Description
Description (EN): The depopulation, aging generation and conditions in the archipelago regions set challenges for business development, founding of new companies and finding successors to existing businesses. Collaboration in international and intergenerational teams creating business partnerships and new market entries will strengthen the area's competitiveness and enable growth.
The project Archipelago - strategic partnerships for business development aims to create new business models in the archipelago and rural areas through business development and forming partnerships between entrepreneurs and start-up companies in Finland (including Aland Islands) and Sweden. The project also aims at knowledge exchange involving existing businesses and new potential entreprenuers.
Long-term activities create real business benefits through educational community engagement in intergenerational teams involving both communities and students. The partners solid start-up expertise, coaching techniques and innovative models for cross-border business development as the "Loopa-method, will be used educating and supporting entrepreneurs and community business-counselling services. Students will be involved in co-coaching companies, internships, projects and thesis-work enhancing new business opportunities, services and models of cooperation. International match-making seminars will stimulate networking, knowledge-sharing and business development involving key stakeholders. The use of digital technology will result in creating platforms and applications for partnership and co-operation business activities, sales channels and recruitment pools.
The target is to develop 10 new business models for existing companies through diversification, new seasonal solutions or cross border cooperation. A minimum of 60 existing SMEs will take part of a development process and we expect to trigger 5 new startup businesses.
Read more Achievements (EN): The project Archipelago - strategic partnerships for business development inspired entrepreneurs in the archipelago and rural areas to develop through partnerships and training in Finland (including Aland Islands) and Sweden. The archipelago regions have certain challenges: small scale communities, depopulation, aging generation, strong seasonality, lower accessibility, etc.
The project wanted a minimum of 60 existing SMEs to take part of a development process, - the result was 185 companies involved in activities during three years. Different companies joined along the way, some participating in only one activity, whereas others participated in several.
As the main results the project targeted to achieve 5 new startup companies and 10 new business models developed by existing companies.
By the end of the project 12 new startups and 22 new business models through diversification and new seasonal solutions were achieved thus exceeding the targeted results.
The exceeding results show these activities were needed and filled a gap among the archipelago entrepreneurs. The partners’ solid start-up expertise, coaching techniques and innovative models for cross-border business development as the "Loopa” method were just on spot and successful tools in the project.
Students were also engaged in almost all project activities and therefore the actual amount exceeded the targeted by far (more than 200 student projects by about 80 students). Student involvement included course work, theses, hackathon, communication activities and internships.
The use of digital technology resulted in a new platform for information and networking www.archipelagobusiness.nu, which one partner stays responsible for.
The project results have already created new working methods and networks in the Turku archipelago area, so the lessons learned during project time have been capitalised.
“The main achievement is that we managed to reach and inspire a large group of archipelago entrepreneurs to develop their businesses together with each other. We managed this through our numerous activities, the matchmaking seminars, business clinics, accelerator program, international forums, and benchmarking trips, as well as through student assignments and individual consulting by our experts.
The entrepreneurs received new contacts, ideas, and tools and most importantly, courage to expand their current businesses into new areas and fields.
They also received hands on assistance regarding pricing, marketing, and search engine optimization, for example. … and more importantly, the entrepreneurs learned that they are not alone.”
Project website with all information https://www.archipelagobusiness.eu/
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Website: http://centralbaltic.eu/
Expected Results (EN): R1.1. Number of new joint or co-operating knowledge intensive enterprises
Expected Outputs (EN): The target is to develop 10 new business models for existing companies through diversification, new seasonal solutions or cross border cooperation. A minimum of 60 existing SMEs will take part of a development process and we expect to trigger 5 new startup businesses.
By raising the level and scope of skills in SMEs the level of knowledge increases. Furthermore a possibility to enter new markets with greater variety and greater capacity will be opened. This contributes to a longer season for small business owners who previously have worked in a limited area for a part of the year and creates possibilities for starting new businesses .
The intergenerational teams that are established in the project will increase the level of knowledge when older generations contribute with their experience, knowledge and network, and younger generations come with new knowledge, new methods, tools and innovative thinking. The project will increase the knowledge and capabilities of young entrepreneurs to dare to take over or start new businesses in the archipelago, which increases the attractiveness and facilitate recruitment in the area.
Internships, theses and evaluation will in various ways contribute to stimulation by finding new business opportunities, services and models of cooperation. Digital platforms and marketplace for matching needs and demands will be developed and implemented. Various support functions and Drivhuset´s LOOPA-method will be used to enhance the creation of new business models.
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Thematic information
Specific Objective:
New Central Baltic knowledge intensive companies
Thematic Objective:
(03) enhancing the competitiveness of SMEs by:
Investment Priority:
(03a) promoting entrepreneurship, in particular by facilitating the economic exploitation of new ideas and fostering the creation of new firms, including through business incubators
Partners (4)
Lead Partner:
Yrkeshögskolan Novia
Department:
Department of Research and Development
Address:
Raseborgsvägen 9, 10600 Ekenäs, Finland
Legal status:
public
Website:
http://www.novia.fi
Total budget:
EUR 560 698.18
ERDF budget:
EUR 420 523.64
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Södertörns högskola
-
Name:
Södertörns högskola
Department:
Economics, tourism and media technology
Address:
Alfred Nobels Allé 7, 14189 Huddinge, Sweden
Legal status:
public
Website:
http://www.sh.se
Total budget:
EUR 341 868.96
ERDF budget:
EUR 256 401.72
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Drivhuset Sverige
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Name:
Drivhuset Sverige
Department:
Stockholm
Address:
Storgatan 33 b, 11455 Stockholm, Sweden
Legal status:
public
Website:
http://www.drivhuset.se
Total budget:
EUR 367 493.95
ERDF budget:
EUR 275 620.46
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Åbo Akademi
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Name:
Åbo Akademi
Department:
School of Business and Economics
Address:
Domkyrkotorget 3, 20500 Åbo, Finland
Legal status:
public
Website:
http://www.abo.fi
Total budget:
EUR 368 450.00
ERDF budget:
EUR 276 337.50
