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HECOFUND2023–2028

FutureData4EU · Training Future Big Data Experts for Europe

Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2023-11-01 → 2028-10-31
EU contribution
€5,342,400
Participants
95
Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-Cofund-D

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners. CORDIS does not always give exact coordinates for projects before 2014. These points are placed at city or country level.

Results in brief

Training Future Big Data Experts for Europe

FutureData4EU is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND programme designed to address the growing demand for highly skilled researchers capable of navigating the societal, economic and ethical challenges posed by data-driven transformations in Europe. The project is embedded in the broader European policy context shaped by the digital transition, the European Strategy for Data, and the need to strengthen Europe’s capacity in advanced data science while ensuring that technological innovation remains socially responsible, inclusive and aligned with democratic values. Across public administrations, industry, and research institutions, there is a recognised skills gap between advanced technical competences in data analysis and the ability to critically assess their social, legal, economic and ethical implications. This gap is particularly evident in areas such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, and digital infrastructures, where data-driven solutions increasingly influence policy-making, economic competitiveness and citizens’ everyday lives. FutureData4EU responds to this need by promoting an interdisciplinary training model that integrates data science with social sciences and humanities (SSH), fostering a new generation of researchers able to combine technical excellence with critical, contextual and ethical awareness. The overall objective of the project is to train doctoral candidates with strong methodological competences in data-intensive research, while equipping them with the transversal skills necessary to operate across sectors and disciplines. Through a structured doctoral programme implemented by a consortium of universities in the Emilia-Romagna region, FutureData4EU aims to enhance researchers’ employability, support knowledge transfer between academia and non-academic actors, and contribute to regional, national and European innovation ecosystems. The project pathway to impact is based on a comprehensive training framework combining high-quality doctoral research, tailored career development support, secondments in non-academic organisations, and a strong emphasis on open science, research integrity and responsible research and innovation. By embedding doctoral research within real-world challenges and fostering collaboration with industry, public institutions and civil society, the project ensures that its results are relevant beyond academia and capable of generating long-term societal and economic value. A distinctive feature of FutureData4EU is the central role of social sciences and humanities. SSH disciplines contribute not only by analysing the societal implications of data-driven technologies, but also by shaping research questions, methodologies and evaluation frameworks throughout the project. This integration enables fellows to critically engage with issues such as data governance, privacy, inequality, trust, and the societal impacts of digital innovation, thereby strengthening the societal relevance and robustness of the research outcomes. At scale, the project is expected to contribute to strengthening Europe’s human capital in data-related fields and enhancing the responsible use of data across sectors. By training a cohort of interdisciplinary researchers and embedding them in European and international networks, FutureData4EU aims to generate lasting impacts on research practices, institutional collaboration, and the alignment between technological innovation and societal needs.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Big-data management through high-performance computing is nowadays considered as the richness of the new knowledge economy, providing unprecedented opportunities in several R&I and applicative domains, from climate change to health, from mobility to cultural heritage, from digital change in production systems to new materials and financial analysis. In Italy, 70% of the national computing and storage capacity is set in the Emilia-Romagna Region, making it an authentic Data Valley. While supercomputing infrastructures are a pre-requisite for European competitiveness, data-driven R&I needs qualified experts in datascience and big-data application in relevant societal/industrial domains. In this context, the University of Bologna in partnership with the other 5 universities located in the region, with the support of the Regional Authority and involving the relevant stakeholders, is proposing FutureData4EU, to train the data-science experts of tomorrow through an interdisciplinary, international and cross-sectoral approach. FutureData4EU builds on existing PhD courses will offer a pioneering combination of training in research and transversal skills in the multi- and trans-disciplinary field of Big-Data, through the enabling technologies and the Thematic Areas representing the Horizon Europe Clusters (1. Health; 2. Culture, Creativity and Inclusive Society; 3. Civil Security for Society; 4. Digital, Industry and Space; 5. Climate, Energy and Mobility; 6. Food, Bioeconomy, Natural Resources, Agriculture and Environment).

