ARCES has been operating for years as a strategic player in the field of advanced education and European project design, promoting smart, sustainable, and inclusive growth in line with the Europe 2020 Strategy.

Through its “European Programs” division, the organization is actively committed to fostering the international mobility of young students and professionals, the development of the blue, circular, and green economy, the strengthening of transversal skills, and entrepreneurship as tools to counter brain drain and the NEET phenomenon, while also stimulating the re-territorialization of the economy, particularly in Sicily.

Since 2012, with the launch of the Alta Scuola and thanks to synergies with the European Programs area, ARCES has established a center for advanced training and project development that connects the educational sector with the productive world. This contributes to the revitalization of the region’s real assets, the promotion of youth employment, and the development of entrepreneurial skills in emerging sectors, maximizing the resources made available by the European Union.

This mission translates into concrete activities of co-design, implementation, and management of initiatives funded by numerous European programs, including Erasmus+, Interreg NEXT MED 2021–2027, Interreg Italy-Malta VIA, Interreg Italy-Malta VA, EMFAF, and ENI CBC MED 2014–2020. To date, ARCES has successfully coordinated several projects under Erasmus+, ENI CBC MED, and Interreg, significantly contributing to the strengthening of cross-border cooperation and the dissemination of best practices in the educational and environmental fields.

With a systemic innovation approach, ARCES leads the European Observatory on Circular Economy, involving over 11 public and private entities at the international level. The Observatory aims to facilitate the transfer of knowledge between academia, businesses, and civil society, with particular focus on youth education. Three educational pathways—academic, accelerator, and lifelong learning—have been designed to promote continuous learning and the development of key skills in a rapidly evolving world.

In 2024, ARCES signed a three-year agreement with the Center for Sustainability and Ecological Transition (CSTE) of the University of Palermo, the first university center in Italy entirely dedicated to these themes. Together, they promote educational, research, and awareness-raising activities related to the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda.

ARCES also supports the integration of green and social themes into university curricula, working across various departments and designing living labs for the hands-on experimentation of innovative solutions. Leveraging its expertise in European Programs, the organization helps create real professional growth opportunities for young people while also promoting decarbonization, social inclusion, and cross-border cooperation, including with countries on the southern and eastern shores of the Mediterranean (Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, and Turkey).

In summary, ARCES stands out as a dynamic, forward-looking organization, capable of integrating education, innovation, and civic engagement into a shared vision of sustainable development.