What YERUN - Young European Research Universities does

YERUN (Young European Research Universities Network) is a Brussels-headquartered non-profit association founded in 2015 that aggregates more than 20 young research-intensive universities across Europe for the primary purpose of collective advocacy and collaboration. Its membership profile skews to institutions founded after 1970, distinguishing YERUN from older, more established networks such as LERU and the Coimbra Group. YERUN does not operate as a technology or product company; its core offering is the membership relationship itself, supplemented by policy advocacy, joint publications, working groups, and the "Connect by Yerun" initiative for member-to-member collaboration. The Brussels office on Rue du Trône serves as the operational hub, scaling from a single Secretary General in 2016-2019 to a team of six by 2024-2025.

YERUN's business model is a recurring membership subscription model, with member universities contributing on an ongoing basis and the organization potentially supplementing this with EU project funding tied to specific policy initiatives. Revenue is not disclosed. Governance rests with the member universities through an Executive Board, with Silvia Gómez Recio serving as Secretary General and Prof. Dag Rune Olsen (Rector of UiT The Arctic University of Norway) as President. Distribution is direct to member institutions via the Brussels office, working groups, annual General Assemblies, and thematic workshops. The go-to-market approach is community-led, growing through demonstrated value at events, peer referrals, and direct outreach to institutions whose strategy aligns with the network's mission of amplifying young universities' voice in EU policy.

The organization's principal strategic activities center on influencing the next EU Framework Programme for Research (FP10), the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF), Erasmus+, and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA). YERUN co-signs policy statements with a broad coalition of peer networks including CESAER, Coimbra Group, EUA, EU-LIFE, The Guild, LERU, YUFE, ACA, AURORA, DAAD, EAIE, ECIU, ESN, ESU, EUF, EURASHE, UNICA, and UNIMED. Marketing and dissemination channels include the YERUN website, regular newsletters, LinkedIn presence, position papers, activity reports, and the annual General Assembly. Customer concentration is low across the 20+ member institutions, though segment-level exposure to European higher-education funding policy is the primary structural dependency.

Name

YERUN - Young European Research Universities

Legal name

YERUN - Young European Research Universities Network

Website

https://yerun.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

YERUN is a Brussels-based non-profit membership network of 20+ young research-intensive European universities, founded in 2015, that advocates collectively on EU research and education policy (FP10, ECF, Erasmus+) and facilitates collaboration among member institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Research Network

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Research Universities with Multi-Campus Systems (EDAHAAAI)

Keywords

• University research network
• Higher education advocacy
• EU policy lobbying
• Research collaboration
• Academic network membership

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Network Membership: YERUN operates as a network of member universities. The organization raises awareness of young research universities' interests in EU policy, advocates for their needs in funding and programme design, and facilitates collaboration. Revenue appears to come from membership contributions and potentially public/EU funding for policy activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

YERUN is a Brussels-based non-profit network that brings together more than 20 young research-intensive European universities (typically founded after 1970) to collectively advocate for their interests in EU research, innovation, and education policy. The network delivers policy advocacy (including joint statements on FP10, the European Competitiveness Fund, and Erasmus+), facilitates peer collaboration and working groups, publishes reports and position papers, and organises events such as the annual General Assembly.

Product overview

YERUN (Young European Research Universities Network) is a membership network of young research universities in Europe, not a product company. It provides networking, collaboration, policy advocacy, publications, and knowledge-sharing services for its member institutions. The organization facilitates cooperation among universities, advocates for research and education policy at the EU level, organizes events, and publishes reports. The core offering is the network membership itself, along with services such as the Connect by Yerun initiative, joint publications, and collaborative policy work rather than traditional software products or technology offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• YERUN Network Membership Membership in the Young European Research Universities Network, giving European young research universities access to collective EU policy advocacy, peer collaboration, working groups, and joint publications. Membership is evaluated and approved by the YERUN Executive Board.
• Connect by Yerun Connect by Yerun is a YERUN initiative that supports structured collaboration and engagement among member universities and their communities, extending the network's value beyond policy advocacy.
• General Assemblies and Thematic Events Annual General Assemblies and thematic workshops convening member university leadership and staff for networking, governance, and knowledge exchange across the YERUN network.
• Policy Publications and Activity Reports Position papers, joint statements, and annual activity reports (e.g., YERUN Activity Report 2024-2025) covering EU research, innovation, and education policy topics such as FP10, the European Competitiveness Fund, MSCA, and Erasmus+, distributed to members, EU institutions, and the broader research community.

