Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu Oy
Metropolia
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu Oy (METROPOLIA) is the largest University of Applied Sciences in Finland located in the Helsinki capital region.
ID: 524604198208-06
Lobbying Activity
25 Nov 2025
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences welcomes the European Commissions proposal to increase the Erasmus+ budget to EUR 40.8 billion for the 2028-2034 funding period. The programme is instrumental in supporting our continents competitiveness, enhancing European collaboration across different education & training sectors, addressing skills shortages in strategic sectors and giving new incentives for higher education cooperation and lifelong learning in alignment with the Union of Skills. We would like to present our key messages for the next funding cycle of Erasmus+ (2028-2034). 1. Erasmus+ funding for the higher education sector is a strategic investment We advocate for a robust Erasmus+ budget envelope for the mobility and cooperation projects of the higher education sector, as this would bring wide-ranging benefits for higher education students, teachers, employers & other societal actors, translating into the competitiveness of Europe. In the current Erasmus+ programme (2021-2027). We see it critical that at least 35% of the overall budget for education & training will be reserved for higher education. Any reductions or even stagnation in real terms of the Erasmus+ budget will inevitably lead to fewer mobilities, weaker skills development, and a diminished civil society. 2. Safeguarding learning mobilities for all We welcome that the first programme pillar is focused on learning mobilities for all. Mobility opportunities for students and staff across various education and training sectors should remain a key feature of the programme. However, inflation in costs across Europe has resulted in a relative decrease in the value of the grant sums. This is why the next Erasmus+ Programme should dedicate 70% of its budget to various mobility activities across sectors. We highlight the importance of promoting inclusion and diversity in the next programme and reaching out to more participants with fewer opportunities. At the same time, further simplification and reduced administrative burden is called for. The administrative paperwork for staff and students is the same for both long- and short-term mobilities. 3. Strengthening the Erasmus+ partnership projects We welcome the second programme pillar that is focused on capacity building projects. We find it crucial that this pillar represents continuity for the Erasmus+ KA2 partnerships for cooperation, managed by National Agencies, as well for centrally managed partnerships e.g. alliances for innovation. Such projects can address strategic skills in various fields like health & wellbeing, green & digital transition. 4. Empowering the European University alliances The next Erasmus+ programme should provide a competitive funding mechanism that is long-term, holistic, non-directional and flexible towards the European University alliances. Based on our experience as a coordinator of U!REKA European University, alliances should be able to generate university-wide impact and beyond to have 7-year funding available in the next Erasmus+ programme. To fulfill the ambition of a holistic funding approach, we urge the Commission to consider effective synergies between Erasmus+, Horizon Europe and European Competitiveness fund, translating research results into teaching, linking innovation with curriculum development and upskilling and reskilling for European competitiveness. Particularly, we see the alliances as having potential to the delivery of European Research Agenda contributing to the development of attractive & sustainable research careers, researcher mobility, knowledge valorisation & European R&I ecosystems. 5. Tapping into the potential of the joint study programmes Metropolia takes note of the Commissions plan to increase the number of transnational joint study programmes, which can effectively be used to pilot the criteria of the joint European Degree Label. Yet, the implementation of such programmes requires robust funding from the Erasmus+ programme.
Read full responseResponse to EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – EU funding for competitiveness
7 Nov 2025
Metropolia University of Applied Sciences welcomes the Commissions proposal for next Horizon Europe framework programme for 2028-2034 as a stand-alone programme. We appreciate the initial proposal to double the budget of the EUs next framework programme as well as the commitment of the Pillar II Competitiveness and Society to support collaborative research and innovation in areas of high societal impact. We emphasize the importance to design carefully the synergies between the Horizon Europe and the European Competitiveness Fund. Our key recommendations: 1. We emphasize the need to address R&I topics linked to the four ECF competitiveness policy windows in Pillar II from an interdisciplinary and societal perspective. These competitiveness and industrial topics should be rooted in societal and regional needs, enhancing the impact and applicability of new RDI solutions and results. This is also extremely important to recognize in relation to the policy window of security and resilience that would benefit from a holistic whole-of-society approach to security and crisis resilience as described in Niinistö Report: Shifting from Crisis Response to Resilience published at the end of 2024. 2. We emphasize the added value and societal impact of the place-based ecosystem approach particular under the Competitiveness & Society section of Pillar II and highlight the added value of involving actors such as universities of applied sciences, cities and companies as complementary Horizon Europe & ECF project partners. We find it very important to specify the involvement of quadruple helix actors for co-creation and the implementation of new solutions 3. We call for more clarity on the synergies between Horizon Europe Pillar II and the European Competitiveness Fund - particularly concerning the proposed joint work programmes and the single rulebook. We highlight the need to involve a broad representation from the academic sector and researchers - including from the universities of applied sciences - in the preparation of the joint work programmes and their call topics. 