Border Region Cooperation Centre of Koillismaa
Funded by Euregio Karelia Neighbourhood Programme 2001-2006

Objective of the project

In the Border Region Cooperation Centre of Koillismaa project, services were to be created for industries from the perspective of cooperation across national frontiers. In addition, the preparation, opening, and maintenance of the international border-crossing point were to be supported. Entrepreneurs, communities, and officials were also to be assisted in developing their activities to maximise their gain from the opening of the international border-crossing point.

Main activities

• Development of products and services of the Border Region Cooperation Centre (assisting in, for instance, business cooperation, services and planning, marketing services and their development, EU project activities, establishing export companies, and developing Internet services and an information bank service) • Organisation of discussion and contact-making events • Creation of a business and marketing plan for the Border Region Cooperation Centre • Pricing of the services developed during the project • Preparing a guide for those travelling to the Louhi region • Organisation of a seminar and training.

Achievements

The products and services of the Border Region Cooperation Centre were developed and their functionality and demand tested. Already during the project, some of the assignments led to further action and to the initiation of a business relationship. The Border Region Cooperation Centre also provided consulting for three actors in preparing their project applications. A business and marketing plan was created for the Border Region Cooperation Centre, pricing was created for the services developed during the project, and a guide was prepared for travellers to the Louhe region. Border Specialist services were marketed by the project and they were used relatively actively. However, the operational volume was not seen as sufficient to sustain profitable business activity based solely on the Border Region Cooperation Centre. Instead, it was seen as more viable to produce the services as part of other activities (Koillismaan Yrityspalvelukeskus Oy/ Naturpolis Oy). This way, more experience and expertise could be included as well. The project created preconditions for developing tourism and small business activity benefiting from the frontier in the municipalities of Koillismaa. In addition, companies were assisted with practical difficulties regarding trade across the border, and the networking of small businesses was strengthened in order to promote trade with the East. Cooperation between companies developed well in the tourism and forest & wood industries, in particular. The internationalisation of the border-crossing point was seen to significantly increase the interest in the Louhi region. Upon conclusion of the project, an increasing number of companies were preparing to operate in the area, and the demand for various advisory and consulting services was assessed as progressively increasing in the future. A separate project was started for promoting the internationalisation of the Kuusamo-Suoperä border-crossing point.