The Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna of Pisa (SSSA) is a public special status university that holds a unique position within the Italian higher education system. SSSA has recently entered into a federation along with the Institute for Advanced Studies of Pavia (IUSS) and Scuola Normale Superiore (SNS). Scientific research is one of the main missions and an integral part of its development policy. It is carried out within six Institutes, active in the fields of Life Sciences (Agricultural Sciences and Biotechnology, Medical Sciences), Engineering (Biorobotics, Informatics and Telecommunications) and Social Sciences (Economics and Management, Law, Politics), which plan and manage activities, enhancing the relationship between education and research, as well as inter-disciplinarity and interaction with the cultural, social and economic world. SSSA holds the highest ratio in Italy of patents per number of professors and researchers in Science & Technology (3.5 patents per person).The Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna has developed programs for undergraduates, graduates and professionals. To ensure excellence in education, admission to the programs is subject to a public competitive examination. Thanks to its international nature, the SSSA is a prominent leading institution in the Italian and international scientific community, providing a top level higher education.