Business to Nature - Interregional Approach to SMEs and Entrepreneurship Policies in Natural Areas
The considerable lack of entrepreneurial initiatives in some European regions makes it essential that the public sector takes an active role in supporting the small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular in those less developed regions both in EU-15 and new member states territories performing below EU average in terms of productivity, employment rate and R&D expenditure. Most of these territories tend to be predominately rural and are located often in magnificent natural areas. Here economic development can become the victim of its own success if it does not develop in a sustainable way. This is particularly visible in vulnerable natural areas, where some regions already face problems connected with an unbalanced development. 

B2N project (BUSINESS TO NATURE – INTERREGIONAL APPROACH TO SMEs AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN NATURAL AREAS) aims at contributing to the endogenous development of European regions by promoting entrepreneurship in underdeveloped areas building on local skills,
the attractiveness of the natural environment and best practices in entrepreneurial initiatives that have already proved to be successful.

B2N project succeeded in getting a combined partnership of EU-wide partners coming from old (ES, PT, UK, FR, IT, SE) and new member states (PL, BG, SI) with common problems, complementary experience and specialised knowledge. Applicant territories embrace magnificent natural places, where SME development is directly dependent on healthy environments, a classic example of a win-win strategy in the long term. Partners will work together on the improvement of SMEs and entrepreneurship policies by analysing the existing situation of SMEs, reviewing policies and identifying good practices, which are expected to be transferred during the implementation of the project into project partner’s territories. The main activities comprise joint analysis and elaboration of studies pursuing common methodology and joint events (seminars,
workshops, study visits), accompanied by strong dissemination effort to communicate project’s results inside and outside partner’s territories. B2N is willing to provide a model policy framework to support SME’s development in vulnerable natural areas, in line with sustainable development principles. The project will focus on two policy areas: 1) Setting up new businesses, 2) Developing new marketable products and services by existing entrepreneurs (supporting innovation). Due to characteristics of the applicant regions, it is expected that new entrepreneurial initiatives will be created in tourism sector, comprising a wide range of economic activities ranging from traditional to new technology based services.

