Startup Connect focused on three target groups: students, startups and SMEs. The main objective was to promote economic prosperity of cross-border region by supporting start-up, entrepreneurship, and SME cooperation. Project set a task to develop cooperation platforms, mechanisms, tools, and concrete actions to involve a maximum number of students, startups and SMEs in the business activities and partnerships across the border.

The main results of the project were increased entrepreneurial spirit among students, more options for learning by doing in several start up events and improved cross-border student cooperation. To support further engagement, a written ‘Student’s Manual for Entrepreneurial Activities’ and trainings (Project Management School) was produced, and a cross-border student community has been kicked-off.

Startups were motivated for international activities by building their competences and linking them with investors and potential clients in cross-border region. The key activities were Startup Connect Contest, an international startup competition and LevelUp, a cross-border acceleration program. Further, a Startup Connect Business Club was established to develop business relations between business angels, investors and technology entrepreneurs in Russia, Finland and the EU. As a result, two success stories were seen: startup enterprises ‘Tango Vision’ and ‘Megawatt’ took several steps further by the support of the Business Club.

Altogether the project provided internationalization support for 125 SMEs. Additionally, project partners have integrated their own business development practices, services and events into common cross-border solutions and actions offered to the entrepreneurs on both sides of the border.

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The main goal of project was to develop touristic and hospitality SMEs by boosting of their capacity and development of cycling and eco-tourism in both project regions.

For development of cycling and eco-tourism three international and a lot of local cycling routes were developed under project in cooperation with cycling and SMEs communities and published on cycleadvisor.org portal, developed in project. During the project, developed routes were promoted with different events. Printed maps were published and disseminated of developed routes in English, Russian and Finnish. A study course with 30 participants was to train guide-instructors on cycling routes. For boosting capacity of SMEs the following methods were use: learning, consolidation and providing the new opportunities with modern IT-tools. A publication “Methodological recommendations for cycling and ecological tourism entrepreneurship” was development and published with help of external experts in order to improve the competence of SMEs. The book was published in Russian and Finnish with 1000 copies containing advices and recommendations related to cross-border cycling tourism from SME’s viewpoint. 1 new regional on-line SMEs support structure “B2C” (i.e. Business to Cyclists) association created with members from Russia and Finland.

BizCycle-cycling routes

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The starting point for the INFUTURE project was the low utilisation of inland waterway (IWW) transport between neighbouring regions in relation to its potential. INFUTURE solution proposal was to attract related businesses by offering new knowledge based innovations about environmentally friendly, cost-effective and sustainable inland waterway transportation.

Intelligent AtoN’s were seen as a potential tool when planning arrangements to prolong the navigation period in inland fairways and canal routes. Even in rough and dark weather conditions these AtoN’s work properly and increase safety to inland waterways. The project was to deliver new innovations and best practices, and this includes a new Transhipment hub concept, new Inland Waterway Vessel Concepts and new tested innovations related to smart fairway technologies. New Transhipment Hub concept was proposed for transloading and warehousing or giving additional value for the cargoes going/coming from the inland waterways system to sea shipping. Based on the analysis done of the future cargoes along the inland waterways, analyses for the new ship type to fulfil the future transportation needs was done. As a result, five ship concepts for inland waterway transport were produced.

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