Laurea strengthens European research and higher education collaboration through the PIONEER Alliance

In Finland, the Ministry of Education and Culture launched in 2025 a national vision process for higher education and research. The aim is to create a vision for 2040 and identify the necessary measures to achieve it, as renewing society requires the continuous development of higher education and research. International cooperation lies at the core of higher education and research, and the need to build closer collaboration with actors who share common values is growing. As a result, Nordic and European cooperation in research and higher education is becoming increasingly important.

Laurea University of Applied Sciences contributes to the advancement of European research and higher education collaboration through the PIONEER Alliance. The alliance aims to promote the strategic development of future cities through education, research, development and innovation activities as well as ecosystem cooperation.

Laurea took over the chairmanship of the alliance for 2026

Laurea’s President and CEO, Jouni Koski, has received the chairmanship of the PIONEER Alliance for 2026 from the French university Université Gustave Eiffel, the coordinator of the initiative. In addition to Laurea, the alliance includes:

• Avans Univeristy of Applied Sciences , Netherlands
• ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon , Portugal
• TH Köln - University of Applied Sciences , Germany
• University of Huelva (UHU) , Spain
• Università Iuav di Venezia , Italy
• Tomas Bata University in Zlin (UTB) , Czech Republic
• University of Žilina (UNIZA) , Slovakia
• Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH) , Switzerland

Under the European Universities Initiative, the European Commission has allocated €14.4 million in Erasmus+ funding to the alliance for the four‑year development period 2025–2028. Laurea’s total budget for PIONEER activities during this period is approximately €2.4 million. The PIONEER Alliance will also have an opportunity to apply for funding for an additional two years (2029–2030).

“This represents a highly significant investment in the internationalisation of a Finnish higher education institution, especially at a time when funding for higher education in Finland has been under pressure for a long period,” President, CEO Koski notes.

PIONEER Alliance focuses on sustainable urban development

The multidisciplinary development work carried out within the PIONEER universities, in close collaboration with regional actors and stakeholders, supports cities in addressing key sustainability challenges. Within the alliance, EU‑funded research, development and innovation projects, staff and student mobility, stakeholder events, joint publications and academic articles all serve as mechanisms to strengthen both inter‑institutional collaboration and the partners’ regional engagement on urban development. Additionally, the PIONEER partners are developing shared educational offerings and learning content.

“The PIONEER Alliance supports Laurea University of Applied Sciences in developing, in line with our strategy, into a globally competitive, work‑life‑oriented university of applied sciences. At the same time, it promotes sustainable urban development and strengthens our ability to compete for international research funding,” Jouni Koski concludes.

Learn more about the PIONEER alliance

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