ADU NETWORK

Since 2018, ADU is one of the association’s founders and chair the regional Cultural and Creative Industries (CCI) cluster, a platform for engaging with the sector’s business community that develops international and local projects, organizes focus groups, and influences regional and economic development policies in sectors related to creativity and culture.

Since 2019, ADU is an active member of the Cumulus network. Cumulus is a global association promoting education and research in the fields of art and design. It serves as a forum for partnership, knowledge sharing and best practices. Cumulus currently has 340 members from 61 countries.

ADU plays an active role in the MICS partnership, which is a national hub that connects businesses, research centers, local communities, and institutions with the goal of transforming Italy’s manufacturing sector into one that is regenerative, digital, and transparent. These initiatives are being developed as part of the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR).

Since 2008, ADU has been involved in organizing a biennial international conference sponsored by the Latin Network for the Development of Process Design, a group of researchers, academics, and entrepreneurs from Latin-speaking and Latin-culture countries who study and work in a specific field of design known as process design. The conference is organized as a series of traveling events focused on process design and is now in its 8th edition. The Forum has been hosted in Italy, Portugal, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, and Colombia.

Since 2016, an inter-university agreement has been in place with the University of the Republic of San Marino for the mutual recognition of academic credentials and the joint development of educational and scientific programs in the field of design. Under this agreement, ADU and UNIRSM Design work in close collaboration to develop research activities and design courses within the Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programs.

EIT Culture & Creativity is the ninth Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) established by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), a European Union institution dedicated to helping Europe’s cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSI) become more sustainable, resilient, and competitive. Launched in 2023, it provides access to funding, knowledge, and tailored support.
As part of Europe’s largest innovation network, it creates lasting connections between research, industry, academia, and cultural institutions.
The agreement involves over 50 partner organizations, including the University of Bologna, to promote the competitiveness of sectors and businesses linked to the world of culture and creativity, and to position them as key players in the digital, environmental, and social transformations underway in Europe. The EIT C&C works closely with the CRICC Center and the Advanced Design Unit research group, which coordinates the Strategic Topic Group on NEB and Design.