Finland to receive €235 million in EIB financing for hospital and school upgrades

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• EIB provides €235 million in loans to improve hospitals and schools in Finland´s Uusimaa region.
• Hospitals in Helsinki, Espoo and Vantaa, as well as schools in Vantaa among beneficiaries. 
• Part of the EIB’s ongoing support for Finland’s public services, with over €3.8 billion invested in healthcare and education in recent years.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) is signing two major financing agreements, totalling €235 million, to support critical public infrastructure in southern Finland. The funding will significantly enhance healthcare services across southern Finland and education services in Vantaa.

The first agreement, worth €135 million, will support the modernisation of hospital infrastructure across the region. This includes improving access to specialised care, strengthening medical education, and enhancing the energy efficiency of hospital buildings. The financing is part of a broader €300 million loan package with the Helsinki University Hospital (HUS)—the joint authority for specialized healthcare in Helsinki and Uusimaa. Major upgrades are planned at hospitals in Meilahti in Helsinki, Jorvi in Espoo and Peijas in Vantaa.

In parallel, the EIB is also lending €100 million to support the development of modern, energy-efficient educational facilities in Vantaa, a rapidly growing city just north of Helsinki. This tranche is part of a larger €350 million loan package. The initiative will benefit over 11,000 students and deliver more than 160,000 square metres of new and refurbished educational space across more than 30 facilities, including schools, day centers, and sports venues.

“These projects will directly improve daily life for tens of thousands of people across southern Finland,” said EIB Vice-President Thomas Östros. “We are proud to support Finland in building modern, sustainable infrastructure that delivers better services and meets the highest environmental standards. Investing in healthcare and education is investing in people’s futures.”

Both loans reflect the EIB’s goals of fostering sustainable urban development, promoting social inclusion, and advancing climate action through energy-efficient infrastructure.

The major part of hospital upgrades in the Uusimaa region are due to be completed by the end of 2026.

“The EIB is an important and reliable financier of investments for HUS,” said HUS Chief Financial Officer Jari Finnilä. “The EIB and HUS have a long-time cooperation in financing investments of specialized healthcare.”

The works on the school buildings in Vantaa are scheduled to be completed within the next five years. “The long-term funding we receive from the EIB is vital to our efforts in renovating and constructing educational facilities,” said Vantaa Mayor Pekka Timonen.

In Finland, the EIB has provided financing of more than €2.1 billion in healthcare and €1.7 billion in education over the past decade. Recent projects include the Laakso hospital construction and modern school facilities in Tuusula, Helsinki and Turku.

Background information  

EIB 

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, high-impact investments outside the European Union, and the capital markets union.  

The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.  

All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.  

Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers. Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

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