From the beginning the Wholistic World Innovation Trophy is in partnership with the Vrije Universiteit Brussels, VUB, specifically with imac-SMIT, that has students compiling the dossiers for the jury board to base their decisions on:

imec-SMIT-VUB focus is on research related to innovation, policy and socio-economic challenges. To this aim user research, policy research and business analysis is conducted, making use of both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The research group consists of 2 research programs ('Media & Society' and 'Data & Society'), which both are subdivided in three specific units. imec-SMIT-VUB is leading three knowledge centres (Knowledge Centre Data & Society, Mediawijs, Hannah Arendt Institute) and holding four academic chairs (Data Protection On the Ground, Smart Cities Chair, Chair Personalisation, trust & sustainable media, Leerstoel Media in een samenleving in transitie).

Since 2023 VUB-SMIT is supported by Stella Maris College (Autonomous) in Chennai, India. The college is a Catholic minority institution established by the Society of the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, on 15 August 1947. The College is committed to serving economically and socially marginalised sections of the society and promotes inclusive practices in the implementation of its academic programmes. In seeking to mould women of character who will be self-reliant and work towards social transformation, the College has established an educational road map that provides a framework for quality education and stimuli for lifetime learning. The Department of English, aims to equip students with critical, analytical, conceptual and communication skills which will enable them to work in diverse professions, such as teaching, journalism, publishing, translation, editing and research. In offering students an eclectic mix of subjects and approaches to the study of literatures, the Department ensures the relevance of the discipline in today's world, while maintaining traditional strengths.