GENGREEN - Supporting Nordic female entrepreneurs in launching green businesses

• Report "Ecosystems of Female Green Entrepreneurship in Five Regions across Finland, Norway and Sweden" 
• Swedish technical report: A first exploration regarding gender segregated green entrepreneurship 
  in Norrbotten and indications of theory that might be of interest.

News article: GENGREEN - Interreg Aurora sponsored project supports women entrepreneurs to launch sustainable businesses

Introduction of LivingLabs 

How to log in to DigiCampus - guide video

Interview videos (University´s Unitube platform)

4H Ilmajoki - Mia Katajisto

GoRento, nature-based business model - Hanna Haapaneva-Hakamäki

Wellness farm Toiska - Keijo Viertoma ja Tiina Tuominen

Textile industry company Lennol Oy - Iina Sopanen

Sweden Interview 1 with Louise Mattson

Sweden Interview 2 with Louise Mattson

Sweden Interview 3 with Louise Mattson

Norway Women and rural areas (subtitles)

Norway What challenges do female entrepreneurs face in East Finnmark 1

Norway Where are the female entrepreneurs (subtitles, english)

GENGREEN Official IMPACT PATHWAY MAP (pdf)

GENGREEN Theoretical framework (pdf)

Onepaiger gives a quick overview of GENGREEN (pdf)

Sustainability module - a course that introduces you to the basics of sustainability, circular economy and sustainability in practice!

By finishing the course, you will receive an open badge certificate. The end webinar of the course will be held on March 12.3.2025 13.00-15.00.

Instruction how to log in to DigiCampus (pdf)

Empower your entrepreneurial spirit with our online GENGREEN education module, 'New Business Ideas.' Innovate, develop, and receive expert coaching to enhance your business or bring new ideas to life!

The online module includes: exploring creative mindsets, identifying profitable opportunities, and refining your business ideas with confidence. Join us from March 14 to May 23, 2025 at www.digicampus.fi. Log in and use the search function to find GENREEN!

The webinars are:

• 14.3. Start Webinar: What do we mean by ‘business ideas’           
• 23.5. End Webinar: How to recognize a viable business idea and how to sell it?

 There module is divided in four topic:

• How to find and develop business ideas?                 
• Creative and anticipatory mind setting                     
• Targeting the idea     
• Ideas worth of money

• GENGREEN is co-funded by European Union's Interreg Aurora-programme, which provides funding opportunities for cross-border cooperation in Northern Europe, specifically in Sweden, Finland, and Norway. See the Official poster (pdf)
• National co-fundig is provided by Lapin liitto, Interreg Norge and LTU (Luleå Tekniska Universitetet)

Finland

Ruralia Institute of the University of Helsinki
Project manager Silvia Gaiani
Doctoral researcher Urszula Ala-Karvia
Doctoral researcher Ada Trogen
Project worker Heidi Åkerman
Research Assistant Ilona Myllyoja

Into Seinäjoki
Specialist Johanna Rintamäki

Centria University of Applied Sciences
RDI-Specialist Mira Valkjärvi

Lapland University of Applied Sciences
Lecturer Elisa Maljamäki
Project planner Sari Nisula

Inari Municipality 
Business advisor Jonna Ylimaunu

Development Association of Seinäjoki Region (Leader Liiveri)
Director Sinikka Koivumäki

Norway

ICE Kirkenes innovation hub 
Senior project manager Maja Kruuse

Arctic Economic Council
Executive director Mads Qvist Frederiksen
Senior consultant at AEC Irina Zhilina

Sweden

Luleå University of Technology
Senior Lecturer Maria Miller
Associated Senior Lecturer Suzanna Törnroth

GENGREEN Advisory Board

NORWAY
Hedda Crogh from Norinnova

SWEDEN 
Malin Malmstrõm - Professor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Luleå University of Technology

FINLAND 
Alexandra Santos from Platform 6 in Tampere 
Aline Santa Izabel – multi-talented food-tech entrepreuner

The South Ostrobothnia Living Lab is based in Seinäjoki, in the premises of Skaalaamo Start Up Hub office in Rytmikorjaamo (Vaasantie 11, Seinäjoki). Its called GENGREEN Hub Skaalaamo. 

