Association for European Life Science Universities (ICA)

Name

Association for European Life Science Universities (ICA)

Legal name

Association for European Life Science Universities (ICA)

Website

https://ica-europe.info

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) (EDAHAAAC)

Keywords

• Higher education association
• Life science universities
• Bioeconomy education
• Academic network
• Research collaboration

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Member dues and event registration fees: ICA generates revenue through membership dues from its member institutions, event registration fees for forums, workshops, and colloquium events, and potentially publication sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ICA is a non-profit membership association that convenes European life science universities through an annual Rectors and Deans Forum, recurring educational workshops and colloquia (ICA-Edu, ICA-CoP Bio-Edu, ICA-Edu SIG), and an annual Excellence Awards program. It also publishes the ICA Flyer and Magazine and provides governance, networking, and policy-engagement services to its member institutions across Europe.

Product overview

ICA is an association of European life science universities that provides a portfolio of member services including annual forums for university leadership, educational workshops and colloquia on teaching innovation, community networks for bioeconomy education and entrepreneurship education, an awards program recognizing excellence, and official publications. The core offering centers on convening platforms for knowledge exchange rather than a unified software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ICA Rectors and Deans Forum Annual forum bringing together rectors, presidents, deans, and senior leaders from life science universities across Europe to discuss higher education, research, and innovation topics related to the bioeconomy and sustainable development. The forum rotates across member institutions (e.g., Ghent, Leuven, Piacenza, Wageningen, Beauvais, Kaunas, Lille, Zagreb, Vienna, Cluj-Napoca).
• ICA-Edu Colloquia and Workshops Series of professional development events and workshops on innovation in life sciences higher education, covering topics such as blended learning, entrepreneurship education, student engagement, and AI in higher education. Held for member institutions and their staff.
• ICA-CoP Bio-Edu (Community of Practice for Bioeconomy Education) Community of practice advancing bioeconomy education in Europe, organizing workshops and webinars and facilitating knowledge exchange among educators, researchers, and industry stakeholders from member institutions.
• ICA-Edu Special Interest Group (SIG) for Sustainable Entrepreneurship Education Special interest group dedicated to developing and sharing practices in sustainable entrepreneurship education within life sciences universities, running workshops and webinars on innovation in entrepreneurship curricula.
• ICA Excellence Awards Annual awards program recognizing individuals who have achieved excellence in furthering ICA's values and mission, with categories including Lifetime Achievements, Early-Stage Academic, and Networking. Presented at the annual Rectors and Deans Forum.
• ICA Publications (Flyer and Magazine) Official ICA publications, including the ICA Flyer and Magazine, providing updates on association activities, member news, and developments in life science education for member institutions and stakeholders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual ICA Rectors and Deans Forum bringing together university leaders from across Europe
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CIHEAM (International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICA partners with CIHEAM for conferences and initiatives related to agricultural higher education. CIHEAM led the 2015 conference on Agricultural Higher Education in the 21st Century alongside ICA and OECD.
• OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOECD's Cooperative Research Programme on Biological Resource Management sponsored the 2015 Agricultural Higher Education conference partnered with ICA.
• APLU (Association of Public and Land Grant Universities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICA co-organizes conferences with APLU including the 2012 Conference Growing the Bioeconomy in Banff, Canada. APLU represents US universities while ICA represents European institutions.
• CFAVM (Canadian Faculties of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFAVM co-organized the 2012 Conference Growing the Bioeconomy with ICA and APLU, bringing together North American and European perspectives on bioeconomy.
• GCHERA (Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICA promoted the 7th GCHERA Conference in 2011 on Universities of Agriculture and Life Sciences: entrepreneurs for sustainable rural development.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICA engages with the European Commission on bioeconomy policy, including submissions to EU consultations on the Bioeconomy Strategy and participation in policy dialogues on the future of EU agriculture.
• BioBased Industries Consortium (BIC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBIC participated in ICA-CoP Bio-Edu workshops, providing industry perspective on skills needs in the bio-based industry for life science university graduates.
• BioEastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBioEast Central-Eastern European bioeconomy initiative collaborates with ICA on workshops addressing bioeconomy education and industry engagement.
• Bioeconomy Science Center (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch center collaborating with ICA on bioeconomy education initiatives through ICA-CoP Bio-Edu activities.
• European Bioeconomy University Alliance (EBU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEBU alliance of universities working on bioeconomy education, with ICA member BOKU University having chaired EBU until end of 2024.
• World Bioeconomy AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Bioeconomy Association engages with ICA through forum participation and global bioeconomy agenda alignment.
• INTRINSIC ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded project on Innovative Education for Sustainable Entrepreneurship in Life Sciences, with deliverables shared through ICA-Edu SIG activities.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GCHERA (Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations for Agricultural and Life Sciences): GCHERA is the global confederation of higher education associations focused on agricultural and life sciences. ICA has promoted joint GCHERA conferences (e.g., 7th GCHERA Conference, 2011), and the two share mission-aligned scope on agricultural and life science universities worldwide.
• CIHEAM (International Centre for Advanced Mediterranean Agronomic Studies): CIHEAM is an intergovernmental Mediterranean agronomic higher education organization that co-organized the 2015 Agricultural Higher Education in the 21st Century conference with ICA and OECD. They share the agricultural higher education and bioeconomy remit with substantial overlap in member institutions.
• World Bioeconomy Association: The World Bioeconomy Association promotes bioeconomy policy and education globally and engages with ICA through forum participation and agenda alignment. It operates the same bioeconomy education remit but on a global rather than European footing.

Broad incumbents

• European University Association (EUA): EUA represents over 850 European universities across all disciplines. While ICA specializes in life science and bioeconomy, EUA covers the wider European higher education agenda and shapes overlapping policy including on research funding and EU framework programmes.
• EURASHE (European Association of Institutions in Higher Education): EURASHE represents European higher education institutions with a focus on professionally-oriented higher education, including applied life sciences. It overlaps with ICA on bioeconomy skills and applied higher education but operates across a broader sectoral remit.

Regional players

• APLU (Association of Public and Land-grant Universities): APLU represents US public and land-grant universities and co-organized the 2012 'Growing the Bioeconomy' conference with ICA. It is the North American counterpart of ICA, focused on similar life science and agricultural research universities but operating in a different geography.

Emerging players

• AGRINATURA: AGRINATURA is the European Alliance on Agricultural Knowledge for Development and operates as a Standing Committee within ICA while functioning as an independent network. Its member base and agricultural research/education focus overlap closely with ICA's mission.
• CASEE (ICA Regional Network for Central and South Eastern Europe): CASEE is a Standing Committee of ICA focused on Central and South Eastern European life science universities. While organizationally nested within ICA, its regional activity closely mirrors ICA's mission and could operate as a semi-autonomous regional peer network.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-for-european-life-science-universitities

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Association for European Life Science Universities (ICA)