Forum Virium Helsinki has secured nearly 10 million euros in Horizon Europe innovation funding, ranking among Finland’s top 20 recipients.
As the City of Helsinki’s innovation company, Forum Virium Helsinki plays a crucial role in attracting EU research and innovation funding to support the city’s strategic goals. A recent Business Finland statistical review ranks Forum Virium Helsinki as the 20th largest recipient of Horizon Europe funding in Finland between 2021 and 2024. When it comes to securing funding for collaborative projects, the organisation is ranked 19th. VTT leads both categories.
Co-creating urban futures with EU innovation funding
In total, 580 Finnish organisations have received Horizon Europe funding. Given its size, Forum Virium Helsinki stands out as one of the most effective players in securing EU innovation support. The funding is being used to develop climate-friendly, data-driven urban solutions that can be scaled across Europe, supporting Helsinki’s ambitions for climate neutrality, resilience, and improved citizen wellbeing.
“Horizon Europe, as the world’s largest research and innovation programme, is an exceptional tool for pushing the limits of existing technologies and exploring future solutions. It allows us to tackle critical challenges such as strengthening Helsinki’s resilience to climate change, natural and human-made disasters, and climate-proofing our buildings and critical infrastructure. At the same time, we aim to enhance citizen wellbeing and improve city services and functionality – all without increasing public expenses. Our success comes from Helsinki’s position as a global leader in open data, user-centric design, living labs, and smart mobility. This reputation attracts top European partners to collaborate with us, enabling us to push the boundaries of innovation. By working with the best, leveraging the city as a test bed, and focusing on real-world impact, we continue to achieve impressive results for both Forum Virium Helsinki and the city as a whole”, says Hugo Goncalves, Head of EU R&I Collaboration at Forum Virium Helsinki.
42 % success rate
The success rate for Horizon Europe applications in Finland averages around 20 percent. Forum Virium Helsinki far exceeds this benchmark, achieving a 42 percent success rate in 2024, demonstrating its expertise in securing competitive EU funding.
Horizon Europe is the EU’s flagship innovation funding programme, with a total budget of €93.5 billion for 2021–2027. By the end of 2024, Finnish organisations had secured 2.8 percent of all Horizon funding, amounting to over €1 billion.
What has Forum Virium Helsinki achieved with this funding? Learn more about the impact of Forum Virium Helsinki’s innovation projects.
Additional information
Hugo Goncalves
Senior Project Development Manager, Head of EU R&I collaboration
+358 45 1199 410
hugo.goncalves@forumvirium.fi
