INTERREG North Sea Region project “PROWAD Link – Protect & Prosper”

The INTERREG North Sea Region project “PROWAD Link – Protect & Prosper” aims to support sustainable growth by engaging SMEs in nature conservation. Thereby, the potential of nature heritage brands as drivers for jobs and sustainable regional development are unlocked, closing a nature-business-benefit-cycle.

Fifteen project partners from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and the United Kingdom set out in 2018 with three main targets:

• Improve access to nature brands with economic value for SMEs
• Enhance sustainability of SMEs in the North Sea Region
• Co-create, with SMEs and knowledge partners, innovative and sustainable marketable offers and products.

In 2020, the pandemic hit and slowed the project, as it relied on reaching out and connecting to SMEs and other stakeholders. However, the project partners quickly adapted, and extended their project period to four years. The project developed case studies and videos on how SMEs cope with the pandemic to support a sustainable transition.