Gateway to Global Markets

Programme 2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A Finland-Estonia-Latvia-Sweden (Central Baltic)

Date of latest update: 2025-01-21

Description

Description (EN):

SMEs that are interested and financially capable of exporting, are facing barriers when it comes to commencing their export endeavors. Barriers are such as cultural understanding, finding the right markets and target groups, understanding trade regulations and financial constraints, knowing market access, and facing logistical challenges. In small countries, such as Finland and Estonia, the domestic market becomes quickly saturated, and although there is a desire to export, the skills and resources for internationalization are not necessarily there. Since, for example, Russian trade has stagnated, SMEs will have to go further afield to do export trade. More distant export markets require more knowledge, skills, and resources, which are recognized as obstacles for many SMEs. Long transport journeys also require partners and cooperation to optimize prices and efficiency. The digitalization needed for the export process is also a significant and vital factor in success, but it creates challenges for small companies. In the local markets, which in this project are Japan and South Korea, partners are also needed to help with market penetration and to understand the local culture. The target markets have great potential for Finnish and Estonian products, but the rules for export operations and sales require local knowledge. Many companies don't have the resources to undertake these activities either, but through the project, we can see that they can be taken up and implemented. In order for SMEs to be able to overcome export barriers, networks, and cooperation are needed both in the home country and in the target countries. Also cooperation, and combining forces and skills, will lower the costs and workload. Cross-border e-commerce can be used as the first step to entering the market and is less known as export entry. In the project, the export operations will be built together with the networks created around e-commerce together with SMEs. The objective of this project is to guide SMEs to start export sales through e-commerce to Japan and South Korea and to have the right contacts and partners in their home and target countries. The project result is to achieve continuous exports with growing volumes. The participating SMEs have all the needed knowledge, processes, digital acquirements, partners, and networks to implement continuous export that is economically viable.

Expected Achievements (EN):

The primary objective of this work package is to support and lay the groundwork for the commencement of SME export activities to the Japanese and South Korean markets by leveraging cross-border e-commerce. This objective is achieved through the following activities: 1.1 Network Building and Recruiting SMEs 1.2 Cross-cultural Training for SMEs and International Engagement 1.3 Market Research for Chosen Sectors 1.4 Product market fit and localization of the products 1.5 Marketing plan and sales distribution strategy 1.6 Sales platforms and sales activities Through these activities, the work package works toward the overarching objective of enabling SMEs to overcome export barriers and successfully commence their export endeavors to the Japanese and South Korean markets via cross-border e-commerce. LP coordinates WP 1, and executes activities with both PPs. External expertise is purchased to support that objective is achieved. The primary objective of this work package is the physical delivery of the goods sold to Japan and South Korea and the development and digitalization of the order-delivery process. This objective is achieved through the following activities: 2.1 Logistics strategy and deliveries to customers 2.2 Modeling and auditing order-delivery processes 2.3 Development and Digitalization of Order-Delivery Processes 2.4 Sustainable Supply Chain & Risk Management 2.5 Sales performance tracking and customer feedback 2.6 Final evaluation, reporting, and continuity Streamlining and simplifying order-delivery processes and help companies to digitalize them and utilize & adapt new technologies in order to become more competitive, efficient, sustainable, and able to scale up export sales. PP (PROLOG) coordinates WP 2, and executes activities with PP (LIMOWA) and LP. External expertise is purchased to support that objective is achieved.

Project outputs: Cross-Border Access Plan and training materials for SMEs (EN)
New and innovative ways of marketing methods(EN)
Digitalized Order-delivery process for selected sectors(EN)
Innovative and reliable supply chain(EN)

Thematic information

Clustering and economic cooperation SME and entrepreneurship

Priority: (VI-A_CB_P1) Innovative business development

Priority specific objective: RSO1.3. Enhancing sustainable growth and competitiveness of SMEs and job creation in SMEs, including by productive investments

Priority policy objective (Interreg specific objective): PO1 A more competitive and smarter Europe by promoting innovative and smart economic transformation and regional ICT connectivity

Type of intervention: 021 SME business development and internationalisation, including productive investments

Partners (3)

