ARTEMIS Kick-Off Meeting – January 20–22, 2025 | Clermont-Ferrand, France

From 20 to 22 January 2025, the University Clermont Auvergne hosted the official launch of the ARTEMIS European University (“Alliance for Regional Transition, Equality, Mobility, Inclusion, and Sustainability”), a project co-funded by the European Commission.

This milestone event brought together representatives from the eight partner institutions, along with local authorities and socio-economic stakeholders. Together, they laid the foundation for a university dedicated to sustainable mobility.

“This project aims to create, within a few years, a truly European university — innovative, inclusive, and sustainable,” emphasized Mathias Bernard, President of the University Clermont Auvergne (UCA).

Stressing the societal responsibility of each institution, he reaffirmed the ambition to “help improve the lives of our fellow citizens” and to foster the circulation of knowledge between students and researchers.

A Consortium of Eight Institutions

Selected through a European call for proposals, the ARTEMIS project was officially chosen by the European Commission on 28 June 2024, receiving €8.64 million in co-funding over four years. It brings together:

Université Clermont Auvergne (France) – Coordinator
University of Ioannina (Greece)
Università degli Studi di Perugia (Italy)
Ovidius University of Constanța (Romania)
Ostbayerische Technische Hochschule Regensburg (Germany)
VIVES University of Applied Sciences (Belgium)
TTK University of Applied Sciences (Estonia)
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (Norway)

Most of these institutions are located in regions far from major urban centers, facing common challenges such as regional development, ageing populations, access to services, and ecological transition.

“For us, mobility is not just about transportation. It’s also about the freedom of goods, services, capital, and ideas,” emphasized Marie-Élisabeth Baudoin, ARTEMIS project coordinator, highlighting a broader vision of mobility — including migration, equity, and innovation.

Support from the European Commission

Sacha Beck, Policy Officer at the European Commission’s DG EAC, congratulated the entire consortium:

“We are very happy to see alliances like ARTEMIS emerge, because they foster innovation, mobility and cooperation across Europe.”

The Commission views these new European campuses as key drivers to strengthen excellence in higher education, support scientific cooperation, and build European citizenship through the free circulation of knowledge.

Selected alliances benefit from initial funding and support to tackle challenges such as the green and digital transitions and the defence of democratic values.

Local and International Engagement

Beyond the academic sphere, ARTEMIS also includes over 80 associated partners: local authorities, companies, and associations.

Jérôme Auslender, Deputy Mayor of Clermont-Ferrand, emphasized the positive impact of the European University ARTEMIS on the city’s appeal:

“This success strongly contributes to the attractiveness of our university, and by extension, to greater visibility for our city.”

Cooperation will extend to the regions of partner universities.

The goal: to share expertise, co-develop mobility solutions, and foster innovation by involving businesses and local stakeholders.

Work Packages to Build an Integrated European University

To coordinate work across the eight institutions, the ARTEMIS Alliance is structured into seven work packages:

Management & Governance (Université Clermont Auvergne): overall coordination and financial monitoring; the goal is to establish the governance and operational structures of the ARTEMIS European University.
Interuniversity Campus (Ovidius University of Constanța): development of a connected, intercultural, international, green, and inclusive campus to foster mobility and joint degrees.
Education & Training (VIVES, Belgium): creation of flexible, innovative programs addressing local challenges, including joint programs and European diplomas.
Research (University of Ioannina, Greece): development of shared ARTEMIS research structures.
Innovation & Knowledge Transfer (OTH Regensburg, Germany): establishment of joint innovation infrastructures to support knowledge transfer.
Societal Engagement & Regional Transition (TTK Tallinn, Estonia & Università di Perugia, Italy): co-design of education and research with local territories through mobile universities, living labs, and the creation of a territorial ARTEMIS ecosystem.
Communication, Dissemination & Sustainability (Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway): development of a strong identity and sense of belonging, sharing best practices with other alliances, and ensuring the project’s long-term sustainability.

“ARTEMIS is a collective endeavour: we need the involvement of our staff, students and external partners,” reiterated Marie-Élisabeth Baudoin, underlining the importance of including civil society in meeting the challenges of sustainable mobility.

Next Steps and Outlook

The launch in Clermont-Ferrand from 20 to 22 January 2025 made it possible to outline an ambitious roadmap. In the first few months, ARTEMIS will:

Create a web portal to provide information on mobility, research programs, and internship opportunities.
Pilot joint degrees and innovative teaching formats (hybrid learning, mobile universities, etc.).
Develop living labs in the partner regions, involving local authorities and students in co-creating practical solutions for transportation, urban planning, and environmental protection.

In the long term, the alliance aims to:

Expand student and staff mobility in all its forms (e.g., simplified credit recognition, financial aid).
Stimulate territorial innovation and competitiveness through collaborative research.
Promote inclusion and solidarity, notably by supporting non-EU partner institutions (such as two associated Ukrainian universities).
Expand internationally, attracting students and projects from beyond Europe.
Create a legal status for the ARTEMIS European University.

A Leading European University for Sustainable Mobility

At the close of the launch week, participants left with a strong sense of belonging to a unified consortium with a clear vision: to make ARTEMIS a key player in research and education on sustainable mobility, while strengthening cohesion across often isolated regions.

“May our European university set out a bright trajectory of solidarity, driving forward shared and joint initiatives in inclusive education and research,” concluded Marie-Élisabeth Baudoin in her closing remarks.

An ambition shared by Mathias Bernard, President of UCA:

“We must succeed in a troubled and uncertain context. It is our duty to reaffirm the importance of European values and to make them the foundation of our actions.”

Driven by this collective momentum, ARTEMIS is determined to demonstrate in the coming months that higher education, research, and innovation can transform regions and respond to the environmental, social, and economic challenges of the 21st century.

ARTEMIS Key Figures