The GENGREEN project is funded by the Interreg Aurora program, which provides funding opportunities for cross-border cooperation in Northern Europe, specifically in Sweden, Finland, and Norway.
Senior Researcher and Project Manager Silvia Gaiani from University of Helsinki Ruralia Institute emphasizes the importance of focusing specifically on women entrepreneurship:
"In Finland and other Nordic countries, there is still a consistent gap between men and women entrepreneurs due to a range of factors, including gender differences in motivations for entrepreneurship and in the number and scale of barriers women face in accessing finance and networks. On top of that, female entrepreneurs according to research face more challenges than men in launching a new business as they have to juggle family expectations, personal life, and new ventures at the same time."
The GENGREEN project invites all women entrepreneurs - including minorities - in the Nordic region to join forces in building sustainable and successful businesses. At the core of the project are the creation of regional and cross-national networks, the sharing of information, and the development of synergies among participating businesses. The aim will be achieved through various means, including the utilization of the Living Lab concept, joint training modules, workshops, field visits, and webinars. Participating businesses can expect diverse opportunities for collaboration, learning, and business development.
The implementation of the GENGREEN initiative highlights the importance of cross-border collaboration, aiming to strengthen sustainable women entrepreneurship broadly on a Nordic level. Gaiani underlines what the main goals of the project are:
"Our goals are to promote sustainable business practices, foster engagement in local communities and society, and develop sustainable business solutions. Additionally, we aim to bring social and economic benefits to the regions. The primary target audience includes aspiring entrepreneurs, businesses in the development phase, and entrepreneurs aiming to steer their companies towards sustainable business practices. "
The project involves 9 partners: 6 from Finland (Ruralia Institute of the University of Helsinki, Into Seinäjoki, Centria University of Applied Sciences, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Inari Municipality and Liiveri Development Association), 2 from Norway (the ICE Kirkenes innovation hub and the Arctic Economic Council) and one from Sweden, Luleå University of Technology.
The GENGREEN platform, Facebook and Instagram accounts will be launched during the spring. You can find GENGREEN now in LinkedIn (users only).
See the Interreg Aurora´s webpage