All ARCHES'​ projects are currently sustaining the achievement of different targets of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; these include Goal 1: No Poverty, Goal 2: Zero Hunger, Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being, Goal 5: Gender Equality, Goal 7: Affordable and Clean Energy and Goal 13: Climate Action.

These projects are part of the following main programmes:

 

Healthy Lives for All

The health and well-being of people at all ages lie at the heart of sustainable development. In particular, healthy ageing is fundamental to achieving universal health coverage (UHC), as embedded in Goal 3 of the 2030 Agenda. However, without addressing the health and social care needs of the rapidly growing older population, UHC will remain out of reach.

Complementary and integrative health approaches can play a key role in improving the health status of ageing populations. Among these, immunonutrition—which explores how specific nutrients can modulate immune function—offers promising opportunities to support resilience and recovery. Yet, to deliver such benefits effectively, it is essential to establish robust, data-driven, and integrated systems of health and long-term care that maximise functional ability and well-being in older age.

Optimising opportunities for good health throughout the life course helps ensure that older adults maintain independence, contribute to society, and reduce the overall burden on healthcare systems. The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the fragility of global health systems and deepened existing inequalities, highlighting the urgent need for innovation, data interoperability, and coordinated responses.

In this context, ARCHES is aligning its research and innovation activities with two fundamental EU priorities in the health sector: the European Health Data Space (EHDS) and the AI Act. Together, these initiatives aim to create a trusted framework for the secure use of health data and the ethical application of artificial intelligence, thereby accelerating breakthroughs in personalised medicine, disease prevention, and public health resilience.

Through its dedicated research programmes, ARCHES contributes to these efforts by developing AI-driven approaches for microbiome analysis—a key step toward understanding the virus–microbiota axis and mitigating the long-term effects of infections such as COVID-19. In doing so, ARCHES advances the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 2: Zero Hunger and Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being, while reinforcing Europe’s commitment to responsible innovation, data sovereignty, and digital health transformation.

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Sustainability for All

Sustainable development is often understood as a multidimensional process within the context of globalisation, encompassing economic, social, and environmental dimensions. In recent years, the rapid pace of globalisation has accelerated change across all these areas, causing trends and processes to interact in complex and sometimes unpredictable ways. Such complexity makes it increasingly difficult to address individual issues without risking unintended consequences.

This uncertainty presents a particular challenge for policymakers tasked with designing sustainable policies that effectively tackle interconnected problems. It also underscores the importance of a democratic, inclusive, and participatory approach to innovation and governance, ensuring that diverse stakeholders—including civil society, communities, and local actors—are actively engaged in shaping solutions. Addressing sustainability challenges therefore requires radical systemic change across multiple dimensions, including policy, culture, and civil society, with no one-size-fits-all blueprint for governance.

Consequently, policymakers must embrace learning processes, adaptive strategies, and iterative policy development rather than imposing fixed solutions. ARCHES devotes specific attention to foresight and policy learning, providing tools and insights to navigate complexity and uncertainty in a rapidly changing world.

Aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), ARCHES focuses its research efforts on promoting sustainable development at multiple levels globally. In this programme, our centre contributes to the achievement of key targets of the 2030 Agenda, particularly Goals: 2 - Zero Hunger, 7 - Affordable and Clean Energy, and 13: Climate Action, while reinforcing principles of participatory governance and democratic engagement in sustainability policymaking.

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Quality Education for All

The adoption of the UN 2030 Agenda and its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) represents a major shift in international development cooperation, emphasising sustainability, equity, and inclusion. The EU is committed to implementing the SDGs across both its internal and external policies, with higher education increasingly recognised as a key driver of economic growth in a knowledge-based global economy. Ensuring equitable access to high-quality higher education, particularly for socially and economically disadvantaged groups such as women and minorities, is essential for transitioning to a sustainable development model.

Before the launch of the 2030 Agenda, in 2013, ARCHES initiated a programme to support talented young individuals pursuing advanced degrees in science and engineering. The first phase of this programme focused on India, where ARCHES collaborated with multiple academic centres across various states. Tenzin Tashi, a Tibetan monk from a low-income family in Tawang (North-East India), was the first beneficiary, enabling him to study at Mahendra Engineering College (Tamil Nadu). Following his success, other talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds joined the programme, which contributes directly to the achievement of SDGs, particularly Goal 1: No Poverty, Goal 4: Quality Education, and Goal 5: Gender Equality.

Building on this experience, ARCHES is now actively supporting the improvement of school and higher education systems within the EU and beyond. We focus on turning scientific evidence into practical policies and practices in educational institutions. Our goal is to foster policymaking based on evidence to promote fair, high-quality and inclusive education systems. By ensuring that decisions at local, national, and European levels are guided by strong evidence and inclusive principles, ARCHES contributes to more effective, equitable, and sustainable education policies.

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