From 22 to 24 September, Università Iuav di Venezia took part in the PIONEER Governance Week 2026, hosted in Finland by Laurea University of Applied Sciences, together with delegations from the ten partner universities of the PIONEER Alliance. The event consolidated collaboration within the partnership, focusing in particular on the development of the future Open Campus and on interoperability among the participating institutions.

The Open Campus model was at the centre of the Alliance's first General Assembly, open to both associated partners and representatives of local ecosystems, with over 400 participants attending in person and remotely. Through talks and thematic panels, the assembly focused on building the activities of the PIONEER community and on strategies to facilitate mobility and collaboration among the universities, offering an opportunity for constructive dialogue aimed not only at the academic world, but also at citizens and European territorial ecosystems.

Another key topic at the centre of Governance Week was interoperability between universities' administrative services (IT Department, student services and others), with the definition of an operational collaboration roadmap aimed at integrating the perspectives of IT services and student management. The roadmap will aim to offer an integrated vision of administrative needs and technical feasibility, addressing issues relating to data transferability, processes, responsibilities and timelines.

Governance Week saw the participation of the Alliance's various working groups: the Governing Board (GB), led by rectors and presidents; the Steering Committee (SC), made up of the project's scientific leads; the Local Coordinators (LC); the Work Package (WP) leaders; and staff involved in the operational and strategic management of the project. The Iuav delegation was made up of Francesco Musco, Gianluca Zucconelli, Lorena Canaku, Cristina Catalanotti, Elena Ferraioli, Francesco Deriu and Fabio Moretti.

The PIONEER Alliance's shared commitment falls within the framework of the 2030 Agenda, with a particular focus on sustainable urban development (SDG 11), promoting more inclusive, resilient and innovative cities.