Knowledge hubs are an essential part of the European higher education strategy and the development of European University alliances. They strengthen interdisciplinarity, societal impact, and strategic cooperation between higher education institutions across borders. Knowledge hubs integrate education, research, innovation, regional development, and societal engagement into a seamless whole. Above all, they function as platforms for developing long-term strategies and interdisciplinary cooperation, while supporting international mobility, digitalisation, and sustainable development – key priorities of the strategy (European Commission 2022). The knowledge hub currently under development within the PIONEER alliance is a concrete example of this European development.

Knowledge hubs operate as cross-border infrastructures in which students, teachers, researchers, RDI experts, and regional stakeholders jointly develop solutions addressing areas such as the circular economy in cities, including material reuse, energy efficiency, and sustainable mobility (European Commission 2025). They are not merely physical or virtual spaces; rather, a knowledge hub is an operational model that enables multidisciplinary cooperation, cross-sectoral co-creation, and the practical application of research-based knowledge with regional and international partners.

Knowledge hubs offer a wide range of benefits for higher education institutions and society, including the following (European Commission 2025):

• Strategic role and impact: Knowledge hubs strengthen the societal impact, profiling, and RDI intensity of higher education institutions. They act as nodes between education, research, innovation, and regional development.
• Competence development and lifelong learning: Hubs provide platforms for skills upgrading (continuous learning) and for developing multidisciplinary, challenge-based study modules that respond to the needs of a changing world of work.
• Future skills needs: These relate to digital solutions, sustainability competences, and multidisciplinary problem-solving, which are reinforced through international projects and expert networks.
• European cooperation: European University alliances and EU’s RDI policy guide hubs towards shared research infrastructures and international cooperation, increasing opportunities to influence EU-level policy and funding.
• Funding and competitiveness: Hubs attract significant EU and business funding, as demonstrated by the Academy of Finland’s flagship programmes, and support Europe’s competitiveness (Academy of Finland 2025).

Knowledge hubs support cooperation and the creation of shared knowledge across borders, languages, cultures, and disciplines – both in a European and a global context. Ultimately, they promote a shared European vision and identity as well as academic values (Council of the European Union 2021).

Knowledge Hubs as Engines of Impact

A knowledge hub acts as a bridge between higher education institutions and society. It brings together students and staff of higher education institutions, urban actors and businesses, as well as citizens and local communities to address shared challenges (European Commission 2025). As a result, new solutions and operating models emerge that respond to current societal challenges and promote the practical implementation of innovations. In addition, the knowledge hub supports impactful and challenge-based learning, international student and expert mobility, knowledge sharing, knowledge-based management, and systems thinking. This strengthens the transformation of higher education institutions, regional development, and Europe’s competitiveness and human capital.

From the perspective of education and competence development, a knowledge hub integrates students into authentic research, development, and innovation processes. This strengthens their employability and enriches learning through new pedagogical methods and multidisciplinary learning environments. The knowledge hub also acts as an attraction factor, drawing motivated students and experts into development activities (Zenkienė & Leišytė 2024).

In RDI activities, a knowledge hub brings together expertise from different fields, enabling the emergence of novel research initiatives. It supports the practical application and commercialisation of research results and creates preconditions for building long-term research infrastructures. In this way, the higher education institution’s ability to respond to changing societal needs and emerging phenomena is enhanced. Population ageing and active citizenship, youth participation and well-being, digitalisation, and the green transition are all part of the sustainable development and renewal of future cities and regional economies (ESFRI 2020).

Economically, a knowledge hub adds value to the operations of higher education institutions. Broad-based partnerships and multi-actor networks are at the core of hub activities. It increases the share of business and EU funding, creates new business opportunities and jobs, and strengthens the competitiveness and resilience of higher education institutions in a changing operating environment (Gallo, Maki & Parrilli 2025). Through this, the institution’s regional and international visibility is enhanced, making it an increasingly significant actor within the competence ecosystem.

