Microsoft and Nokia are feeling the heat to drive developer support for the Windows Phone operating system. The companies today announced they will each invest up to 9 million euros ($11.94 million USD) into a newly established mobile application development program at Aalto University in Helsinki, Finland, during the next three years.

The program is being called "AppCampus" and has been set up to facilitate app development around the Windows Phone ecosystem, and in addition, Nokia platforms, including Symbian and Series 40, to "create a new generation of self-sustaining mobile startups."

The project will kick off in May. Aalto University has donated its facilities to the project, as well as coaching services and access to both academic and business networks for budding app developers.

The move comes as Nokia and Microsoft struggle to drum up support for Windows Phone amongst major developers. In a recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Nokia acknowledged lack of developer support for Windows Phone as a major risk for the company going forward.

While the library of available applications on the Windows Marketplace hit 70,000 recently, it's the big name developers that the platform struggles to attract.

Although Rovio's CEO, Mikael Hed, told Reuters recently that the company is working towards getting Angry Birds Space to Windows Phone 7, Microsoft’s platform was not among those supported by Rovio's Angry Birds sequel, Angry Birds Space, which launched last week.

The Google Play Market and Apple App Store currently have approximately 400,000 and 550,000 downloadable apps respectively, according to app analytics firm Distimo.