Exactly who are interested in social entrepreneurship?

In total, 239 unique participants attended the MERSE webinar series. Notably, a majority took part in two or more sessions, suggesting that engagement was not limited to casual interest. Instead, the data points to a group of participants actively following the discussions over time, an indication of both relevance and momentum within the field.

Strong Nordic core with wider European reach

Unsurprisingly, most participants came from countries who have been directly involved in the MERSE project: Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Ireland. At the same time, the webinars attracted participants from a broader European context, including for example the United Kingdom, Italy, Portugal, Slovakia and Romania.

Within the partner countries, participation was geographically diverse. Ireland stood out with a relatively higher number of attendees. That is a pattern that aligns with the country’s longer familiarity with and more established discourse around social entrepreneurship.

The webinars became a cross-sectoral meeting place

One of the most striking findings is the diversity of organisational affiliations among participants. The webinars functioned as a genuine cross-sectoral arena, bringing together actors from:

• Public institutions and municipalities

• Business support organisations across sectors

• Financial partners

• Social enterprises, both emerging and well-established

• Private companies engaged in social or community development

• Universities and research institutions

This mix highlights how rural social entrepreneurship cuts across traditional boundaries, involving public, private and civil society actors alike.

From researchers to social entrepreneurs

The professional backgrounds of the participants further underline the interdisciplinary nature of the field of social entrepreneurshop. Academic participants included researchers and professors from MERSE partner universities, but also other institutions such as the University of Pisa, Atlantic Technological University and the University of Porto. At the same time, the webinar series attracted a wide range of practitioners, including:

• Regional development officers and coordinators

• Municipal representatives

• Community development professionals

• Cooperative advisors

• Business developers, managers and enterprise advisors

• Legal, financial and technical specialists

• Social entrepreneurs working across sectors

• Rural entrepreneurs

• Professors, lecturers, researchers

This combination of support and practice reflects a field where collaboration and knowledge exchange are essential.

Diverse institutional landscape

The participants of the webinar series were connected to a wide range of organisations, from national and regional agencies to local authorities and networks. Examples include the Icelandic Regional Development Institute, Dublin City Council, the Western Development Commission, the Finnish Association of Social Enterprises, and several Swedish municipalities such as Umeå, Sollefteå, Östersund and Mölndal.

A growing and shared interest

All together, the findings suggest that rural social entrepreneurship is not a niche concern, but a topic attracting broad and sustained interest across Northern Europe and beyond.

The diversity of participants across geography, sectors and professions, points to a shared recognition of the role social entrepreneurship can play in addressing rural challenges. We are proud to be able to say that the MERSE webinar series facilitated knowledge exchange, but also revealed an expanding and increasingly connected community of actors working towards innovation in rural contexts. (Ida Pålsson, Mid Sweden University, Communications Manager of MERSE)