Creating the PIONEER Alliance Knowledge Hub

Within the PIONEER alliance of ten European higher education institutions, a knowledge hub refers to an integrated entity in which expertise and know-how in education, RDI activities, and ecosystem cooperation are combined. The PIONEER knowledge hub functions as a bridge between higher education institutions and regional ecosystems, with a particular focus on the sustainable development of future cities and communities in line with the UN Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 11.

During the period 2025–2028, the PIONEER alliance will build a European knowledge hub centred on multidisciplinary cooperation and the generation of innovations. The hub emphasises the identification, support, connection, development, and scaling of communities and networks. The foundation for the PIONEER alliance knowledge hub is provided by the InCITIES project (2022–2025), which has mapped seven scientific thematic areas as well as transversal or soft skills. The identification and consolidation of these scientific and professional communities is already well underway within the PIONEER alliance.

Promoting sustainable development requires networking at regional, national, and international levels. Through the knowledge hub, the PIONEER alliance aims to strengthen challenge-based co-creation in education, research, and ecosystem activities in a phased manner (PIONEER Alliance Grant Agreement 2024):

• Phase 1: Connecting existing partner communities in education, research, and ecosystem activities across higher education institutions into broader, Europe-wide communities.
• Phase 2: Strengthening the integration and co-creation of education, research, and ecosystem activities by embedding their existing communities into a unified whole.
• Phase 3: Bringing all communities together into a single knowledge hub and creating a shared PIONEER platform that offers interdisciplinary services, resources, and opportunities for co-creation.

The PIONEER knowledge hub is built on European mobility, multidisciplinary cooperation, stakeholder engagement, and the production, sharing, and practical application of knowledge. The hub equips graduates of higher education institutions with the capabilities to address and solve real societal challenges and to succeed in a changing world. Their diverse competence profiles make them valuable professionals in international labour markets, thereby also strengthening Europe’s competitiveness.

Europe’s Future Innovation Ecosystems

In the future, knowledge hubs will increasingly serve as strategic drivers of higher education and platforms for cooperation – they are Europe’s future innovation ecosystems. Within them, higher education institutions, companies, and societal actors join forces to create solutions that make cities more sustainable, working life more flexible, and society more inclusive. Cooperation transcends borders and disciplines, generating new ideas and strengthening Europe’s position as a global leader in knowledge and competitiveness. Knowledge hubs lay the foundation for a world in which knowledge, innovations, and people move freely – and where the goals of sustainable development become reality.

Author information

Dr. Mika Launikari, M.Sc. (Econ.), works as a Leading Expert at Laurea University of Applied Sciences and participates in the development work carried out within the European PIONEER University Alliance.

References

• European commission 2025. Report on the outcomes and transformational potential of the European Universities initiative. Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture. Publications Office of the European Union. Accessed 4 November 2025.
• European commission 2022. Communication from the commission on a European Strategy for Universities. Accessed 4 November 2025.
• Council of the European Union 2021. Council conclusions on the European Universities initiative – Bridging higher education, research, innovation and society. Accessed 14 November 2025.
• European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) 2020. Making Science Happen. A new ambition for Research Infrastructures in the European Research Area. Accessed 14 November 2025.
• Gallo, L., Maki, S. & Parrilli, I. 2025. Bridging the EU’s Innovation Gap: Supporting Hubs for Academic-Powered Enterprises. Accessed 14 November 2025.
• InCITIES project. Accessed 14 November 2025.
• PIONEER Alliance Grant Agreement 2024. Not published. Accessed 14 November 2025.
• Research Council of Finland 2025. Flagship Programme. Accessed 14 November 2025. 
• Zenkienė, L. & Leišytė, L. 2024. Strengthening university capacity in regional innovation ecosystem through the participation in the European Universities initiative.European Journal of Higher Education. Accessed 14 November 2025.