ECCSE

Bridging Borders: Exploring Cross-Border Collaboration for Sustainable Entrepreneurship

The project Bridging Borders: Exploring Cross-Border Collaboration for Sustainable Entrepreneurships objective is to strengthen the competitiveness of SME:s by examining the conditions for and prepare a long-term cross-border cooperation for the development of cultural and creative sectors within Interreg Aurora’s geography. Our initiative aims to strengthen cooperation between Swedish and Finnish business incubators. The initiative’s heart lies in fostering deeper collaborations among cultural, creative, and various other business sectors across the Finnish-Swedish border.

Ecological sustainable development

Our initiative enhances cross-border collaboration between Swedish and Finnish incubators, fostering the exchange of innovative environmental technologies and sustainable business models. This collaboration supports the Programme’s objectives of smart specialization and innovation in sustainable practices.

Central to our project is the involvement of SMEs in the cultural and creative sectors. We will examine how to integrate sustainable practices, and how to boost the SMEs competitiveness and support them to better contribute to sustainable entrepreneurship.

We investigate how to employ data-driven strategies to optimize sustainable practices in entrepreneurship, which is crucial for reducing environmental impacts. Our project focuses on developing environmentally friendly products, services and business models. We will examine how to establish a framework for monitoring and evaluating our impact on ecological sustainability. The project contributes to SDG 13, climate action.

Social sustainable development

The project will actively work with equality and inclusion that strengthens the companies’ attractiveness. Many entrepreneurs in the cultural and creative fields are women, and the project thereby contributes to a more equal distribution of resources within Interreg Aurora’s geography.

Several of the project’s activities contribute directly to social sustainability. The activity of exploring together an English-language platform directly aims to be inclusive by overcoming language barriers. Sharing experiences of sustainable practices includes social sustainability, but also ecological and economic sustainability.

The project thus contributes to SDG 5 Equality and global goal 10 Reduced inequality.

Economical sustainable development

The project’s objective is to strengthen the competitiveness of SME:s by examining the conditions for and prepare a more long-term cross-border cooperation for the development of cultural and creative sectors. Through cooperation, the project will contribute to strengthening the role and livelihood opportunities of entrepreneurs within cultural and creative companies.

The long-term results will be that B2B-collaboration with companies in the cultural and creative increases with the result that the companies economical sustainability will be strengthened and at the same time contribute to ecological sustainability by developing climate friendly solutions. The companies development will also create jobs and income in our regions.

Information about the project

Partners

  • Lead partner: Uminova eXpression, Umeå, Sweden
  • Partner: Piteå Science Part AB, Piteå, Sweden
  • Partner: Design Centre Muova, Vaasa University of Applied Sciences, Vaasa, Finland

Project in a nutshell

Project name: Bridging Borders: Exploring Cross-Border Collaboration for Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Duration of the project: 01.05.2024 – 31.12.2024

Programme: Interreg Aurora

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein

Contact us!

Pertti Aula

Research manager

pertti.aula@muova.fi

+358 50 568 5153