Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM)

Coordinator

Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM), founded in 1969, is based in Ancona and geographically dislocated in the Marche region. UNIVPM permanently employs more than 1000 academics and technical/administration staff. Among the 12 departments of the UNIVPM, 7 of them were ranked as “excellent” by the Italian Ministry of Research and University (MIUR). UNIVPM participates in E4C with DII and LabMACS.

DII (Information Engineering Department) is structured in many research groups having homogeneous scientific interests: Engineering, Circuit Theory, Discrete Optimization, Electrical and electronic measurements, Electronics, Robotics and Mechatronics, Signal processing, Software Engineering, System and Control Theory, and Telecommunications.

LabMACS (Laboratory of Modelling, Analysis and Control of Dynamical Systems), directed by Prof. David Scaradozzi, has the equipment to work on educational robotics, underwater robotics, industrial automation, home automation, and mechatronics. Specifically, the laboratory’s main equipment includes 3d printers, bipedal and quadrupedal robots, underwater and marine vehicles.

In the E4C – Edutainment4Care project, UNIVPM acts as the project coordinator. It is responsible for the overall management and coordination of the consortium, ensuring effective collaboration among partners and monitoring the project’s progress. UNIVPM also contributes its technical and scientific expertise to the development of the educational robotics kits, digital learning tools, and edutainment-based solutions designed for pediatric hospital contexts considered its successful experience in Erasmus+ projects like RoboPisces and RoboAquaria.

University of Macerata, Italy

The University of Macerata (UNIMC) contributes to the E4C project with the relevant effort and expertise of the Department of Education Cultural Heritage and Tourism, particularly in technology-enhanced learning, ICT, and inclusive education. The university has extensive experience in coordinating and managing national and EU-funded projects, ensuring solid project management and coordination capacities. UNIMC also brings proven expertise in the development of innovative training curricula and blended/online learning methodologies, with a particular focus on lifelong learning and special education. 

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing

Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER) is the most prominent technical Faculty and a leading educational and research institution in electrical engineering, computing, and information and communication technology in the Republic of Croatia. FER has experience in educational robotics, STEM popularisation, e- learning and gamification. FER is responsible for WP3, leader of R3 (oversees the development of the intelligent platform and integration of edutainment toolkits) and Sustainability plan. 

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences

The core activities of the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences are scientific and educational, including scientific-research and professional training, defined in line with the obligation of organizing and implementing the university studies – undergraduate, graduate, postgraduate doctor’s degree and specialized studies. Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences at University of Zagreb is the only higher education institution in the Republic of Croatia that creates and offers well established university-level programmes in speech-language pathology, educational rehabilitation and social pedagogy in addition to developing and advancing high-quality research as well as clinical best practices in these areas.

European University Cyprus

The European University Cyprus (EUC) contributes to the E4C project through its expertise in healthcare education, interdisciplinary collaboration, and child-centred approaches in hospital and community settings. Within the project, EUC supports dissemination and stakeholder engagement activities, while also contributing to the development and implementation of protocols for assessing child wellbeing and integrating edutainment methodologies in healthcare environments.

Polytechnic University of Viana do Castelo (IPVC), Portugal

The Polytechnic University of Viana do Castelo (IPVC) is a public higher education institution in Portugal committed to excellence in education, applied research, innovation, and community engagement. Through its five schools – Education, Agriculture, Technology and Management, Health, and Business Sciences – IPVC promotes interdisciplinary learning and international cooperation. Within the E4C project, IPVC contributes expertise in education, health sciences, innovative teaching methodologies, and child- and family-centred care.

University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy

Founded in 1998, the University of Milano-Bicocca has grown rapidly to become a central figure in the higher education and research landscape. The University’s modernity is reflected in its innovative approach to teaching and its commitment to fostering an inclusive and future-oriented academic environment.

Located in the northern part of the city, in an area specifically designed as an educational and research hub, the University benefits from state-of-the-art facilities and a strategic location. The Bicocca district has been designed to integrate educational institutions, research centers and industry, creating an ecosystem that fosters collaboration and innovation.

Cakovec County Hospital, Croatia

Čakovec County Hospital plays an important regional role in the field of child and adolescent psychiatry through outpatient, diagnostic and advisory care for children and young people with mental health difficulties. The Department of Psychiatry has a subspecialist in child and adolescent psychiatry, which enables professional assessment and treatment of mental disorders in children and adolescents.

The hospital’s main roles in this area include:

• early recognition of emotional and behavioral disorders in children and adolescents,
• diagnosis of anxiety, depressive and developmental disorders
• parent and family counseling
• outpatient psychiatric monitoring of children and young people
• cooperation with pediatrics, schools and social welfare centers
• psychological treatment and support through psychological clinics and outpatient clinics.

The importance of this role is growing due to the increasing prevalence of mental health problems in young people, such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-harm and digital addiction. Čakovec County Hospital have an important preventive and therapeutic function in the early detection and treatment of these problems.

Alliance for applied psychology (AAP)

AAP is an organization focused on promoting the practical application of psychological knowledge in real-world settings. It supports collaboration between researchers and practitioners to improve outcomes in areas such as education, healthcare and community wellbeing.

Fondazione Ospedale Salesi ETS

Salesi ETS of Ancona supports women, children and families by making the hospital experience more peaceful, through welcoming services, playful activities in the wards, robot therapy, scientific research and the humanisation of care. In the Edutainment4Care project, its operators — experts in robot therapy and specifically trained for the initiative — directly lead the educational and recreational sessions with young patients. They also involve parents, introducing them to robotics and programming in an engaging and stimulating way.

SB Goljak

The Special Hospital for Protection of Children with Neurodevelopmental and Motor Disorders in Zagreb was founded in 1946 and is the only specialized hospital in Croatia providing systematic monitoring and habilitation for neurodevelopmentally at-risk children from birth to adulthood. The hospital employs 231 staff members, including physicians, nurses, therapists, psychologists, and robotics specialists, and operates across four locations in Zagreb.

Each day, around 560 children receive examinations, diagnostics, or therapy. Its greatest strengths are its long-standing expertise in child neurodevelopment and habilitation, including a national Bobath team, and advanced robotic therapy technologies.

TALENT srl

TALENT’s specialized in innovative education, STEAM methodologies, and artificial intelligence for the school sector. It has created and manages a large online community of more than 25,000 Italian teachers and educators through weTurtle.org, offering STEAM and digital training programs and resources. Its flagship project is the development of an AI-powered educational tutor based on generative AI, designed to support both student learning and teachers’ instructional planning. This specific project is being developed also to support the Erasmus+ project in which the company is partner, contributing innovative digital solutions for education and learning.

ANcybernetics

ANcybernetics is an Italian deep-tech company specializing in robotics, AI and educational technologies.

ANcybernetics was established in 2021 to meet the growing need for educational technologies in the fourth industrial revolution. The company specializes in underwater robotics and supports learning processes for all generations through curriculum-enhanced robotics kits, online courses, workshop activities, and recreational programs. Indeed, the company has experience in the design and development of educational robotics kits for both school and hospital environments, with particular attention to the needs of users, including children, educators and healthcare professionals.

Within the project, ANcybernetics contributes by developing hands-on, modular robotics toolkits based on accessible technologies, enabling the creation of interactive and engaging activities. These solutions are designed to be easily usable by non-technical users, while remaining flexible and adaptable to different contexts.

Beyond the kits, ANcybernetics also procures and distributes materials to partners across Europe, and actively contributes to shaping how robotics and digital tools integrate within the project’s technological ecosystem. In short, it helps turn the project’s educational vision into something children can touch, build and learn from.