12 September, 2025

BOCOD Project Partners Gather in Finland to Advance Digital and Business Succession Solutions for Rural SMEs, 26th - 28th August.

The BOCOD project (Boosting Continuity and Digitalisation of Rural Region Businesses), funded by the Interreg Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme, held its first transnational project meeting at the University of Oulu from August 26–28, 2025. BOCOD is a collaborative initiative between partners in Ireland, Finland, and Iceland focused on strengthening the resilience of rural SMEs through digital innovation and business succession planning.

Over the course of the three-day workshop, partners reviewed the outcomes of extensive research that mapped support resources available across each country. Participants evaluated the strengths, gaps, and transferability of various policies, tools, and funding mechanisms. These findings will inform the development of targeted tools and strategies under Work Package 2 (Digital Tools) and Work Package 3 (Business Transfer and Succession Planning).

Hosted by the University of Oulu’s Kerttu Saalasti Institute and MicroENTRE, the meeting featured presentations from regional stakeholders, including local entrepreneurs and municipal representatives from Liminka. Site visits offered insights into rural innovation and community-driven development models.

The next phase of the project, running through Autumn/Winter 2025, will focus on gathering input from rural entrepreneurs and business support organisations via surveys, focus groups, and interviews. This engagement will ensure that BOCOD’s outputs respond directly to real-world needs and help close gaps identified during the Oulu meeting.

For more information on the BOCOD project, visit our project website at https://www.interreg-npa.eu/projects/bocod/