The Faculty of Economics and Business (EKOF) at the University of Belgrade is a leading higher educational institution in the Balkan region, conducting academic and policy research in the fields of business and economics. EKOF has two research units: the Science Research Centre of the Faculty of Economics, and the Foundation for the Advancement of Economics. The Science Research Centre focuses on business consulting, educational programmes and international and domestic research projects, while the Foundation participates in academic projects in the fields of public finances and social policy, labour market, poverty and inequality.

At WeLaR, EKOF is involved in all WPs.

HIVA, the Research Institute for Work and Society at KU Leuven, is a multidisciplinary body that studies problems affecting workers, socially vulnerable groups, social organisations and movements. HIVA carries out policy-oriented research and provides expert advice on opportunities to create high-quality, long-term jobs and on how the policies applied by organisations, sectors and other actors affect those opportunities. By gathering scientific knowledge and applying it to socially relevant topics, the institute works to ensure greater social justice, higher participation and equal opportunities for all citizens. Inequality of opportunity, and eliminating it through participation and social dialogue, form an important focus of interest. The European comparative perspective is an important framework in HIVA analyses. The Institute’s interdisciplinary research applies a variety of quantitative and qualitative research methods, including the development of concrete methodologies and instruments.

At WeLaR HIVA KU Leuven is the leader of WP1 (Project management and coordination) and WP 2 (Conceptual framework and joint infrastructure) and is involved in all WPs.

The Institute for Structural Research (IBS) is an independent, not-for-profit research foundation based in Warsaw. IBS conducts policy-relevant research in economics and other social sciences. Its main areas of interest include the labour market, demography, energy and applied quantitative methods. The institute’s work explores occupations; labour market effects of technological change and globalisation; skills; gender equality; and interactions between labour markets and demographic developments. IBS pays particular attention to the societal relevance and policy implications of its work. Its researchers are also associated with leading Polish academic institutions: the University of Warsaw and Warsaw School of Economics.

At WeLaR IBS is the leader of WP4 (Labour demand trends) and is involved in all WPs.

The Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER) is a public research institute which carries out both fundamental and applied research in social sciences, aiming to advance knowledge, support public policy and inform public opinion. Its research is organised in three departments: Living Conditions, the Labour Market and Urban Development and Mobility.

Research and applied studies focused on the labour market and welfare state effects of technological change, the green economy and globalisation on workers’ well-being and skills, as well as interactions between institutions and demographic developments have long constituted the core interest of LISER.

At WeLaR LISER is leader of WP 3: Labour supply trends, and is involved in all WPs.

The European Social Observatory (Observatoire social européen, OSE) is a Brussels-based not-for-profit research centre specialising in the social dimension of the European Union. Its mission is to analyse the impact of European integration on social and employment policies both at the level of the EU and member states. The OSE conducts comparative research and formulates policy proposals in a variety of policy domains, including employment and labour markets, healthcare, in-work poverty, poverty and social exclusion, job quality and working conditions, social dialogue, the socio-ecological transition, and social protection, including pensions. The OSE also has expertise in such areas as gender and non-discrimination, the EU’s socio-economic governance, the European Green Deal and European pandemic recovery.

At WeLaR, OSE is the leader of WP7 (Preferences, policy and social innovation) and is involved in all WPs.

The Department of Economics of the University of Perugia (UNIPG) is a research and teaching institution in the fields of economics, business and statistics. It offers undergraduate, master’s and post-graduate courses. Its research activity is committed to attaining the highest international standards and is organised into four areas: economics; statistics; business and management; and law. Fruitful cooperation between researchers active in the areas of economics and statistics makes the department highly specialised in studies of applied economics and quantitative methods. The core fields of research are: the labour market; economic and social inequality; innovation; growth; and institutional change. The Department of Economics advises regional governments and local authorities by conducting numerous research policy analyses and evaluation studies, especially in the field of local development, labour markets, education and social inclusion policies.

At WeLaR UNIPG is leader of WP 5 (Labour market institutions and risks) and is involved in all work packages.

The Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies – wiiw – is an independent economic research institute with experience in international economics as well as data collection and analysis. At present, wiiw’s thematic work is focused on macroeconomic developments and structural change, international economics, labour markets and social issues, as well as on selected issues related to sectoral and regional economic developments. wiiw delivers economic analyses and research, forecasts, statistical data and policy advice.

At WeLaR wiiw contributes to all WPs.

ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research in Mannheim is one of Germany’s leading economic research institutes. Its guiding mission is to study the optimal performance and design of markets and institutions in Europe. The ZEW distinguishes itself in the analysis of internationally comparative questions in the European context and in the creation of databases which are eminently important as a basis for scientific research. Its areas of expertise include research into the distributional effects of social policies, climate and energy policy measures as well as economic and societal consequences of immigration.

At WeLaR, ZEW is the leader of WP6 (Welfare states and public finance) and is involved in WP4 (Labour demand trends) and WP5 (Labour market institutions and risks).

The Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI) is an independent scientific institute based in Vienna.

It conducts research on the social embeddedness, contexts and impacts of innovation, and contributes to the designing of social, technological and organisational innovation processes that foster beneficial social change. The ZSI’s Work and Equal Opportunities Department focuses on socially innovative topics in the fields of labour markets, social policy and social inclusion. The ZSI conducts quantitative, qualitative and mixed-method research, often with participatory and co-creation methods; supports the development of social policy strategies in multi-stakeholder environments; and provides policy advice, foresight and facilitation.

At WeLAR the ZSI is a leader of WP8 (Stakeholder engagement), and is engaged in almost all WPs.

Aldgate Strategy Group is a Warsaw-based communications consultancy providing media relations and copywriting services for companies and for research and intergovernmental institutions. Building on decades of experience reporting and writing for leading international news organisations, and advising top-tier global companies, Aldgate helps clients craft impactful messages to strengthen their reputation and brand awareness. Aldgate specialises in making complex, often esoteric ideas comprehensible and attractive to a general audience, and framing stories in a way that grabs journalists’ attention without losing any of the original depth: storytelling that’s both accessible to the layperson and appreciated by the expert.

At WeLaR Aldgate is a leader of WP9 (Dissemination and communication) and is involved in all WPs.