The purpose of preparatory projects is to develop project ideas in a more specific and focused direction, to examine the need for the project outputs among end users and stakeholders and to build up transnational partnerships. This means that ideally preparatory projects conclude with the presentation of a main project application by the end date of a call for main project proposals.

The following projects were approved:

Priority 1 - Innovation capacity

• PHESIA - Printed hybrid electronics for sustainable intelligent applications.
  LEAD PARTNER: Oulu University of Applied Sciences, Finland
  
  The partners would like to develop a main project to solve the challenges related to lack of information on using novel technologies in key economic sectors. Lack of information is slowing down the exploitation of the technology in different applications. A main project can develop new technology’s reliability and quality, make processes more mature and produce new knowledge towards a cost-efficient, sustainable way of manufacturing electronics.
  
  

• SelfCare - Self-management of health and wellbeing in rural areas
  LEAD PARTNER: Region Västerbotten, Centre for Rural Medicine, Sweden
  
  The partners would like to develop the vision outlined below in order to apply for the NPA call in October 2023. The overall vision of the project is to improve access for people living in rural areas to culturally-sensitive health and well-being self-management services, supported by an innovative framework that will increase collaboration and knowledge sharing across borders in the NPA regions.
  
  

• Tech2Heal Connected Technology to support the Health of the Working Population in Northern Remote Areas
  LEAD PARTNER:Atlantic Technological University, Ireland
  
  Accessible and cost-effective digital healthcare in remote NPA areas is essential to reduce chronic disease effects on the quality and length of people’s working lives. This preparatory project will analyze the uptake of connected digital health technology to support proactive and preventive healthcare models for national health services. It will also examine the trade-off between the two and how they can improve the health of older working people in northern areas. It will examine why the uptake of connected health technologies has fallen short of predictions. The key outcomes of this study will guide the design of the main project.

Priority 2 - Climate change adaptation and resource sufficiency

• CARBOVISION - Carbon Management for Building Resilience: Local Capacity Development for Sustainable Resource Management, Climate Change Adaptation, and Carbon Mitigation in Sparsely Populated Communities
  LEAD PARTNER:  Natural Resources Institute Finland
  
  The project aims to build local capacity in sustainable resource management, landscape breeding, and carbon assessment, utilizing innovative tools and ecosystem-based approaches. The main outputs of the project include the main project proposal, action plans, transnational network.
  
  
• THREAD Textile and Habiliment Reuse for the Environment and NPA Area Development
  LEAD PARTNER: Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, Finland
  
  Textile wastes are a significant contributor to landfill and fast fashion is now recognised as having an unacceptable carbon footprint, therefore, there is an urgent need for transition to an environmentally and socially responsible circular model in the sector. This is particularly challenging for the NPA region as sparsely populated areas result in long waste transport distances with limited volumes of valuable waste fractions that could be recycled. This project seeks to explore the feasibility of textile reuse and recycling across the region.
  
  
• CircUpscale - promoting industrial circular economy in the NPA area
  LEAD PARTNER: Kemin Digipolis Oy
  
  CircUpscale prepares a full scale NPA project on promoting industrial circular economy in the NPA area. CircUpscale has a specific focus on finding and developing transnational methods, tools, and practices to upscale circular economy initiatives and pilots. The CircUpscale approach invites NPA actors of circular economy to benchmark and jointly develop industrial circular economy and to cross-fertilize innovative ideas across the NPA area.