Named customers25 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• CESAERcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on statements regarding FP10 and European Competitiveness Fund. Collaborative advocacy on EU research funding priorities.
• Coimbra GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on statements regarding FP10 and European Competitiveness Fund. Collaborative advocacy on EU research funding priorities.
• EUA (European University Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on statements regarding FP10 and European Competitiveness Fund. Collaborative advocacy on EU research funding priorities.
• EU-LIFEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on statements regarding FP10 and European Competitiveness Fund. Collaborative advocacy on EU research funding priorities.
• The Guild of European Research-Intensive UniversitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on statements regarding FP10 and European Competitiveness Fund. Collaborative advocacy on EU research funding priorities.
• LERU (League of European Research Universities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on statements regarding FP10 and European Competitiveness Fund. Collaborative advocacy on EU research funding priorities.
• YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean university alliance involving several YERUN members. Joint initiatives on doctoral training through YUFE DIOSI model for Doctoral Training.
• ACA (Academic Cooperation Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on Erasmus+ joint statement regarding budget share for education and training in the 2028-2034 programme.
• AURORAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on Erasmus+ joint statement regarding budget share for education and training.
• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on Erasmus+ joint statement regarding budget share for education and training.
• EAIE (European Association for International Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on Erasmus+ joint statement regarding budget share for education and training.
• ECIU (European Consortium of Innovative Universities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on Erasmus+ joint statement regarding budget share for education and training.
• ESN (Erasmus Student Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on Erasmus+ joint statement regarding budget share for education and training.
• ESU (European Students' Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on Erasmus+ joint statement regarding budget share for education and training.
• EUF (European Universities Foundation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on Erasmus+ joint statement regarding budget share for education and training.
• EURASHEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on Erasmus+ joint statement regarding budget share for education and training.
• UNICA (Network of European Universities from Capital Cities)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on Erasmus+ joint statement regarding budget share for education and training.
• UNIMED (Mediterranean University Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint signatory on Erasmus+ joint statement regarding budget share for education and training.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CESAER: Conference of European Schools for Advanced Engineering Education and Research representing universities of science and technology; parallel Brussels-based advocacy body that co-signs FP10/ECF joint statements with YERUN.
• YUFE (Young Universities for the Future of Europe): Alliance of ten young research-intensive European universities (several of which are also YERUN members) running joint programmes such as YUFE DIOSI for doctoral training; directly comparable as a young-university network partnered with YERUN.
• EU-LIFE: Alliance of European research institutes and universities in life sciences with a Brussels advocacy focus; comparable co-signatory on FP10/ECF joint statements and EU R&D funding advocacy.
• Coimbra Group: Long-established network of long-standing European multidisciplinary universities; comparable membership-network model with shared advocacy on EU research funding and joint statements alongside YERUN.
• The Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities: Network of 28 research-intensive European universities focused on EU R&D policy advocacy; directly comparable mission, overlapping membership base, and frequent joint signatory with YERUN on FP10/ECF positions.
• LERU (League of European Research Universities): Brussels-based association of 20+ research-intensive European universities; directly comparable to YERUN as a university-network advocacy body that co-signs joint FP10 / ECF statements and competes for the same Brussels policy influence.

Broad incumbents

• European University Association (EUA): The largest Brussels-based university association with 850+ members across 48 countries; comparable in advocacy mission but far broader in scope, sitting alongside YERUN on FP10/ECF and Erasmus+ coalition statements.

Regional players

• UNICA (Network of Universities from Capitals of Europe): Network of universities from European capital cities; shares YERUN's European higher-education advocacy remit and is a co-signatory on Erasmus+ joint statements, but its capital-city focus differentiates it from YERUN's 'young research university' lens.

Emerging players

• European Consortium of Innovative Universities (ECIU): Network of 13+ innovative European universities emphasising challenge-based education and EU pilot formats (e.g. ECIU University); comparable Brussels advocacy footprint and Erasmus+ coalition partner of YERUN.

Others

• ACTA (Alliance of Centres of Technology and Innovation): European association of applied-research and technology organisations adjacent to the university ecosystem; comparable in Brussels R&D advocacy posture and EU funding engagement but not a direct membership peer of YERUN.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YERUNeu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yerun-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about YERUN - Young European Research Universities