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA · BolognaCoordinatorItaly
  • AALBORG UNIVERSITET · AalborgDenmark
  • AAT-ADVANCED ANALYTICAL TECHNOLOGIES-SRL · FIORENZUOLA D'ARDAItaly
  • AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS · MadridSpain
  • AGENZIA NAZIONALE PER LE NUOVE TECNOLOGIE, L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPO ECONOMICO SOSTENIBILE · RomaItaly
  • AGENZIA PER L'ENERGIA E LO SVILUPPOSOSTENIBILE ASSOCIAZIONE · ModenaItaly
  • AGENZIA REGIONALE PER LA PREVENZIONE, L'AMBIENTE E L'ENERGIA DELL'EMILIA-ROMAGNA · BolognaItaly
  • ART-ER-SOCIETA CONSORTILE PER AZIONI · BOLOGNA BOItaly
  • ASSOCIAZIONE CLUST-ER ENERGIA E SVILUPPO SOSTENIBILE · BolognaItaly
  • AUTORITA' DI BACINO DISTRETTUALE DEL FIUME PO · ParmaItaly
  • AZIENDE CHIMICHE RIUNITE ANGELINI FRANCESCO - A.C.R.A.F. - SPA · RomaItaly
  • Aitaly S.r.l. · NAPOLICity levelItaly
  • Archeosmart s.r.l. · FerraraCity levelItaly
  • Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria S.Orsola-Malpighi di Bologna · BolognaItaly
  • BI-REX- BIG DATA INNOVATION RESEARCH EXCELLENCE · BolognaItaly
  • BeeViva s.r.l. · padovaCity levelItaly
  • BitNomos srl · BolognaCity levelItaly
  • CENTRE DE RECERCA EN ECONOMIA I DESENVOLUPAMENT AGROALIMENTARI-UPC-IRTA · CastelldefelsSpain
  • CENTRE HOSPITALIER REGIONAL ET UNIVERSITAIRE DE LILLE · LilleFrance
  • CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS · ParisFrance
  • CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION Y TECNOLOGIA AGROALIMENTARIA DE ARAGON · ZaragozaSpain
  • CENTRO NACIONAL DE INVESTIGACION SOBRE LA EVOLUCION HUMANA · BurgosSpain
  • CHIESI FARMACEUTICI SPA · ParmaItaly
  • CINECA CONSORZIO INTERUNIVERSITARIO · CASALECCHIO DI RENO BOItaly
  • CLUST-ER AGROALIMENTARE · BolognaItaly
  • CLUST-ER INDUSTRIE CULTURALI E CREATIVE · BolognaItaly
  • CLUST-ER INDUSTRIE DELLA SALUTE E DEL BENESSERE · BolognaItaly
  • CLUST-ER INNOVAZIONE NEI SERVIZI · BolognaItaly
  • CLUST-ER MECCATRONICA E MOTORISTICA · BolognaItaly
  • COMUNE DI CESENA · CesenaItaly
  • CONSIGLIO PER LA RICERCA IN AGRICOLTURA E L'ANALISI DELL'ECONOMIA AGRARIA · ROMAItaly
  • CONSORZIO CASALASCO DEL POMODORO SOCIETA AGRICOLA COOPERATIVA · Rivarolo Del Re Ed UnitiItaly
  • Clust-ER BUILD Edilizia e Costruzioni · BolognaItaly
  • DATARIVER SRL · MODENAItaly
  • DUMAREY AUTOMOTIVE ITALIA SPA · TorinoItaly
  • EBERHARD KARLS UNIVERSITAET TUEBINGEN · TuebingenGermany
  • ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE DE MONTREAL · MontrealCanada
  • EMILIA ROMAGNA TEATRO FONDAZIONE -TEATRO STABILE PUBBLICO REGIONALE · ModenaItaly
  • EUROPEAN SOUTHERN OBSERVATORY - ESO EUROPEAN ORGANISATION FOR ASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE · GarchingGermany
  • FONDAZIONE CENTRO EURO-MEDITERRANEOSUI CAMBIAMENTI CLIMATICI · LecceItaly
  • FONDAZIONE ISTITUTO NEUROLOGICO NAZIONALE CASIMIRO MONDINO · PaviaItaly
  • FONDAZIONE PIETRO GIACOMO RUSCONI,VILLA GHIGI, PER L'INNOVAZIONE URBANA · BolognaItaly
  • FORSCHUNGSZENTRUM JULICH GMBH · JULICHGermany
