Social Entrepreneurship gained high interest in Bodø, Norway

Hi Yvonne, you and some of your colleagues from the MERSE project just got back from Bodø. How was your session recieved by the conference participants? 

– It well attended and gained a lot of interest, which we are of course very happy about. Social entrepreneurship and social enterprises proved to be a new concept for many of the participants and our seminar was an eye-opener for the conference participants who came from all over Northern Europe.

The reception was beyond all expectations as there was a great interest in learning more about the conditions and opportunities to support the development of social enterprises in rural areas in Northern Europe.

So, the session was an eyeopener to many of the participants. How was the panel discussions that followed and what was discussed? 

– Three questions were discussed from different perspectives by the panel, which consisted of representatives from social enterprises, support organizations, municipalities and regions from rural regions in NPA areas. The questions were:

1. What impact do social enterprises have in rural areas? How do we measure that impact?
2. What are the main barriers for social enterprises to establish and prosper?
3. What are the most important support actions to boost social entreprenurship? 

– Furthermore, a need was highlighted for authorities to develop national, regional and local strategies, policies and action plans that include social entrepreneurship and the need of more knowledge about social entrepreneurship and the conditions for social entrepreneurship.

Why was it important for the project to take part in the conference in Bodø? 

– Many new contacts were made, which we hope will lead to a generally increased interest in these issues among politicians, civil servants and support organizations that can promote the start and development of social entrepreneurship as a path to sustainable local and regional development and prosperity in rural areas.

The NPA conference in Bodø has been of great importance to us within MERSE in spreading knowledge and interest in important issues about the significant role of social entrepreneurship for societal development in rural areas.

More information

"Social entrepreneurship - essential for regional development in the Northern Peripheral and Arctic". The session was led by Yvonne von Friedrichs, and Cecilia Dalborg, Mittuniversitetet, Sweden, Project MERSE - Business Models Empowering Rural Social Entrepreneurship - voicing the rural norm. The panel consisted of:

• Veronica Schanke Reinås, Social entrepreneur, Eikra Aktivitet, Norway.
• Susanne Vinderå and Pelle Persson, Local support organisation, Coompanion, Sweden. 
• Jon Söder, Östersunds kommun, Sweden.
• Fionnán Ó hÓgain, Regional support organisation, Údarás na Gaeltachta, Ireland.