Lead Partner: Kaakkois-Suomen Ammattikorkeakoulu Oy

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FI24729082

Department: Logistics and Seafaring

Address: Paraatikenttä, 45100 Kouvola, Finland

Department address: Paraatikenttä, 45100 Kouvola, Finland

Legal status: public

Organisation type: Higher education and research organisations

Website: http://www.xamk.fi

Total budget: EUR 355 367.60

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 284 294.08

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 71 073.52

PROLOG Eesti Tarneahelate Juhtimise Ühing

Name: PROLOG Eesti Tarneahelate Juhtimise Ühing

Partner’s ID if not PIC: EE101509442

Address: Jaama , 11621 Tallinn, Estonia

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.prolog.ee

Total budget: EUR 270 294.08

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 216 235.26

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 54 058.82

LIMOWA Ry

Name: LIMOWA Ry

Partner’s ID if not PIC: FI22012897

Address: Kankurinkatu, 05800 Hyvinkää, Finland

Legal status: private

Organisation type: Interest groups including NGOs

Website: http://www.limowa.fi

Total budget: EUR 190 738.62

Partner’s programme co-financing: EUR 152 590.89

Partner’s programme co-financing rate: 80.00%

Partner contribution: EUR 38 147.73

Partners map

Partners and Projects info

South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences Ltd

Gateway to Global Markets

Partners and Projects info

Estonian Supply Chain Association PROLOG

Gateway to Global Markets

Partners and Projects info

LIMOWA Association

Gateway to Global Markets

Lead partner

Project partner

Summary

Project name (EN): Gateway to Global Markets

Project acronym: GGM

Project ID: CB0300243

Project start date: 2024-05-01

Project end date: 2027-04-30

Project status: ongoing

Relevant linked projects:

All partners of the project are active in EU funded projects (e.g Interreg, Horizon/FRP 5-7, Eureka) as lead partners or partners. Latest CB projects at lead partner Xamk are Baltic Explorers - Exploring New Markets for Central Baltic Games Industry and CBSmallPorts. Regional ongoing EU funded project Railgate Finland -Smart Hub Solutions benefits the new GGM-project. (EN) | Partners have established networks of businesses, public bodies, universities, universities of applied sciences, and research institutes in past or current projects that are beneficial to the execution of this project. Processes, concepts, and models developed in earlier projects help in starting new export actions (such as the export Hub concept for cross-border export). (EN), FINESTJAP (Central Baltic Interreg project application) focuses on the CB challenge of the limited sized market for green technology, cleantech and health benefitting services and products and on the other hand the limited scope product/service offerings often provided at by the CB area SME’s by joining their forces and boosting exports to Japanese market.
(EN) | In case both GGM and FINESTJAP projects will receive funding from the Central Baltic Interreg programme, GGM will make the materials produced by the project available to FINESTJAP in open access principle. Through open communication during the project, duplication of efforts will be avoided, and possible synergies can be identified. For example, the findings about the specific features of the target markets in Japan as well as the lessons learned in the export logistics and customs formalities can be shared between GGM and the FINESTJAP project. (EN)

Total budget/expenditure: EUR 816 400.30

Total EU funding (amount): EUR 653 120.23

Total EU funding (co-financing rate): 80.00%

Co-financing sources:

ERDF: Amount, EUR 653 120.23. Co-financing rate, 80.00%.

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

(bullets are inserted automatically and may be incorrectly placed)

Deliverables:

Network of actors and stakeholders
Identified and contacted target group SME's from Finland and Estonia
Export readiness, current status and goals
Cross-Cultural Training (CCT) and International Engagement
A detailed joint market research report per country and per sector.
Indentification of key segments per country and per sector.
A comprehensive report outlining key findings, including market validation.
Translated product cards to be placed on the e-commerce platforms
Marketing plan for target markets
Distribution Strategy for each SME and their products.
Product cards on e-commerce platforms
Sales and contracts
Logistics strategy including logistics outsourcing.
Purchased products are delivered to customers
Order-delivery process mapping and auditing toolbox.
Best Practices of Order-Delivery Process in International Cross-Border e-commerce
Order-delivery process development
Digitalization guidelines
Risk mitigation plans
Resilience Building plan
Sustainability Integration
Performance Report
Traffic Analysis
Customer Feedback Reports
Final event and seminar in Estonia

Contribution to wider strategies and policies:

EUStrategyBalticSeaRegion The project contributes especially to the strategies of PA Transport (specifically Action 1: Improve connectivity of the regions and cooperation with third countries, and Action 3: Facilitate innovative technologies & solutions in the Baltic Sea region), and PA Innovation.
The project has a positive impact on sustainable development through developing processes, digitization, and international supply chains. More exports by SMEs support global competitiveness and growth of the Baltic Sea region through support for entrepreneurship and business development. The project creates more RDI actions for Baltic Sea Region countries and involves SMEs in joint development.

Programme Common Output Indicator:

RCO 004 - Enterprises with non-financial support, Measurement unit:

Programme Result Indicator:

PSR1 Companies with achieved sales and contracts to new markets, Measurement unit: company

Project part of European Union Macro-Regional or Sea Basin Strategy: EUSBSR

EUSBSR Priority (Policy) area / Horizontal action:

EUSBSR Degree of compliance:

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Financing programme

2021 - 2027 Interreg VI-A Finland-Estonia-Latvia-Sweden (Central Baltic)

Last month that data in keep.eu was retrieved from the Programme's website or received from the Programme

2025-01-21

No. of projects in keep.eu / Total no. of projects (% of projects in keep.eu)

63 / 112 (56.25%)

No. of project partnerships in keep.eu / Total no. of project partnerships (% of project partnerships in keep.eu)

251 / 446 (56.28%)

Notes on the data

Languages

Contact Form

Gateway to Global Markets

Description

Thematic information

Partners (3)

Partners map

Summary

Investments, deliverables, policy contributions

Information regarding the data in keep.eu on the programme financing this project

Disclaimer