4. We are concerned about the lack of proposed funding for the Society section of the Pillar II, as topics such as social innovation, resilience and wellbeing remain at the heart of our European way of life. We welcome the inclusion of the EU Missions in the proposed section, but we advocate for the Mission-related R&I funding calls to continue beyond the set target of 2030. We particularly emphasize the societal relevance of the EU Cities Mission and believe that further efforts and funding could be targeted on the social dimension of sustainable development, e.g. countering social segregation. Furthermore, we welcome the dedicated R&I funding for the New European Bauhaus Facility, as the NEB initiative can enhance societal resilience, wellbeing and the quality of life of citizens 5. European University alliances should receive greater recognition for their research and innovation potential towards the delivery of European Research Area. The alliances are in a good position to foster synergies between regional innovation ecosystems through their partner universities across Europe. Horizon Europe should provide complementary funding to the R&I dimension of the EUI alliances and similar HEI networks to achieve the ERA targets 6. Metropolia welcomes the focus on skills development as part of European Competitiveness Fund. It is fully in line with the recommendations of the Draghi report that Member States would revise their education & training curricula, also at the VET level, and improve upskilling and reskilling pathways for adults so labour market has access to the skills they need to remain competitive. Metropolia advocates that it is important to upskill and reskill the workforce flexibly for the needs of digital and green transitions and improve the circulation of skills across Europe and to attract, develop and retain talent for Europes future.
Read full responseResponse to EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – implementing EU funding with Member States and regions
3 Nov 2025
Metropolia is Finlands largest University of Applied Sciences, with over 18.000 students and 1.100 employees and campuses located across the Helsinki Metropolitan Region. Metropolia is also the coordinator of the U!REKA European University, an alliance with 123.000 students and 18.000 employees with a mission to accelerate European transition to climate-neutrality and by doing so foster European competitiveness, values and identity. The urban dimension, linking higher education, innovation, and local and regional development, makes Metropolia UAS both a regional and European actor in driving applied research, innovation, and skills for sustainable growth. Metropolia UAS welcomes the National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPP) to enhance the alignment between EU, national and regional priorities. However, we would like to present the following key recommendations to ensure the success of the proposed funding structure. 1) It is important to ensure that universities and regional authorities have a formal and structured role in NRPP preparation, implementation, and monitoring committees. This will help guarantee that the NRPP plans will remain tailored to local and regional contexts and needs in the next funding period (2028-2034). This will also ensure that the plans are in a good position to reach the EU level ambitions and targets on various policy fields including research and innovation and skills and education. 2) It is equally important to ensure the continuity of cohesion funding for developed metropolitan regions like Helsinki-Uusimaa, as they have a key role in driving competitiveness, green & digital transition, innovation, skills development, social inclusion and resilience both at the national and European level. Investments in more developed innovation ecosystems yield scalable results relatively quickly - also for the benefit of other regions. 3) We find it necessary that cohesion funding should provide new opportunities for applied research & innovation, skills development, employability & social inclusion as well as collaborative partnerships between universities, companies and their regional ecosystems, similar to the ERDF ja ESF+ funding opportunities in the current programming period (2021-2027). Cohesion funding should also continue to support city-university collaboration towards climate objectives and further synergies could be explored to boost the EU Mission on 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities. 4) The cohesion policy needs to empower regional innovation ecosystems and their transnational, interregional and cross-border collaboration through the Interreg Programmes. Particular attention should be given to the strategic relevance of the Baltic Sea Region in light of Europe's geopolitical challenges. It is our view that both the Interreg Baltic Sea and the Interreg Central Baltic programmes greatly contribute to the cross-border solidarity and resilience of the region. 5) NRPP plans are in a strategic position to provide complementary funding to the European University Alliances to deliver on their joint research and innovation dimension, enhancing cross-border collaboration between regional ecosystems and innovation hubs across Europe, and harnessing further untapped potential to deliver on the objectives of the European Research Area. In addition, NRPP plans could provide complementary funding to boost the skills development goals of the European University Alliances in alignment with the regional and local labour market needs - especially in emerging strategic sectors. Finally, the NRPP plans can be an excellent vehicle to enhance the alignment between EU, national and regional priorities and their implementation. However, universities and regional authorities need to have a formal and structured role in the implementation and monitoring processes of the NRPP structures to enhance the overall impact and quality of these investments.
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