The aims of the GENGREEN Hub Skaalaamo will be to provide a physical meeting place for the beneficiaries of the project, offer a wide range of networking activities, and deliver professional support at various levels for start-ups and companies. Additionally, the Living Lab will support and encourage female green and innovative entrepreneurs. Furthermore, the GENGREEN Hub Skaalaamo will organise public events aimed at boosting green entrepreneurship and provide regional and local public authorities with initiatives that address societal needs. 

The GENGREEN Hub Skaalaamo will be an experimental environment for entrepreneurs and companies that aim to launch new products or services in the green domain. Long-lasting synergies and exchange of good practices between local institutions, educational institutions, businesses, investors, large companies, entrepreneurial associations will be encouraged.

Contact: Johanna Rintamäki, johanna.rintamaki@intoseinajoki.fi

Website: https://intoseinajoki.fi/skaalaamo/ (only in Finnish)

Kokeilupaja – living lab offers a flexible and unique chance for female entrepreneurs and those interested in entrepreneurship or sustainability to get together and tackle major issues. The living lab concept arranges events, trainings, webinars, and opportunities to network with others facing the same issues. The living lab focuses on the topics of sustainability and circular economy, but also hopes participants bring up topics that they wish to get support with. Come join us at monthly coffee meetings and learn more about the other things we will be arranging in the living lab!  

Learn more here: https://net.centria.fi/en/project/gengreen/

Lapland´s living lab is running under the ROHKEA brand, which translates to "bold," "brave," or "courageous" in English. In collaboration with the GENGREEN project, the ROHKEA living lab aims to boost entrepreneurial mindsets and foster new businesses in the Finnish Lapland region. The ROHKEA guides encouraging you, Elisa Maljamäki and Sari Nisula, are based at Lapland University of Applied Sciences.

Stay tuned as we kick off our Living Lab training sessions this autumn, starting in Inari with a focus on international and cross-border business. The journey begins at ICE – the Arctic Circular Economy Summit in Kirkenes, Norway on 18 - 20 September 2024. 

Curious to know more? Want to travel with us to Kirkenes? 

Visit our websites:
https://blogi.eoppimispalvelut.fi/rohkea/ 
https://www.inari.fi/fi/yritys-ja-kehittamispalvelut/yrittajan-inari/tapahtumat-ja-koulutukset-yrityksille.html 
 

The GENGREEN Living Lab at Luleå University of Technology is situated within the research group Industrial Design, where we specialize in creating and implementing sustainable and circular design ideas. The Living Lab is located in the Multistudio, which is a space for creative hands-on experimentation, flexible and dynamic room arrangement to suit one’s needs, and it is also equipped with modern teaching facilities. In the Living Lab, the LTU GENGREEN team has installed five modular and themed boxes on-site, with each box created with the intention to challenge you and your company on how sustainability can be practiced. The boxes can be opened, and are full of prepared activities/games that one can use at anytime, catered to the learning of skills to create resilient, holistic, and creative green businesses.

We have the WEBOX - DREAMBOX - REBOX - HOWBOX - PLAYBOX. 

Follow GENGREEN Sweden Facebook for updates

Upcoming events*:

- An open, kick-off lecture on 6th November with a lunch seminar (12-1pm) held by Åsa Wikberg Nilsson, Chair Professor in Design, who will discuss the important role of design in creating sustainable and circular businesses.

- An open lecture on 4th December during lunch (12-1pm) held by Nina Bilal, Postdoc in Product Innovation, who will dive deep into microplastic pollution, recycling (not always the perfect solution), and how these factors have driven her to begin her start-up, called Pack Away.

There are also spots available for our closed workshops that follow after these open seminars, and sign-up is here: https://simplesignup.se/event/219471

These workshops are catered to guiding and supporting your green business growth through practical and creative improvements made to your design process.

*Lunch is provided at both events.

The GreenHouse is an innovative workspace and community hub created for participants in the GENGREEN project. Located in Kirkenes at Nothing Hill, The GreenHouse offers free office spaces, modern conference rooms, and a communal area shared with local students, fostering a collaborative environment. It is designed to support green entrepreneurs in Northern Norway, providing not only a place to work but also opportunities for networking, learning, and growth. With workshops, mentorship, and access to events like the ICE Conference on Green Transition, The GreenHouse serves as a central space for cultivating sustainable business ideas and connections in the Arctic region.