This Masters Course is linked to, and draws heavily, on the research expertise accumulated by the three partner institutions on the regulation and management of network industries and infrastructures. Most of the materials taught at the courses are state-of-the-art knowledge, developed by the professors through research projects with industries and public institutions.

Pontifical University Comillas – Madrid, and especifically its Instituto de Investigación Tecnológica (IIT) has a long tradition in the regulation and management of the electricity sector, and it has carried out hundreds of research projects for electric utilities and regulatory institutions in Spain, Europe and Latin America, concerning the design of electricity markets, the operation and planning of electric utilities and electricity networks, tariff design, etc. It has also participated in several European projects for DGTren and DGResearch on electricity markets regulation and environmental impacts of energy.

The Groupe Reseaux Jean Monnet from University Paris-Sud 11 is currently the leader or partner in three important research projects within the VI Framework Programme of the European Commission: SESSA (a specific action on European Energy Reform & Regulation Assessment & Benchmark), the coming REFGOUV (an integrated project on the Governance of the Economic General Interest in the European Network Industry) and DIME (a network of excellence in European Local and Regional Development of an Information and Knowledge based Society and Economy). Over the last five years, J.M. Glachant and ADIS Research Centre have directed ten major Network Industry research projects (including European Commission DG Tren and DG Research). Also involved in these activities is the Laboratoire d’Analyse des Dynamiques Industrelles et Sociales.

The Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management of Delft University of Technology houses the Delft Research Centre for Next Generation Infrastructures. These centres perform research on water, electricity, transport and vital communication infrastructures. The Delft Research Centre for Next Generation Infrastructures, with its constituent projects, is one of the numerous partners of the Next Generation Infrastructures Foundation (NGInfra Foundation), a large international consortium of infrastructure researchers and practitioners.
The Foundation is funded partially by a government grant (Bsik) and partially by the partners. The members of the consortium already collaborate in several research projects. Currently Pontifical University Comillas and Paris-Sud 11 are engaged in an international research network managing several research projects, notably funded by the 6th Framework Programme of the European Commission or linked to the research institute funded by the Massachussets Institute of Technology and University of Cambridge. This network also assembles researchers from other institutions such as École des Mines de Paris, University of Louvain, Universitá Bocconi, Florence School of Regulation - Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence (Italy), Norwegian School of Management, Vienna University of Technology, DIW Berlin, National Technical University of Athens, University of Geneva, Stanford University, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Indian Institute of Technology, or MA National Institute of Technology from Bhopal. This large network of research interests will be transferred to students by its reflection in the contents of the courses offered. At the end of their stay, students will be required to present their research results in the universi ty and also in a dedicated research seminar to be held at the Florence School of Regulation - Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy, which will prove the interest of their research for European institutions.