NextRural project

The NextRural project supports rural micro and small businesses to grow, innovate and adapt to change from 1.8.2025 to 31.7.2027.

The project supports the resilience, growth and competitiveness of micro and small enterprises by providing up-to-date information, workshops and networking opportunities, with a focus on internationalisation, digitalisation, the use of new technologies and the success of ownership changes. The aim is to help businesses succeed now and in the future!

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Elina Säylä has started working on 6.8.2025 as a business developer in the NextRural project in the Loimaa sub-region. The project area of Loimaa includes the municipalities of Loimaa, Aura, Pöytyä and Oripää. Elina can be reached by email at elina.sayla@loimaa.fi or by phone on 040 549 6362.

Starting points of the project

NextRural is a regional cooperation and development project that aims to strengthen the resilience, growth and competitiveness of micro and small enterprises in rural areas of Southwest Finland.

The cooperation project, managed by the Enterprise House, is carried out in collaboration with developers from Turunmaa (Kemiönsaari municipality), Loimaa (City of Loimaa) and Vakka-Suomi (Ukipolis Oy). The Salo region will be developed by Enterprise House.

A summary of the concrete measures of the project

The project will be implemented in two phases. The first phase will share information on drivers of business change, new phenomena, potential business opportunities and markets, new solutions and innovative business practices.

In the second phase, thematic workshops and/or a series of workshops will be organised, including co-creation, knowledge sharing, company visits and study visits. These will provide participants with more in-depth knowledge, examples of good practice and the opportunity to network with colleagues.

The development themes of the workshops will vary by region and include internationalisation opportunities and export capacity building, the use of digitalisation and knowledge management in new business models, the use of technology (e.g. automation, robots, 3D) to promote competitiveness and sustainability, the importance of certification and compliance when expanding into new markets, and promoting successful ownership and generation changes.

A cross-cutting enabler across all themes is the use of public finance to help businesses grow and innovate, for example through finance infos and clinics.

The measures will be carried out for groups of enterprises, and enterprise-specific measures will only be carried out at the beginning of the project during the enterprise activation phase. Company visits and study visits to pioneering companies will play a key role: they will highlight good practices, policies and networking opportunities, while supporting the working capacity of entrepreneurs and decision-makers. Entrepreneurs want to share experiences, compare solutions and engage in open dialogue.

The activities are open to all sectors (except tourism and the food chain) in Southwest Finland. The aim is to create sustainable services and operating models that will support the sustainable development of the region even after the project has ended.

The funding for the project has been granted by the ELY Centre of Southwest Finland from the EAFRD.

Further information: Elina Säylä, elina.sayla@loimaa.fi, tel. 040 549 6362.