It was founded in 1991 by around 300 entrepreneurs, as a joint venture between Italian corporations who provided the initial funding and continued to provide support and guidance under the seal of the Industrial Association of the Province of Varese (UNIVA). The university, housed in a restored nineteenth-century cotton mill, is organised into three Faculties (Business & Economics, Business Law and Management Engineering). The university is named after
Carlo Cattaneo, a nineteenth-century local thinker and economist. Evolution of course offerings: • In 1991, the university opened with an incoming class for the
Bachelor of Business Administration (Economia Aziendale). • In 1994, a diploma in Engineering Management was offered. • In 1998, the bachelor's program in Business Law was introduced. == Campus ==