University of Bologna

What University of Bologna does

The University of Bologna (Alma Mater Studiorum – Università di Bologna) is a public Italian state university founded in 1088, recognized as the oldest university in continuous operation in the world. Headquartered at Via Zamboni 33 in Bologna and governed by the Italian Ministry of University and Research (MUR), the institution operates five campuses across the Emilia-Romagna region—Bologna, Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna, and Rimini—serving a large student body across undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and continuing education programmes. Its business model combines state appropriations, public tuition fees (€500–€4,500 per year), competitive research grants (Horizon Europe, PNRR, Erasmus+), and revenue from industry and public-sector collaboration. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed in the manner of private companies, and the entity has no shareholders or external investors.

The university's core technology footprint spans open-source institutional platforms (Plone CMS), digital learning and student services (Virtuale, AlmaEsami, AlmaRM, IRIS, Studenti Online), and an extensive affiliated ecosystem including Fondazione Alma Mater, Fondazione Federico Zeri, university libraries (BUB, SBA), the museum system (SMA), the language centre (CLA), and innovation/entrepreneurship support via I.D.E.A. Research activity is conducted through multiple departments and coordinated projects spanning sustainable aquaculture (ActFast, 28 EU partners), autonomous vehicles (MoVeOver), AI-driven healthcare (Joint Labs stroke recovery), wearable fall-risk sensors (WEAR-FALL), LLM benchmarking (PromptTone), and open hardware (RISC-V Summit Europe 2026).

Revenue mechanics are institutional rather than commercial: government funding flows through MUR, tuition provides a secondary and accessible price point (cited as a driver for international recruitment), and major EU consortia deliver multi-million-euro research awards. The customer base is highly diversified across prospective and enrolled students (primary), research partners (businesses, academic consortia, public institutions), and continuing-education clients, with no single customer concentration. Notable 2025–2026 recognition includes THE #1 in Italy for sustainable development, QS 123rd globally (+15 positions), and the 2026 Premio Basile excellence mention for Public Administration training.

Name

University of Bologna

Legal name

ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - Università di Bologna

Website

https://unibo.it

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The University of Bologna is a public Italian research university founded in 1088, the oldest in continuous operation in the world. It operates five campuses across Emilia-Romagna, serving undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and continuing-education students while coordinating major EU-funded research consortia in AI, healthcare, sustainable aquaculture, and autonomous systems.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Comprehensive Graduate & Professional Schools (EDAHAAAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA), Urban/Metropolitan Public Research Universities (EDAHAAAH), Research & Lab-Based Short-Term Programs (Undergraduate/Graduate) (EDAIAIAF), University & Academic Conference Venues (THAHAAAD)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• University degree programs
• Academic research services
• Continuing professional education
• International exchange programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Bologna

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The University of Bologna is a public state university that delivers higher education across undergraduate, graduate, master, doctoral, and specialization levels, and conducts funded multi-disciplinary research. It supplements academic instruction with continuing professional education, technology transfer, career placement, library and museum services, and specialised facilities such as the SimBo medical simulation center. It operates across five Italian campuses and participates in major international research consortia.

Product overview

The University of Bologna operates as a comprehensive public research university offering educational programs across multiple disciplines, along with specialized research facilities and digital platforms for students and staff. The institution provides various internal services including the AlmaEsami exam management system, AlmaRM international mobility platform, IRIS institutional research archive, Virtuale teaching materials platform, and Studenti Online student management portal. The university also maintains dedicated research initiatives including the SimBo simulation center for medical training, WEAR-FALL wearable sensor research for fall risk assessment, ActFast AI-powered aquaculture project, and the MoVeOver autonomous vehicle research initiative. These research projects represent the university's focus on applied technology development in healthcare, sustainability, and autonomous systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Undergraduate and Master's Degree Programmes (Lauree e Lauree Magistrali) Accredited undergraduate (Lauree) and master's (Lauree Magistrali, including single-cycle programmes) degrees offered across all major disciplines to prospective and enrolled students, with tuition ranging from €500 to €4,500 per year.
• Doctoral, Master, Specialisation and Advanced Training Programmes Post-lauream academic pathways including doctoral programmes (PhD), second-cycle master's, medical and professional specialisations, and other advanced training for graduate students and professionals.
• Continuing Education and Professional Training (Formazione Continua) Continuing-education programmes, executive training, and professional development courses delivered to businesses, non-profit organisations, and public institutions, including specialised Public Administration training.
• SimBo Advanced Medical Simulation Center Advanced medical simulation center located at Sant'Orsola Hospital, featuring top-tier simulators for the training of medical students and healthcare professionals, designed to enhance teaching, research, and the quality and safety of patient care.
• Research Collaboration and Technology Transfer Services Contracted research services, joint research projects, technology transfer, and innovation partnerships offered to businesses, non-profit organisations, and public institutions through dedicated collaboration portals.
• Library and Museum Services (SBA, BUB, SMA) University library services (Sistema Bibliotecario di Ateneo and Biblioteca Universitaria di Bologna) and museum services (Sistema Museale di Ateneo) for students, researchers, and the public.
• Job Placement and Career Services Career services, job offer listings, and placement support for students and graduates connecting with employers.
• Language Courses (Centro Linguistico d'Ateneo – CLA) Language learning and certification courses offered to students, staff, and external learners through the university's language centre.

