In July 2025, an intensive mobility was held in Italy under the international HORIZON-MSCA project “STAR – Sustainability Transformation: Research and Innovation Network for Quality Information, Better Sustainability Reporting Practices and Business Sustainability” program of the European Union. The event brought together researchers from several European countries, united by the mission to exchange experiences and explore innovative practices in the field of sustainable development, ESG implementation and sustainable business models.
Representatives of the Polytechnic University of Bucharest (P1. UNSTPB) – Prof. Gheorghe Militaru, Laura-Alexandra Doroftei, PhD student, and Andra-Sabina Nedelcu, PhD student, participated in the mobility; University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev” (P2. UR) – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Irina Kostadinova, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Svilen Kunev and Ana Todorova, PhD student; Istanbul University, Turkey (P7. IU) – Assoc. Prof. Dr. Tülay Kaya; State University of Moldova (P3. USM) – Galina Lisa, PhD; Technical University of Lodz, Poland (P5. TUL) – Prof. Malgorzata Kośzewska; Institute for Innovation and Responsible Development INNOVO, Poland (P6. INNOVO) – Agnieszka Sznyk.
The program included meetings and scientific visits to established companies and innovation centres, including ACEA Pinerolese Industriale S.p.A., Environment Park, WpWeb S.r.l., FOR ESG SRL Società Benefit, NTN–ICSA Italia, Amazon (distribution centre), Frandent Group Srl, eVISO S.p.A. and Freudenberg Group, as well as the cultural and historical centre of Ivrea (UNESCO). Participants had the opportunity to get acquainted with leading European practices in the field of circular economy, energy resource management, green technologies, integration of artificial intelligence in business and corporate social responsibility.
Special thanks are extended to INFOR ELEA – Training, Innovation & Sustainability Hub, which was the primary host and organisational driver of the mobility in Italy. As a key partner in the STAR project, the INFOR ELEA team, represented by Carlo Colomba (President and CEO of INFOR ELEA), Diana Mitrofan and Anna Mosca Pedro, provided access to strategic contacts, facilitated meetings with leading companies and institutions, and created conditions for a full exchange of knowledge between the participants. Their role as a bridge between the academic and business environments was crucial for the successful implementation of the program.
Such mobilities create conditions for a two-way exchange of knowledge – business gets access to current scientific approaches and innovative methods, and academia gets real cases and examples that can be integrated into the learning process and scientific research. Cooperation between universities and companies within the framework of STAR increases the quality of education, expands professional networks and stimulates joint international projects.
The STAR project team would like to express its gratitude to all the companies and institutions that opened their doors to the mobility participants: ACEA Pinerolese Industriale S.p.A., Environment Park, WpWeb S.r.l., FOR ESG SRL Società Benefit, NTN–ICSA Italia, Amazon, Frandent Group Srl, eVISO S.p.A. and Freudenberg Group, as well as to the city of Ivrea for the opportunity to showcase its industrial and cultural heritage. Thanks to their responsiveness and shared experiences, mobility has become a valuable step on the path to a more sustainable and innovative future.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Svilena Ruskova from the University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev” (Bulgaria) completed her first specialisation under the STAR project
In the period 16–30 July 2025, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Svilena Ruskova, Head of the Department of Management and Social Activities at the Faculty of Business and Management of the University of Ruse “Angel Kanchev”, conducted a specialisation in Bucharest, Romania. The visit was part of the international HORIZON-MSCA project “STAR – Sustainability Transformation: Research and Innovation Network for Quality Information, Better Sustainability Reporting Practices and Business Sustainability” (funded by the European Union), and took place at the Romanian Association for Standardization (ASRO), with the aim of exchanging experience and deepening expertise in the field of sustainable development, ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) reporting and international standards. During her stay, Assoc. Prof. Ruskova got acquainted with the organisational structure and research priorities of ASRO, as well as with key experts from the institution. Meetings and discussions were held, within which ESG reporting practices, the specifics of reporting in different cultural contexts (e.g. “masculine” and “feminine” corporate environments) were analysed, as well as the impact of social transformation, activism and economic interconnectedness on the behaviour of organisations.
Among the main activities were comparative analyses of sustainable business practices and ESG reports of small and medium-sized enterprises versus large companies, using a set of European Sustainability Standards (ESRS). Assoc. Prof. Ruskova is also working on research on how the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) shape global approaches to corporate responsibility reporting. The experience gained and the data collected will serve to develop further methodologies and educational content related to ESG topics.
Participation in the specialisation provided Assoc. Prof. Ruskova with valuable practical knowledge and analytical skills that will find direct application in the education of students from the Faculty of Business and Management (Bulgaria). Students will have the opportunity to learn about current international practices in sustainable management and reporting, real business cases and new European standards in this area. This will contribute to the development of more competent and competitive specialists, ready to meet the modern requirements of the labour market.
The research team expresses gratitude to the ASRO team for the hospitality and assistance provided during the mobility!
