ELIA unites 300 leading universities in Europe and beyond. In times of transition—when technologies, ecologies, and societies are reshaping how we learn and go about our lives—having a shared foundation for decisive action is essential.
For ELIA, as a member-powered organisation, establishing a shared strategy that both enables and engages its partner institutions was crucial. This could only be achieved with a strategy process that acknowledges local contexts while interweaving them with international perspectives.
We partnered with ELIA over 18 months to craft their strategic agenda for 2035. Our key ambition, however, was to support them in setting up a participative strategizing process that sustains this strategy work for the years to come.
Together with the Executive Group and ELIA team, we developed a process that was both participative and decisive—a combination rarely achieved.
From workshops with 200 people at the Leadership Symposium in Manchester to small focused work sessions with the Executive Group, we made sure everyone was involved.
By assembling executive board and team members in an entrepreneurial core, we retained the needed edge throughout the process. As a whole organisation, ELIA managed to develop foundational values that drive concrete strategic missions and initiatives—and it will continue to do so.
Within the first year, ELIA’s newfound clarity on its strategic direction enabled it to secure significant funding and build momentum towards its key missions. With the strategy’s official approval at the general assembly in Milan, an exciting new chapter is underway.
ELIA now has a strong foundation to proactively identify the questions that truly make a difference and develop effective solutions to answer them. In doing so, it no longer merely reacts but proactively translates its strategic initiatives into actions across a variety of community hubs.
ELIA’s vital work has gained a new dynamic, thanks to its courageous leadership but also to the many team members who took up greater responsibility during this intense yet transformative process and will continue to do so.
