Serie R: Blueprint - Building market and supply chain opportunities for micro-SMEs within the Baltic Sea Region

The report "BSR Go-abroad / Blueprint - Building market and supply chain opportunities for micro-SMEs within the Baltic Sea Region" has been published in has been published in Novia's Publications and Productions, series: Reports 6/2026 in June 2026.

Introduction to BSR Go-Abroad

In an inter-connected world market tremors and trade disruptions travel faster than ever. Smaller companies can succumb more easily to global crises or unexpected external disturbances, however those operating in international markets are more likely to recover quickly from or even withstand such disruptions. Expanding beyond domestic markets can therefore make micro-SMEs (companies with fewer than 10 employees) more resilient. By diversifying their market base and building local value chains, these companies can better shield themselves from global supply chain disruptions caused by exogenous shocks such as pandemics, wars, energy or financial crises.

Studies show that micro-SMEs engaged in international activities tend to outperform those operating solely in domestic markets. They benefit from higher turnover and employment growth and are better positioned to seize new opportunities. Moreover, there is a strong correlation between internationalisation and innovation, further underlining the strategic importance of cross-border engagement (Steinerowska-Streb et al, 2022, Dabić et al, 2020; Galkina et al., 2022).

Despite these advantages, only a small proportion of micro-SMEs currently engage in export activities. In 2022, just 6.3% of micro-SMEs in the Baltic Sea Region (BSR) with fewer than 10 employees were involved in exports. This compares to 22.6% of SMEs with 10–49 employees and 49.5% of SMEs with 50–250 employees, highlighting a significant gap in international engagement among the smallest businesses (Eurostat, 2025).

In response to these challenges, the objective of the BSR Go-abroad project was to test a solution aimed at supporting micro-SMEs across the BSR and give them greater confidence in taking their first steps towards internationalisation.

To achieve this, an internationalisation programme was implemented between May 2024 and March 2026 providing 258 companies across the BSR with the knowledge, tools, and networks needed to design and execute effective internationalisation strategies.

A key output of the project was this blueprint, which offers practical toolkits and recommendations for supporting cross-border trade among micro-SMEs in the BSR. It is intended for public and private Business Development Organisations (BDOs), policy decision-makers, and other relevant stakeholders, as well as micro-SMEs seeking to initiate or expand
their international activities.

The BSR Go-abroad partnership, responsible for designing and implementing the project, consisted of eight partners from seven countries across the BSR. All project partners, except for one, were public or private BDOs that support smaller companies with scaling as part of their core activities and have experience in internationalisation.

Information about the publication

BSR Go-abroad / Blueprint
Jimmy F. Andersen (ed.) & Eva Holmberg (ed.)

Graphics and layout: Kindly Creative

Publisher: Yrkeshögskolan Novia, Wolffskavägen 33, 65200 Vasa, Finland
Novia Publikation och produktion, serie R: Rapporter 6/2026
© Yrkeshögskolan Novia, Holmberg

ISBN: 978-952-7526-75-0 (Online)
ISSN: 1799-4179

CC BY 4.0