MERSE Kick-off in Östersund
On October 16–17, around twenty project participants and partners from the MERSE project representing five different countries gathered at Mid Sweden University in Östersund, Sweden for a kick-off. In the project, they will study differences and similarities in social entrepreneurship in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Ireland.
– The goal of MERSE is to make it easier to start and develop social enterprises in rural areas. There is a need for increased knowledge in society about the legitimacy of social enterprises as significant local value creators, says project leader Yvonne von Friedrichs, professor of business administration at Mid Sweden University.
The researchers together with actors in regions and municipalities in five countries - Sweden, Finland, Norway, Iceland and Ireland, will exchange and compare country-specific knowledge and experiences about different types of social entrepreneurship and their support structures.
During the kick-off, the partners and associated partners in the project group presented their organisations to each other and had a workshop about how to find the best ways to cooperate and work together thoughout the project. The project group also made study visits to local entrepreneurs in Östersund and the surrounding area. The improved knowledge of social entrepreneurship that the project will result in, is expected to lead to better opportunities for people who want to develop sustainable businesses and create community services in order to increase the opportunities to live and work in rural regions.
– We want to learn from each other and are convinced that it is possible to find new solutions to old challenges. By involving social entrepreneurs, civil society, business advisors and academics in the different countries, we will get a broad knowledge base to be able to identify 'best practice' in how to support this industry, says Pelle Persson, Coompanion.
During the project, the project group will also meet in Iceland, Ireland, Finland and Norway. The next visit will be in Iceland in April 2024.
