Reflections from the LitD Project Meeting at Strömfors Ironworks in Loviisa and Observations on Project Developments

19.8.2025
Företagsekonomi Reseberättelse Granskat inlägg - Reviewed post
litd reseskildring2

The Interreg Baltic Sea Region project Light in the Dark partners met in Strömfors on May 14-15, 2025. The difference in the atmosphere among the partners was noticeable, compared to the beginning of the project. You are meeting ‘friends’ now. Happy smiles, hugs, a quick comment to relate to something that was exchanged in an email the previous week. Well, this is to be expected, you may answer. The team has been assembled, and work packages and activities are being implemented in a steady process. Planning is, however, only the beginning, things can go wrong, and things change, and if you are not able to respond quickly and adapt, the project becomes derailed. 

Anniina Merilinna, Mats Selin and Viktoria Shishkova from Cursor welcomed the project partners to the beautiful setting of Strömfors Ironworks in Loviisa. Viktoria Shishkova guided the guests on the bus from the centre of Helsinki to Strömfors in Loviisa. Strömfors Bed & Bistro, which is also one of the SMEs participating in Light in the Dark, offered yet another unique setting for the partner meeting. Strömfors has one of the best-preserved ironworks communities in Finland and the participants appreciated the charming setting for the meeting.

En bild av en buffet

The lunch buffet

After a delicious lunch and some introductory words by James Simpson, Anna Upsava presented how the piloting of the products is progressing, the results so far, and most importantly, she led a discussion on what lessons have been learned from the pilots. 

Next, Antti Honkanen from Visitory presented the first version of the digital handbook. The goal is to provide tourism developers and entrepreneurs with practical tools, real-life examples, and concrete guidance to support the development of low-season tourism products. There was a lively discussion after his presentation, and the participants had plenty of suggestions on how to further develop the interactive handbook.   

A memorable item in the agenda was when James Simpson, together with Marie Östblom and Ulrika Hedbom from Stockholm Archipelago, led the check-out activity of the day. The partners talked about what their respective organisations has gained from the project so far, and how they perceived the future after the project. The sense of “we” and “us”, together as one in the development of tourism in the Baltic Sea Region was discernible in the comments.    

The participants had beforehand chosen between two different activities to participate in.  Most of the participants chose In the midst of nature - a kayaking trip from Strömfors ironworks to the Kymijoki River. The trip took the group through beautiful and tranquil sceneries, while the guide Simo Peri from Retkipiste, entertained with stories about the history of the region and its wildlife. A beaver’s nest and some birds were spotted on the way. The trip left the participants feeling serene and relaxed, which was also the purpose. 

The remaining participants opted for a relaxing forest walk together with the guide Mirja Haapala from Virtaus Consulting. The participants were encouraged to immerse in the forest experience through different exercises, e.g. by zooming in on different plants with the help of an imaginary pair of binoculars. They were also asked to pair up and take turns being the leader, thus encouraging the follower to see nature through his/her eyes.

Tre människor står på en bro och håller händerna framför ögonen som om de skulle titta genom kikare.

Zooming with imaginary binoculars

The sauna was a welcome part in the programme, since people felt a little chilly after the outdoor activities. Some enjoyed the hot outdoor tub, while others were brave enough to jump into the refreshing water of Kymijoki river. 

Two of the project’s products were piloted during the meeting: the guided kayaking excursion from Strömfors to the Kymijoki River and the complete Strömfors Bed & Bistro experience with manor-style accommodations, sauna, and a three-course dinner. It is important for the partners to pilot products that have been developed in the project, to have a good understanding of the level and quality of what is being sold. 

The eventful day was rounded off with a dinner at the Main Manor. The hotel owner of Strömfors Bed & Bistro, Katja Euro, welcomed us officially and introduced the menu, which comprised morel soup as an appetizer and arctic char for the main course. The meal was rounded off with the most delicate chocolate cake.

The following day started with Camilla Sommerström and Sofia Augustsson from Visit Åland, presenting the status of the work on the concept and production of the visual material, which will be released in the fall 2025.

It is naturally important to pick the participants’ brains as much as possible during a face-to-face meeting and, therefore, two workshops followed in the programme. Helena von Schoultz from Åland UAS presented some ideas for the product selection tool and visual material portal that will later be developed. The participants were asked to contemplate on the needs of the SMEs for the product selection tool in small groups. In the second workshop, the partners were asked to have another look at the existing product cards and come up with innovative product categories they felt were still missing and should be worked on.

Ett rum fyllt med människor ståendes kring bord.

Workshop in progress

The days were summed up by the project manager. James Simpson will become the project manager of another Interreg BSR project, RegenT - Integrating Regenerative Practices in Nature and Cultural Tourism, and he ended the meeting with a few words on the sense of a place. James stressed the importance of meanings and attachments that the project partners hold for their specific place and region in LitD, and how that drive contributes to the development of the project.

Embracing change is embracing the inevitable. The concept of change in a project, is something that happens continuously. People learn more and people’s mindsets change as the project grows. The project manager creates commitment and motivates himself/herself and the partners to see the way forward in a lengthy and complex project. We thank James Simpson for his excellent leadership and welcome Janina Selin, who will continue navigating BSR Light in the Dark.       

Finally, special thanks to Anniina Merilinna and Mats Selin for brilliant arrangements for the partner meeting in Strömfors Ironworks. 

Pictures by Mathias Gröndahl and Maria Engberg.


Reseskildringen har godkänts för publicering av Novias redaktionsråd 18.8.2025.

ISSN: 2670-028X

Skribent:
Maria Engberg, Annemari Andrésen, Mathias Gröndahl
Nyckelord:
Light in the Dark, Tourism, Workshops, Networking

Reseskildringen har publicerats i Novias publikationsserie RS: Reseskildringar. Inläggen har godkänts av Novias redaktionsråd. 

Novia Publikation och produktion, serie RS: Reseskildring, ISSN: 2670-028X 

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