PLENA EDUCATION

Plena Education is not a single traditional university but Italy's third-largest private higher education group in the creative arts sector. Founded in 2022 as an industrial build-up holding company (formerly the K-Now group, rebranded in July 2023), it operates as a national education hub uniting seven accredited institutions: RUFA (Rome University of Fine Arts), SPD (Scuola Politecnica di Design), MADE Program, Ferrari Fashion School, Saint Louis College of Music, UNI CIELS, and CAST Alimenti. Together they deliver bachelor's and master's degrees, postgraduate programs, short courses, and summer schools across design, fine arts, fashion, cinema, music, culinary arts, hospitality, and linguistic mediation. The group maintains physical campuses in Milan, Rome, Bologna, Padua, Brescia, Syracuse, and Palermo, enrolling more than 4,600 students with international students representing approximately 15% of total enrollment. Member schools hold national accreditations from Italy's Ministry of University and Research (MUR) as well as international partnerships, including joint programs and double-degree pathways with institutions such as Teesside University in the UK. Plena positions itself as a gateway for international students seeking Italian creative and cultural excellence. Backed by Kyip Capital, Plena Education reported over €27 million in revenues and has pursued strategic expansion, including new educational hubs in Milan. Its integrated model combines the heritage of long-established Italian creative schools—such as SPD, founded in Milan in 1954—with centralized services in academics, international development, marketing, and corporate relations, supporting career-oriented training rooted in Italy's design, fashion, and arts industries.