as a bridge to Mediterranean research priorities — seismic risk, climate adaptation, and agricultural resilience — areas where they bring both scientific depth and lived regional relevance.

Highlights from their portfolio

• REG GAM 2018
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 2.1M) — regional aircraft development under Clean Sky, demonstrating UNINA's heavyweight role in European aerospace R&D.
• PHOSPhOR
  Coordinated ERC-funded project (EUR 1.49M) on photonics of spin-orbit optical phenomena — shows capacity to lead frontier physics research.
• NASDAC
  Coordinated project combining HPC with oceanography for scalable data assimilation — exemplifies their cross-disciplinary computational strength.