Transforming education and research: Two Unite! Seed Fund projects secure top EU funding
Two Unite! Seed Fund projects coordinated by Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) have secured prestigious European grants, highlighting the transformative impact of Unite! in both education and research.
One of the Unite! seed fund projects, “The Graduate school for Language, Speech and AI Technologies”, coordinated by Gernot Kubin, from TU Graz, has been selected for funding as an Erasmus Mundus Design Measure (EMDM). The initiative, originally supported by the Unite! Seed Fund for Teaching & Learning, aims to establish a joint European Master’s programme in Speech, Language and AI technologies across all nine Unite! partner universities.
The goal of this future programme is to prepare students for the rapid developments and competitive demands of international research in speech technology.
“Being selected for Erasmus Mundus funding right away is a huge success – and it was only possible thanks to the Unite! Seed Fund project that brought all nine Unite! partners together"
The EMDM funding now allows the consortium to design the details of the curriculum and prepare a full Erasmus Mundus Joint Master application.
Driving sustainable mobility with Unite!
A second success story comes from the research side: the Seed Fund project “Fostering Innovation Ecosystems for a Green Mobility Transition”, led by TU Graz PostDoc Thomas Draschbacher.
The idea has now secured funding under the “Driving Urban Transitions Partnership Call 2024”. Together with the Unite! partners KTH Stockholm and Aalto University, the project will work with companies and stakeholders to develop sustainable road transportation ecosystems, supporting the EU’s climate neutrality goals. The project receives nearly €1.5 million in funding.
Unite! Seed Fund – from idea to impact
Success stories like these demonstrate how Unite! Seed Fund projects can grow into European flagship initiatives, bridging education and research while strengthening international collaboration.
The next Unite! Seed Fund call will open in spring 2026 – a chance to develop pioneering projects that shape the future of international education and research.