Aurora Releases Its First Economic Impact Report
Aurora has published its first consolidated Economic Impact Report, coordinated by Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) and developed with BiGGAR Economics. The report shows that the nine Aurora member universities generated €21.1 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) and supported 165,000 jobs in Europe in 2024.
A Comprehensive View Of Aurora’s Economic Footprint
The Economic Impact Report was commissioned under the framework of the Aurora 2030 programme within the Holistic and Strategic Approach to Impact task team (TT10.3). The objective is to assess their aggregate contribution to Aurora and to demonstrate the added value of a European university alliance for its member universities. Based on extensive data collection across all nine institutions, the analysis highlights Aurora’s role in strengthening skills development, catalysing innovation, enabling student mobility, and engaging regional ecosystems.
Learning represents the largest share of Aurora’s impact. The 59,880 graduates of 2024 are expected to generate €7.3 billion in lifetime productivity gains, underlining the alliance’s emphasis on research-driven education and professional learning. Internships organised throughout the network accounted for an additional €236 million in GVA, further strengthening employability and collaboration with external partners.
Research valorisation also plays a significant role, contributing €1.1 billion in GVA through licensing, consultancy, commissioned research, and the creation of around 240 spin-outs and start-ups.. Science parks and incubators hosted by Aurora universities further reinforce regional innovation ecosystems and long-term societal impact.
Students are another key driver of Aurora’s economic footprint. With 274,410 students enrolled across the alliance, their spending and part-time employment delivered €6.0 billion in GVA and supported tens of thousands of jobs across Europe. Volunteering activities add further social value, reinforcing the strong civic engagement of Aurora’s student communities.
Aurora’s operational activities complete the picture. With 33,970 employees, a combined annual income of €3.8 billion, and €901 million spent on goods and services, member universities accounted for €6.2 billion in GVA through their core operations. Tourism linked to university events and visits provided additional economic benefits to regional economies.
“Coordinating this analysis was a real challenge,” said Matthieu Danteny, Deputy Head of the Strategy and Major Projects Unit at UPEC. “Collecting such diverse data from the nine universities required strong collaboration, and we played a central role in supporting this work with BiGGAR Economics. Despite complex timelines, the alliance met its deadlines and the report was successfully delivered.”
Strengthening Aurora’s Long-Term Contribution to Europe
Even though Aurora has been part of the European Universities Initiative for only six years, the report already highlights early signs of added value through shared structures, increased mobility, and collaborative research. These findings provide a foundation for future monitoring and further supports Aurora’s contribution to the European Education Area.
Ilyas Kenadid, Head of the Strategy and Major Projects Unit at UPEC, said: “Members of task team 10.3 are proud to deliver the first-ever economic impact study conducted for a European university alliance. In partnership with BiGGAR Economics, we have spent the past two years designing a robust framework to capture both the economic contribution of Aurora universities and the added value generated by the alliance. While the added value stemming from the Aurora network is already showing initial benefits, this study represents only the first step towards a more holistic and longitudinal assessment of Aurora’s broader impact across all of our activities.”
As the alliance continues to develop, its collective impact is expected to grow further, reinforcing cooperation across institutions and supporting more integrated approaches to education, research, and societal engagement.