New international collaboration strengthens entrepreneurship in rural areas

BizMaker has been granted funding from Interreg Aurora for the international Northborne project. The goal is to develop a new business development support for startups and innovative companies in rural regions such as Västernorrland.

Together with Finnish Centria and Nykarleby Innovation Center, as well as Coompanion Västernorrland, the project will be developed in a cross-border collaboration between Sweden and Finland. The initiative is based on the fact that distances to networks, capital, and international contexts are often greater in regions with a high proportion of rural areas.

Many of the region's most prominent industrial companies and entrepreneur-driven businesses have emerged in smaller towns and rural areas, such asStringoin Nyland,Elicron(formerly Permascand) in Ljungaverk, andDocksta Skoin Docksta. However, the conditions for starting and developing businesses differ from those in larger cities, while the need for innovation, skills supply, and more locally based companies continues to grow.

"We want to focus on all the driving forces that exist in our rural areas. In our industry, there is often talk of smart cities and social development from an urban perspective, but we want to turn that perspective around and work with all the opportunities that exist outside the cities. The potential is enormous," says Cecilia Nordlund, Business Development Manager at BizMaker.

Want to create a model based on rural conditions

Within the project, the partner organizations will develop and test a business development support program based on rural conditions. A central part of this is to build community and co-creation, not only between companies, but also between entrepreneurial individuals who are passionate about rural issues and local development.

Through cooperation between Västernorrland and Ostrobothnia in Finland, entrepreneurs have the opportunity to meet across national borders, share experiences, and develop their businesses in an international context, while still operating locally.

The project will work with pilot programs for companies, international mentoring, and joint initiatives where startups and public actors explore new solutions to local challenges.

"We are excited to build and test this new pilot for rural development together with our Swedish partners, and we now welcome anyone interested to contact us," says project manager Katja Jankens from Centria University of Applied Sciences.

Entrepreneurship as a driving force in regional development

An important part of the project involves strengthening understanding of the role of entrepreneurship in social development. Through activities that bring together businesses, municipalities, and other actors, the project will contribute to new ways of working and a more innovation-friendly climate in rural regions.

The ambition is to develop a model that can continue after the end of the project and inspire more regions to work with entrepreneurship and innovation based on their own conditions.

Facts about Northborne

Project period:January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2028
Project partners:BizMaker,Centria,Nykarleby Innovation Center, andCoompanion Västernorrland
Funding:Interreg Aurora and regional development funds
Focus:Entrepreneurship and innovation in rural regions