The actors in the European Union’s Startup Village network develop innovations and entrepreneurship in rural areas on a European scale.
Sydänsuomi was the first Finnish participant, as its municipalities and development companies are committed to regional development, which takes place, for example, in remote work communities located in municipalities, i.e., hubs. There are hubs in the heart of Finland: Telegraph & Digital Centre Viitasaari, Multihub Karstula, Kannonhovi Kannonkoski, and Hubteekki Pihtipudas.
“New thinking and innovation are prerequisites for the development of sparsely populated rural areas. The international network enables peer learning through practical experiments from other similar actors,” says Minna Jaakkola, Regional Coordinator of the Sydänsuomi region.
The aim of the network is to facilitate the exchange of information and expertise between active rural areas, which see the development of innovation and entrepreneurship in their area as the lifeblood of well-being. In the heart of Finland, the region’s goal is to build an international network while developing the joint operating environment of municipalities to be more favorable and competitive for companies. The Startup Village network supports this goal by bringing new opportunities and solutions to its operations.
The Startup Village operating model unites startups and villages by bringing together new business ideas and opportunities offered by rural areas. The operating model encourages local experiments in rural areas, which aim is to refine into growing new business ideas with the help of an international network and digitalization.
Due to the role of digitalization, the area’s remote workspaces are ideal meeting places, providing excellent facilities for digital experiments, among other things.
Promoting rural startup culture in cooperation with Leader Viisari
The aim of the Sisu Business communication project, which started with Leader Viisari and received EU rural funding, is to harness the region’s remote workspaces as part of a participatory process for creating innovations, taking advantage of the unique opportunities in sparsely populated rural areas, such as local culture and creativity.
A strength in the cooperation with the Heart of Finland region is Leader Viisari’s funding tools, which support, for example, experimenting with entrepreneurship and starting new business activities. The new opportunities brought about by business experiments increase the attractiveness and appeal of sparsely populated rural areas, which acts as a response to, among other things, the decline of the young population in rural areas. With the development of corporate culture, more and more people can see career opportunities in rural areas instead of cities.
The region has identified a need for tools to promote entrepreneurship experimentation. Currently there are local experiments in the area, but with the Startup Village network and the project led by Viisari, cooperation in the area will increase even further.
For more information, contact:
Minna Jaakkola
Regional coordinator, Sydänsuomi
minna.jaakkola@witas.fi
040 588 1957
Sanna Kiuru
Executive Director, Leader Viisari
sanna.kiuru@saarijarvi.fi
0400 418 055