Over billion euros in Horizon Europe funding secured for Helsinki-Uusimaa
Organisations in the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region have so far received around 1.07 billion euros from the European Union’s Horizon Europe programme for research, development and innovation (RDI) activities. This is more than 60 per cent of all the funding Finland has received during the EU’s current programme period of 2021–2027. The success rate of applications to Horizon Europe from Helsinki-Uusimaa-based organisations is over 15 per cent.
Horizon Europe is the largest research and innovation funding programme in the EU’s history, with a budget of around 95 billion euros for 2021–2027. Funding is awarded through internationally competed calls.
The Helsinki-Uusimaa Region’s strong position in EU research and innovation funding reflects the region’s high-level RDI expertise and international cooperation networks. More than half of Finland’s RDI activity takes place in Helsinki-Uusimaa, so the region’s success in EU funding calls benefits the whole country.
– This funding strengthens national and regional competitiveness and supports the creation of new knowledge, solutions and innovations. The projects help, among other things, to mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss and to promote health and wellbeing. Horizon Europe projects also create jobs for people in the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region, says Venla Virkamäki, Innovation Manager at the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council.
Universities, research institutes and SMEs succeed in the calls
The top recipients of Horizon Europe funding in the Helsinki-Uusimaa region are VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, the University of Helsinki and Aalto University. Compared with the previous programme period, organisations such as the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and HUS Helsinki University Hospital have increased their share of the funding.
Companies have also been active in Horizon Europe calls. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular have done well during this programme period, receiving around 236 million euros in funding.
Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council helps to speed up EU projects
Funding granted by the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council has helped to accelerate projects that have brought over 25 million euros in Horizon Europe funding to the region. In 2021–2025, the Council awarded a total of 1.6 million euros, from both its own funds and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment’s AKKE appropriation (Sustainable Growth and Vitality of the Regions), for the preparation of EU projects.
Organisations’ readiness to take part in competitive Horizon Europe projects is also supported through European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) funding. In addition, the results of ERDF projects have been used in preparing a number of Horizon Europe projects.
Towards a new programme period
The EU’s next framework programme for research and innovation, covering 2028–2034, is currently being negotiated. The European Commission aims to increase the programme’s budget significantly compared with the current one.
– This is an opportunity for Helsinki-Uusimaa. Strong consortia and wide partner networks are the best guarantee that Helsinki-Uusimaa and the whole of Finland will remain at the forefront of RDI funding in the next decade as well. Organisations that succeed in funding calls should build up their expertise, commit more strongly to applying and make EU funding part of their RDI strategy, says Heikki Kallasvaara, EU Specialist at the Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council.
Helsinki-Uusimaa’s goal is to raise R&D expenditure to five per cent of the region’s gross domestic product by 2030. To reach this target, RDI funding from the EU must also be doubled.
For more information, please contact:
Venla Virkamäki
Innovation Manager
venla.virkamaki@uudenmaanliitto.fi
Development of R&I and international marketing, Strategy for smart specialisation, EU cooperation
Heikki Kallasvaara
Senior Adviser, EU Affairs
heikki.kallasvaara@uudenmaanliitto.fi
EU project preparation and capabilities, Horizon Europe Programme and other direct EU programmes, Smart specialization – Industrial modernization and innovative services
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Innovative Helsinki-Uusimaa
The Helsinki-Uusimaa Region is one of the most innovative regions in Europe and the most dynamic region in Finland.
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