BOCOD – Boosting Continuity and Digitalisation of Rural Region Businesses

Businesses in rural and sparsely populated areas face unique challenges in ensuring business continuity. Remote locations, demographic structures, and labor shortages complicate ownership transitions. However, the increase in remote work and the development of digital tools offer new opportunities for business development and strengthening continuity, creating conditions for the growth and sustainability of rural businesses.

Business transfers are particularly challenging in rural areas, as finding successors is often difficult. In the absence of a successor, many viable businesses end up closing, weakening the region's vitality and employment. The digital capabilities of businesses are often inadequate, limiting their growth and competitiveness and posing challenges to continuity. The BOCOD project promotes the digital capabilities of rural businesses and provides support for business transfers. The project's goals are achieved through three work packages:

1. Mapping the digital tools and business transfer support available to rural businesses and business service organisations. The aim is to identify regional strengths and development needs and determine what resources companies need to support business continuity. The result will be a comprehensive report and regional roadmap that will guide the project's next phases.
2. Developing digital training content that strengthens companies' ability to utilize new technologies and improve their competitiveness. Additionally, training will be provided to business service organisations to enable them to effectively support companies well into the future, towards and after ownership transitions.
3. Implementing workshops, mentoring programs, and networking events for businesses. Companies will be supported in business transfers and business development by providing practical assistance and advice. Through networking, businesses can share experiences, find new partners, and strengthen the regional business environment to ensure continuity.

The project's total budget is €1.499 million. The University of Oulu's share of the total budget is €214,000.

The project coordinator is Munster Technological University (Ireland), and the co-implementers are the Kerttu Saalasti Institute of the University of Oulu (Finland), Business Joensuu (Finland), Lapland University of Applied Sciences (Finland), and Icelandic development agencies Westfjords Regional Development Office (Vestfjarðastofa) and East Iceland Regional Development Office (Austurbrú ses.). The project builds on the successful EBoost preparatory project coordinated by Business Joensuu Oy.