  • FUNDACION DONOSTIA INTERNATIONAL PHYSICS CENTER · Donostia San SebastianSpain
  • FUNDACION TECNALIA RESEARCH & INNOVATION · DONOSTIA/SAN SEBASTIANSpain
  • Groupe ESIEA · ParisCity levelFrance
  • HORTA SRL · PiacenzaItaly
  • INSTITUT GUSTAVE ROUSSY · VillejuifFrance
  • IPOOL SRL · PISTOIACity levelItaly
  • ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI ASTROFISICA · ROMAItaly
  • ISTITUTO NAZIONALE DI FISICA NUCLEARE · FrascatiItaly
  • ISTITUTO ROMAGNOLO PER LO STUDIO DEI TUMORI DINO AMADORI - IRST SRL · MeldolaItaly
  • KATHOLIEKE UNIVERSITEIT LEUVEN · LeuvenBelgium
  • KAUNO TECHNOLOGIJOS UNIVERSITETAS · KaunasLithuania
  • KOBENHAVNS UNIVERSITET · KOBENHAVNDenmark
  • Klinikum Bielefeld · BielefeldCity levelGermany
  • LABORATORIO DE INSTRUMENTACAO E FISICA EXPERIMENTAL DE PARTICULAS LIP · CoimbraPortugal
  • LUNDS UNIVERSITET · LundSweden
  • MUSEUM NATIONAL D'HISTOIRE NATURELLE · ParisFrance
  • NORGES TEKNISK-NATURVITENSKAPELIGE UNIVERSITET NTNU · TrondheimNorway
  • ORGANISATION EUROPEENNE POUR LA RECHERCHE NUCLEAIRE · GENEVE 23Switzerland
  • OSPEDALI PRIVATI FORLI' spa · ForlìCity levelItaly
  • Phycon · RigaCity levelLatvia
  • REGIONE EMILIA ROMAGNA · BolognaItaly
  • STICHTING RADBOUD UNIVERSITEIT · NijmegenNetherlands
  • SVERIGES LANTBRUKSUNIVERSITET · UppsalaSweden
  • SYSTEM CERAMICS SPA · Fiorano ModeneseItaly
  • Studium Genetics SRL · BolognaCity levelItaly
  • SynDiag srl · TurinCity levelItaly
  • TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAT BERLIN · BerlinGermany
  • THE MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY · MANCHESTERUnited Kingdom
  • THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER · ManchesterUnited Kingdom
  • THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM · NottinghamUnited Kingdom
  • UMBRAGROUP SPA · FOLIGNO PGItaly
  • UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION · ParisFrance
  • UNIVERSIDAD AUTONOMA DE MADRID · MadridSpain
  • UNIVERSIDAD DE GRANADA · GranadaSpain
  • UNIVERSIDAD PABLO DE OLAVIDE · SevillaSpain
  • UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID · MadridSpain
  • UNIVERSITAET BIELEFELD · BielefeldGermany
  • UNIVERSITAT DE LES ILLES BALEARS · PALMA DE MALLORCASpain
  • UNIVERSITAT JAUME I DE CASTELLON · Castellon De La PlanaSpain
  • UNIVERSITAT ZU KOLN · KolnGermany
  • UNIVERSITE CATHOLIQUE DE LOUVAIN · LOUVAIN LA NEUVEBelgium
  • UNIVERSITE DE BORDEAUX · BordeauxFrance
  • UNIVERSITE DE GENEVE · GeneveSwitzerland
  • UNIVERSITEIT GENT · GentBelgium
  • UNIVERSITEIT LEIDEN · LeidenNetherlands
  • UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT · UtrechtNetherlands
  • UNIVERSITY OF BATH · BATHUnited Kingdom
  • UNIVERSITY OF STUTTGART · StuttgartGermany
  • University of Cambridge, Department of Biochemistry · CambridgeCity levelUnited Kingdom
  • VERSALIS SPA · San Donato Milanese MiItaly
  • WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY · WageningenNetherlands
  • WONDERFUL EDUCATION SRL · MODENAItaly

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union