PIONEER - The European University for Future Cities
Since 2025 Laurea participates in the PIONEER Alliance of 10 European HEIs, which promotes inclusion, safety, resilience and sustainability of the cities and communities of the future (UN Sustainable Development Goal 11). A sustainable city is one that is safe and accessible for all, inclusive and participatory, crisis-resilient and adaptable, and protects our shared cultural and natural heritage. In this context, the PIONEER Alliance is developing work in higher education management, education, RDI, regional ecosystem cooperation and internationalisation.
- Implementation date1/1/2025 - 12/31/2028
- FunderErasmus+ 2021-2027 European Universities
- Research programmeService Business and Circular Economy
- Project typeInternational RD
- ThemesDigitalisation and information management in society, Pedagogy and cocreation, Ethical competence and foresight competence
- Project managerMika Launikari
The European Commission's European University Initiative brings together ten (10) impact-driven universities (including Laurea UAS) from nine EU countries and Switzerland as a non-EU country under the umbrella of the PIONEER Alliance. In 2025-2028, the PIONEER Alliance will implement the EU COM funded PIONEER+ project dedicated to UN Agenda 2030’s SDG11 'Sustainable Cities and Communities', addressing the need for cities to become inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable. The PIONEER+ project is organised into eight (8) thematic Work Packages (WPs), each of which supports the overall objective of the PIONEER Alliance, while having its own specific objectives.
Through the PIONEER+ project, the PIONEER Alliance will be a facilitator of inter-institutional learning and a platform for institutional change. This objective will be achieved through strategic integration at the institutional level: gradually aligning the institutional strategies and trajectories, building a common development strategy to become truly international institutions integrated in a federal framework. This framework will be inspired by the European Union, with a strong strategic centre that draws on and supports the diversity and autonomy of the partners to build a flexible and complementary academic ecosystem, while working together on a common strategy and development path.
By bringing together academics, students, citizens, public institutions, private companies and NGOs in the orchestration framework, the aim is to develop joint challenge-based education, impact-driven research and innovative ecosystem co-creation initiatives that contribute to many European, regional and urban agendas (such as the EU Green Deal and the 'Fit for 55' package). In so doing, the PIONEER Alliance spreads European values and promotes diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging. The PIONEER Open Campus will offer seamless mobility for students and unique leadership development opportunities for staff, while the PIONEER Knowledge Hub will enable member universities and associated partners from regional ecosystems to work together on matters concerning SDG11.
For more information visit the PIONEER website
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Contact person
- Mika Launikari
- Mika.Launikari@laurea.fi
- Tel +358503442976
- At Laurea, Mika is involved in international higher education cooperation, incl. the European University Alliance PIONEER, and competence development in the area of transformative leadership.