Webinar: When the locals shape the future – social innovation for rural development

When the locals shape the future: Social innovation for rural development

Registration will open in the next few days

🕐  6 January 2026 at 12.00 AM Icelandic time (13.00 CET)
(Last day to register is January 6th)

Organiser
Vestfjarðastofa

Language
Icelandic

How to participate
Register via the link above when registration has opened and you will then recieve a Zoom link 2-3 days before the webinar.

Who is this webinar for
Social entrepreneurs
The general public in rural Iceland
Business support organizations
Municipalities

About the webinar
Social entrepreneurs in rural Iceland have long played a vital role in shaping community life — but what exactly is social entrepreneurship? How does it differ from other forms of entrepreneurship and why does it matter so much in rural areas?

In this webinar, we will explore these questions together and touch on how regional business development agencies can be better at supporting social entrepreneurs.

Vestfjarðastofa has been a partner in the NPA cooperation project MERSE for the past two years, working to strengthen and support social entrepreneurship in remote regions.

In this lunchtime lecture, Steinunn Ása Sigurðardóttir and Anna Sigríður Ólafsdóttir at Vestfjarðastofa will present the key outcomes of MERSE and share the lessons they as participants, have drawn from the project.

What you will learn in this webinar
You will gain insight into how social innovation can drive positive change in rural communities, learn what distinguishes social entrepreneurs from others, and see how regional associations can support community-driven initiatives. The webinar provides examples and tools that can strengthen your own ideas or work in the field of social innovation.

If you want to learn more about this – join the webinar. Welcome!