Discover the achievements of the 2014-2020 NPA projects

Seven years of cooperation between people, communities, and organisations across thousands of kilometres made a difference in the Northern Periphery and Arctic regions.

Browse the NPA map of results to discover our stories of cooperation. Pick a dot from the map and scroll down to read about people who have met similar minded colleagues and together found solutions for their shared challenges.

Use the +/- buttons in the top left corner of the map to zoom in/out or click on the regions to display the NPA project stories.

Back to list

Growing entrepreneurship spirit

Exploring local, sustainable, and innovative business ideas

Opening a business in Greenland has its own challenges. Isolation, long distances, underdeveloped infrastructure, access to information are to name just a few. In close collaboration with Greenland Business School and Innovation Greenland, the RYE SC organized 2 workshops in Nuuk for business students from across all Greenland. More than 60 young people joined these events focused on sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship. Following the project´s own workshop structure, the participants discussed who is an entrepreneur and what qualities does he/she needs to have, and how can sustainable development and green growth be made part of one´s business plan.

To test the newly acquired knowledge, the students came up with their own business ideas that, in their opinion, would be worth starting a business in Greenland. Using locally available resources encouraged them to come up with businesses such as “Chips from fish skin”, “Currant jelly from Greenlandic berries”, or “Exporting Greenlandic water”. Other types of business plans were providing locally tailored solutions to the needs of Greenlandic citizens such as a “Kindergarten app”, a “Restaurant serving only local Greenlandic food” or “Opening a sustainable thrift shop”. The ideas and knowledge that were presented at the workshops will help the students in their further (business) education and exams, and can possibly be made a reality one day.

Pilunnguaq Poulsen

student

I participated in a workshop about sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship. What caught my attention was that the themes included sustainability. Here, ideas for action were to be developed, and tools to start a business had to be obtained. The workshop gave me good tools to get an overview of how to start a company, make a business plan, set a budget, develop the good idea. About the sustainability theme, it was not so clear, the theme needs to be clearer on what sustainability in a business plan or in a company is. Unfortunately, it was not possible to make a pitch in front of the judges, which was "a goal" for the workshop due to illness. But I was really happy to join and be a part of it over Teams, which was impeccable. Thank you.