RDI and Business Operations: New records in business operations
Laurea’s external R&D funding for 2024 amounted to EUR 6.3 million, which is less than in the year before. This decrease is explained by the fact that a large number of ESF and ERDF projects funded from the REACT EU programme were concluded in 2023, and funding opportunities of a similar scale have not since been available in Uusimaa. Laurea continues to receive more Horizon funding than any other Finnish university of applied sciences, and the amount of Horizon framework programme funding and other EU funding subject to quality-based competition was EUR 1.6 million.
The guiding principle in our RDI activities is their societal impact. In terms of impact, Laurea again gained recognition as our RDI activities were evaluated in spring 2024 in cooperation with Excellence Finland (formerly the Finnish Quality Association). Laurea achieved a record score of 502 in the evaluation, which is 65 points more than in a similar evaluation conducted in 2022. Laurea’s star rating also went up from four to five stars. Compared to other organisations in Finland that were evaluated based on the EFQM model, Laurea was at the level of the median result or better in each evaluation area. As the main assets of Laurea's RDI activities were found systematic and dynamic knowledge-based management, an open and encouraging atmosphere and a good operating culture, active collaboration, interaction, communications and good operating models.
Laurea’s business revenue reached record levels at EUR 4.5 million. This increase comes mainly from expanded education exports, which have roughly doubled compared to the previous year. The business operations mainly consist of education exports, sales of education services, Bar Laurea operations and other student work. Laurea’s education exports include commissioned education projects and commercial cooperation with foreign colleges. In domestic education services, Laurea managed to increase the turnover of MAPA® training (MAPA = management of actual or potential aggression), and MAPA® products accounted for roughly one half of the revenue from domestic education services.
Since 2019, Laurea has established key partnerships to strengthen students' employer networks and to improve their employment quality. The partner network is maintained in a goal-oriented manner and systematically activated to strengthen Laurea's R&D activities and business operations. At the end of 2024, Laurea had 106 key partners.
Mari Vuolteenaho, Vice President (RDI)
Key Figures in 2024
- External funding for RDI activities in 2024: EUR 6.3 million
- Number of H2020 and Horizon projects underway in 2024: 18
- Number of project applications related to RDI activities in 2024: 153