Quantifiable outcome

• Ranked 123rd globally in QS World University Rankings, gaining 15 positions
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• RISC-V InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 June 2026RISC-V Summit Europe 2026 organized by RISC-V International, the University of Bologna, and Planning at Palazzo dei Congressi in Bologna, bringing together industry, manufacturers, researchers, academics, and students to advance the RISC-V open instruction set architecture ecosystem. Sessions cover embedded systems, AI, automotive, HPC, security, space, and open hardware research.
• Innovative Health Initiative Consortium (FORTIFY)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026FORTIFY project launched as a 34-partner public-private initiative funded by the Innovative Health Initiative and aligned with the European Health Data Space. Over three years (May 2026–April 2029), the project will develop legal guidance, governance tools, and technical solutions for IP-sensitive health data sharing. Includes major pharmaceutical companies, academic institutions, healthcare organizations, and patient groups from across Europe.
• Hipert Srl, WindTre, RadioLabs (MoVeOver Project)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 February 2026MoVeOver project coordinated by University of Bologna demonstrating four autonomous connected miniature vehicles navigating signal-free intersections without stopping. Won first prize among more than 100 entries in the 'New Applications' category at the Restart programme's closing event. The Restart programme brought together over 130 academic and industrial partners across 32 research projects under Italy's National Recovery and Resilience Plan.
• Colibrì Hospital ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 October 2025Launch of 'Joint Labs' at Villa Bellombra, a collaboration between the Colibrì Hospital Consortium in Bologna and the University of Bologna to develop robotic and AI-driven stroke recovery technology. Initiative aims to use advanced devices and telemedicine to improve rehabilitation outcomes for stroke patients.
• University of Salamanca (KITE Project)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025European consortium of seven universities led by University of Salamanca developed KITE, a multilingual open-access platform supporting linguistic and cultural integration of migrants and refugees. Available in Portuguese, Spanish, French, Italian, German, and Polish, funded through the COMMUNIKITE project.
• ActFast Consortium (Horizon Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025ActFast Horizon Europe project coordinated by University of Bologna promoting sustainable aquaculture in Europe through AI-powered climate forecasting, biosensors, and sustainable breeding practices. The initiative brings together 28 partners from 10 EU countries plus Norway, Tunisia, and Egypt, targeting specific environmental outcomes including 35% reduction in CO₂ emissions from fish feeding systems.
• Erasmus+ GreenTraINT ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Erasmus+ GreenTraINT project co-funded by the European Union (2024–2026) strengthening local expertise in sustainable agriculture, livestock farming, and biodiversity conservation in Seychelles through a transnational partnership of European and Seychellois institutions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• University of Oxford: One of the world's oldest universities and a global benchmark for public research universities; comparable in heritage, research intensity, and ability to attract international talent and partnerships.
• ETH Zurich: Top-tier European public research university and a benchmark for technical and scientific research output, comparable in research intensity, international collaborations, and applied AI/robotics programmes.

Direct peers

• Sapienza University of Rome: One of the largest public research universities in Europe, offering a similarly broad range of disciplines, professional schools, and large-scale research programmes under MUR supervision.
• University of Milan: Major Italian public research university with similar scale, broad disciplinary coverage, and significant EU-funded research activity in life sciences and humanities.
• University of Pisa: Historic Italian public research university with comparable comprehensive graduate offerings and a strong research portfolio, particularly in sciences and engineering.
• University of Padua: Italy's second-oldest university (founded 1222) and a leading public research university with comparable comprehensive graduate and professional offerings and similar multi-campus presence in northern Italy.
• Politecnico di Milano: Italy's leading technical university with strong engineering and technology research, overlapping with Bologna's DEI department, MoVeOver autonomous-vehicle work, and RISC-V Summit hosting role.
• University of Salamanca: Historic European public research university (founded 1218), a current KITE-project partner of University of Bologna, with similar heritage positioning and humanities/social sciences strength.
• University of Florence: Public research university in central Italy with similar broad discipline coverage, multi-faculty structure, and active participation in EU research programmes.
• Sorbonne University: Historic European public research university formed by merger, with comparable comprehensive graduate offerings, large EU research footprint, and similar heritage-driven brand positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/UniboMagazine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/UniBologna
• Facebookfacebook.com/unibo.it
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unibo
• Instagraminstagram.com/unibo
• TikToktiktok.com/@joinunibo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about University of Bologna