27 June, 2025

On Thursday 19th of June, Dr. Brenda Lynch, project lead of the BOCOD project (Boosting Continuity and Digitalisation of Rural Region Businesses), presented at the British and Irish Section of the Regional Science Association International (RSAI-BIS) conference at University College Cork, Ireland.

This respected forum brought together leading academics, policymakers, and practitioners to explore economic, social, and spatial development across regions. Dr. Lynch highlighted the planned activities of BOCOD and shared key findings from its predecessor project, EBoost.

Her presentation, titled Rural Entrepreneurship – Attitudes, Barriers and Opportunities for Growth: Evidence from Norther European Regions, focused on how both projects address critical challenges faced by rural SMEs, particularly in digital transformation and business succession, contributing to long-term rural resilience and stronger, future-ready local economies in Ireland, Finland, and Iceland.

Dr Brenda Lynch, 

Academic Researcher,

Hincks Centre for Entrepreneurship Excellence