The European University for Smart Urban Coastal Sustainability, EU-CONEXUS, has chosen to focus on urban and semi-urban coastlines because these areas are increasingly densely populated and very important for trade, aquaculture and fisheries, energy, tourism and more. At the same time these coastlines are most vulnerable to the consequences of climate change. These characteristics ask for an integrated management, risk assessment and planning by working across sectors and disciplines. Consequently, a new approach is needed with regard to the organisation of studies and research that reflects the complexity of the problems and opportunities facing urban coastal environments. EU-CONEXUS will cover smart urban sustainable coastal development from a holistic point of view by using inter- and cross-disciplinary approaches in education and research and will actively contribute to economic development and regional policy-making. EU-CONEXUS aims to create a new form of transnational university which issues common European degrees and diplomas. Embedded mobility in every study programme will enhance the language skills and intercultural competences of the students as well as reinforce their sense of European identity and citizenship. The multilingual teaching and research programme will rely on state-ofthe-art digital technologies and innovative teaching and learning methodologies, allowing for the genuine integration of partner universities’ activities on various levels. The establishment of joint strategies for innovative research and jointly operating facilities will create yet unseen opportunities for technologies benchmarking, R&D and training/dissemination. EU-CONEXUS will be at the centre of a transnational system for creating innovative solutions and products for urban coastal sustainability. It will accompany start-ups and promote industrial cooperation between industries close to the partner institutions such as the port industry.