From University to Community. We plant ideas that grow into great projects
24 September 2026, Conference Centre, Transilvania University of Brașov
In the last two years, the academic teaching and research personnel of Transilvania University of Brașov have developed, within UNITA European University Alliance, 37 projects dedicated to the local community. They are pilot projects that start from real challenges and needs, and aim at bringing forth ideas and solutions for the sustainable development of cities and communities.
The projects were financed through the UNITA Alliance’s starting grant programme, and were developed in collaboration with European partner universities. UNITA includes 12 universities from 7 European countries, and aims at fostering education, science and culture in the member regions, at strengthening the local innovation ecosystems, and at accelerating the transition to a knowledge-based economy.
The 37 projects address topics of interest to the European communities, such as: green energy, circular economy, digital transition, global health, inclusion or cultural heritage.
They are not traditional research projects, but rather pilot projects (seed grants), which can generate applicable solutions and can be the starting point for large-scale projects.
For example, one project explores solutions for powering urban public transport vehicles with additional green electricity.
Another project proposes the identification of innovative materials and methods to remove pollutants and microorganisms from wastewater, so that it can be safely reused.
We plant ideas that grow into big projects
In order to bring these projects closer to the community, Transilvania University of Brașov has launched the campaign From University to Community.
As part of the campaign, in several heavily trafficked areas of Brașov, as well as at Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport, we have set up urban micro-forests. Trees thus become the symbol of projects that start from an idea and grow, over time, until they can bring real benefits to the community.
Every tree represents a group of projects united under a common theme. Next to each tree, there is a QR code through which the city’s dwellers can discover their projects and learn more about the proposed ideas. Furthermore, every project has a dedicated feedback section, where anyone interested may submit suggestions, collaboration ideas or solution implementation proposals.
Transilvania University of Brașov wants these projects to expand beyond the academic environment and open a dialogue with civil society, the economic environment and local institutions. By integrating the community members’ suggestions and collaborating with the partner organizations interested in the topic, we aim for the 37 ideas to turn into large-scale projects, with an impact on the quality of life in our region. In this endeavour, we were joined by Brașov City Hall, Brașov-Ghimbav International Airport and Coresi Shopping Resort, as partners with whom we can turn the ideas into local-impact initiatives.
The ideas on the discussion table
The 37 starting grant projects will be presented and debated within an event organised on Thursday, 24 September 2026, starting at 10:00 a.m., in “Sergiu T. Chiriacescu” Conference Centre, Transilvania University of Brașov.
The event will bring together the UNITBV academics, both professors and researchers, who coordinated the projects, business and institutional stakeholders, as well as civil society representatives. Roundtables in the relevant fields, as well as a question-and-answer session, in which the participants can discuss directly with the project initiators, will be organised, too.
Brașov city’s inhabitants are welcome to discover the projects, share their feedback in this regard and, above all, contribute by our side to turning them into solutions for the community.
The projects are available here: UNITA research hubs – Transilvania University of Brașov