Boosting the transition pathway of MSMEs in tourism with green and digital transformation (TOURBO)
Implementation period: 01/03/2023 – 28/02/2026
Partners:
Seville Official Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Navigation (ES)
Lapland University of Applied Sciences (FI)
Chamber of Commerce and Industry – Vratsa (BG)
Marche Region (IT)
North Aegean Region (EL)
Experience Bremerhaven, Tourism, Marketing and Events Company (DE)
PORA Regional Development Agency of Koprivnica Križevci County (HR)
Donegal County Council (IE)
Funding programme and funding: Interreg Europe
Budget: 1,929,669 € (overall budget)
Project description: TOURBO offers an innovative approach to a crucial priority for the EU: Enabling Public Authorities and MSMEs to develop TWIN TRANSITION Strategies to stimulate economic development of the regions. The Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, as well as digitalisation and climate change, have highlighted the importance of government resilience in the face of unexpected shocks and stresses. And they have also demonstrated the transformative role of digital technologies in helping the public and private sectors solve urgent challenges and remain resilient during a crisis. Small and medium-sized enterprises are crucial to the EU economy: they account for more than 99% of European businesses and provide two-thirds of private sector jobs. The twin transition will strengthen sustainability through technology and enable a sustainable digital transformation for European tourism MSMEs.
Expected Results: This project will identify and share innovative and best practices to improve the transition to “Industry 4.0” in tourism-related MSMEs (such as small accommodation operators, restaurants, small local craft businesses, small tourism service providers, etc.). The use of digital approaches and new technology solutions can help accelerate European sustainability policies while creating more responsive, intelligent and inclusive local and regional governance strategies. TOURBO will create a sustainable and progressive framework for the integration of a resilient tourism sector into local and regional policies, especially with the aim of the transition pathway of MSMEs by a quadruple-helix approach for a smart-green transformation.
8 partners will:
* Analyse and exchange how interregional collaboration helps to foster the regional transition pathway
* Develop innovative SMART-GREEN-METHODS in tourism-related MSMEs.
* Build the capacity of tourism-related MSMEs to become more resource efficient
* Build the capacity of all relevant public authorities on how to incorporate TWIN TRANSITION Strategies
Further information: Eija Rasakka and Milla Hirvaskari
Find more details information: www.interregeurope.eu
Initiatives for Sustainable Innovative Practices, Resilience, and Empowerment in Tourism SMEs (INSPIRES)
Implementation period: 11/2024 – 10/2027
Partners:
Erlebnis Bremerhaven (DE)
City of Bremerhaven (DE)
Tourism Province of Antwerp (BE)
Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vratsa (BG)
Chamber of Commerce, Industry, Shipping and Services of Seville (ES)
Podkarpackie Region (PL)
Lapland University of Applied Sciences (FI)
European Culture Tourism Network – ECTN
Funding programme and funding: COSME
Budget: The overall budget is 2.063.787,35 €, Lapland UAS budget is 313.029,94 €
Project description:
1. Collect and share EU-wide best practices on resilience, digitalization, and sustainability to inspire tourism SMEs and stakeholders.
2. Conduct training for key stakeholders to become multipliers in disseminating knowledge on resilience, sustainability, and digitalization to SMEs.
3. Provide tailored capacity building for tourism SMEs on resilience, sustainability, and digitalization, including tools, management strategies, certification, and funding to improve their environmental performance and overall resilience.
4. Provide financial support to SMEs to develop and implement new business strategies, new products and cross sectoral approaches to increase the resilience, sustainability and digitalisation of their daily activities.
Expected results:
Further information: Mirva Tapaninen, mirva.tapaninen@lapinamk.fi
Find more details information: INSPIRES
Inclusive Centres of Culture – Collaborative and Inclusive Cultural Tourism Through Nordic Cooperation (ICCE)
Implementation period: 11/2024 – 12/2026
Partners:
Lapland University of Applied Sciences (FI)
Umeå Universitet (SE)
Skogs- och samemuseet i Lycksele (SE)
Gold of Lapland (SE)
Kin Museum of Contemporary Art (SE)
City of Rovaniemi (FI)
Funding programme and funding: Interreg Aurora, Regional Council of Lapland, Region Norbotten
Budget: 760 722 € (overall budget), 492 995 € (EU-funding, Interreg Aurora)
Project description: The overall objective of the project is to enhance the attractiveness of the area through the development of culture and tourism. The aim is to promote northern art and culture, ensuring they receive the recognition and appreciation they deserve among both the locals and visitors. The core objective of the project is to transform cultural centers in the Aurora area into vibrant hubs that facilitate interactions between communities and travelers, fostering mutual understanding and cultural awareness.
Expected results: Through a structured approach consisting of different work packages (WPs), the project will conduct a baseline study and benchmarking best practices (WP1), service safaris and collaborative design jams (WP2) resulting into pilot initiatives to test inclusive practices in cultural centers (WP3). Three symposiums will be organized to share insights gained from each work package and facilitate networking between key stakeholders in the tourism and cultural sectors. The project will also produce a series of podcasts that delve into topics such as non-visitation, inclusivity in cultural centers as well as experiences and observations generated by the project
Further information: Malla Alatalo, malla.alatalo@lapinamk.fi
Find more details information: Inclusive Centres of Culture – Collaborative and Inclusive Cultural Tourism Through Nordic Cooperation (ICCE)
Innovative strategies for the re-use and re-activation of the architectural heritage in Northern peripheral areas (Re-Archtive North)
Implementation period: 09/2024 – 08/2027
Partners:
Luleå Tekniska Universitet (SE)
Centria University of Applied Sciences (FI)
Lapland University of Applied Sciences (FI)
Moskosel Creative Park (SE)
Funding programme and funding: Interreg Aurora, Regional Council of Lapland, Region Norbotten
Budget: 780 506 € (overall budget), 507 332 € (EU-funding, Interreg Aurora)
Project description: The aim of the project is to develop innovative tools and methods for the sustainable and flexible reuse of historic and existing buildings in the northern regions of Sweden and Finland, turning what is nowadays a burden into a possibility. Project will create opportunities for municipalities and homeowners by showing how unused or underused buildings with social and cultural values in peripheral areas can be re-used in a creative and smart way, e.g. as BnBs, temporary houses, artist residencies, smart- remote- and co-working spaces, and sites for exhibitions, events, and other cultural activities. This will enhance and promote the attractiveness of peripheral areas as places to live and work.
Expected results: In the project will launch business models for different actors and target groups who want to create attractive and accessible ways to utilize their unused or underused buildings. The project will also result in an IT platform that will serve as an active marketplace that streamlines connections between project results, end-users, and target groups. This operational tool will facilitate not only knowledge sharing but also the re-activation and restoration of unused buildings, exploring cutting-edge technologies.
Further information: Mirva Tapaninen, mirva.tapaninen@lapinamk.fi
Find more details information: Re-Archtive North – Interreg Aurora
