- The transaction expands the education group’s academic presence to Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Italy, marking a decisive step in its internationalisation strategy.
- Plena Education brings together six specialised institutions, around 5,300 students, nearly 90 academic programmes and 14 campuses across six Italian cities.
- The acquisition strengthens the academic model of Europa Education’s institutions across all areas of knowledge and creates new opportunities for collaboration, mobility and joint academic initiatives.
Europa Education took another step forward in its international growth strategy on Thursday with the acquisition of Plena Education, one of Italy’s leading education groups specialising in the Creative Arts. The transaction strengthens the Group’s broad academic model across all areas of knowledge, marks its entry into Italy and expands its academic presence to a fourth European country, alongside Spain, Portugal and Andorra.
The acquisition strengthens Europa Education’s distinctive academic model through the addition of six leading institutions specialising in the creative arts, with more than 5,300 students, nearly 90 academic programmes and 14 campuses across six Italian cities. This strategic move reinforces the Group’s European dimension and opens up new opportunities for academic collaboration, mobility and international exchange.
With an academic community in which approximately 19% of students are international, Plena Education brings a strong presence in Italy and a highly regarded academic offering closely connected to the professional and creative sectors.
The Italian group comprises six prestigious institutions with extensive experience across different areas of the creative arts, enabling Europa Education to strengthen its presence in disciplines related to design, art, music, fashion, film, gastronomy and communication. These capabilities broaden and reinforce the Group’s academic model and underpin a European Hub for Design and Creativity connecting Creative Campus, IADE and Plena Education.
“Our entry into Italy changes the scale of Europa Education and represents a major step forward in our internationalisation project. Plena Education brings into our Group institutions with an outstanding track record, highly recognised brands, excellent professionals and very close ties to the creative industries. We want to preserve all of that value while making our experience, investment capacity and international network available to them in order to create new opportunities for our students,” said Otilia de la Fuente, CEO of Europa Education Group.
A distinctive academic model with strong creative capabilities
The academic model of Europa Education’s institutions spans all areas of knowledge and is based on experiential learning, innovation, employability and close links with the professional world. Plena Education contributes deep specialisation and strong ties to the creative industries. The European Hub for Design and Creativity is one example of the opportunities created by this broader academic network.
“This transaction will enable us to begin a new chapter with greater capacity to grow and raise the international profile of our institutions. We will do so while preserving what has made our schools strong: their identity, their specialisation, their faculty and their direct relationship with Italy’s creative and professional sectors,” said Alessandro Montel, CEO of Plena Education.
A gradual integration process that respects each institution
Europa Education believes that Plena Education’s greatest value lies in the experience of its teams, the recognition of its brands and its relationships with the creative industries. For this reason, the integration is not conceived as a process of standardisation, but rather as an opportunity to strengthen each institution and connect its capabilities with an international education network. The priority will be to ensure the continuity of academic activity and preserve the identity of each institution.
Spain, Portugal, Andorra and Italy
Until this transaction, Europa Education had academic institutions in Spain, Portugal and Andorra. Its entry into Italy consolidates an education platform across major Southern European markets and confirms the European focus of its growth strategy. The Group will also continue to develop its international activities in Latin America, particularly through its online offering and student support centres in countries such as Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.
The acquisition of Plena marks the beginning of a new phase in which Europa Education plans to continue exploring opportunities to expand its presence in other European markets, always through high-quality education projects with a strong identity and long-term development potential.