BRIDGE

Building more resilient SMEs across the Kvarken region.

The main goal of the BRIDGE project (Business Resilience Initiative for Development & Growth Ecosystems) is to strengthen the long-term competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Kvarken region. The project will strengthen companies’ preparedness for change and create new cross-border collaborations and business relationships to reduce critical supplier dependencies.

MAIN GOALS

The geopolitical situation increases demands on companies’ resilience. The aim is therefore to help small and medium-sized enterprises become more competitive and better prepared for changes. The companies receive support in developing robust business models, strengthening their innovation capacity and managing resilience-related risks. New contacts across the Kvarken can also provide more supplier alternatives, cross-border collaborations and business opportunities.

The goal is to create more and stronger cross-border business relationships across the Kvarken. Broader supplier networks and better knowledge of risks provide companies a more solid basis for future decisions. The project group will meet with approximately 200 companies while strengthening cooperation between the region’s business support actors. A joint roadmap will be developed to increase resilience in the business sector in the Kvarken region. The work includes analyses, company meetings, competence development, a growth programme, matchmaking, webinars and strategic dialogue.

PROJECT SUMMARY

The work is divided into three work packages:

1.

Strengthen the capacity of SMEs to work structured with resilience, innovation, and long-term development in a cross-border context.

2.

Strengthen the resilience and competitiveness of SMEs through the development of cross-border clusters, supplier networks and value chains in the Kvarken region.

3.

Implement a policy lab in the form of a conference/workshop with key stakeholders, where the projects results are presented and dialogue is facilitated around identified challenges and opportunities.

FACTS

Project time: 1.9.2026–28.2.2029.
Budget: EUR 1,378,659

The total project budget is EUR 1,378,659 of which EUR 896,128 is EU funding through the Interreg Aurora programme. The remaining funding comes from Finnish national and Swedish regional co-funding, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and municipal and private co-funding.

PROJECT PARTNERSHIP
Kvarken Council EGTC (lead partner), Kristinestads näringslivscentral, Umeå Municipality, Jakobstad Region Development Company Concordia, Skellefteå Municipality and Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK.

FINANCIERS
Interreg Aurora, Regional Council of Lapland, Region Västerbotten, Kvarken Council EGTC, Umeå Municipality, Skellefteå Municipality, Jakobstad Region Development Company Concordia, Vaasa Region Development Company VASEK and Kristinestads näringslivscentral.