Finland: 2026 budget proposal to cut funding for universities and abandon R&D funding increase

The University of Helsinki "strongly opposes" the proposed cut in universities' funding in the 2026 state budget proposal, published by the Finnish Ministry of Finance on 06/08/2025.

The budget cuts represent "hundreds of millions in funding for universities, research and innovation. The proposal would also freeze the university index and break the parliamentary agreement on R&D funding", according to the university.

"The proposal is completely incomprehensible at a time when economic growth is already stagnating. The government's own growth working group stated in the spring that to ensure economic growth and the competitiveness of the labour market, the level of education should be raised and funding for university research and development should be strengthened, as we have fallen far behind our comparison countries. However, now they want to do the exact opposite by cutting back on universities", says Sari Lindblom, Rector of the University of Helsinki, on 07/08/2025.

The 2026 budget includes:
• cuts to Business Finland (Finland's official government agency for innovation funding)'s…