Rural-UP workshop in Kouvola strengthened growth, value creation and internationalisation

The Rural-UP workshop held on 10–11 June 2026 in Kouvola, Finland, brought together food and beverage companies and project partners from Finland, Latvia and Estonia to share experiences and learn from each other.

The two-day workshop focused on business development, particularly from the perspectives of growth, internationalization, and value creation. Through expert presentations, company cases, and interactive discussions, participants were able to reflect on their own business development challenges while learning from each other.

Insights from experts: quality, customer value and experience

On the first day, the keynote presentations highlighted what it takes to succeed in demanding markets.

Business Advisor Jaana Puhakka from ProAgria/RWAC of Eastern Finland emphasised the importance of consistent quality and well-structured processes, noting that success is built on reliability rather than novelty. Her presentation underlined that quality should be seen as a holistic system, including the product, packaging and service.

MBH Breweries Ltd shared their company story. CEO Jukka Sipilä described the company’s development and approach to building a strong brand. The presentation highlighted how the company has combined tradition with continuous development, while staying focused on product quality and consistency. It also illustrated the importance of making clear choices and maintaining a strong identity as the business grows.

Project Manager Heli Pöyry from South-Eastern Finland University of Applied Sciences focused on value creation and its role in customer experience. She highlighted that value is not only created through products, but through how customers experience them – including elements such as trust, authenticity and emotional engagement. The session encouraged companies to move beyond product-focused thinking towards designing more meaningful customer experiences.

During the workshop session in the afternoon, companies worked on identifying their own unique value creation points and practiced presenting them from a customer perspective.

From innovation environments to real business cases

On the second day, participants visited development environments and companies to see how these ideas are applied in practice.

At Xamk FoodLab, the group explored how innovation environments can support companies in developing new products and concepts by linking applied research with practical business needs.

At LUT University’s Kouvola unit, the Systemic Food Processing research group introduced its work on sustainable food processing and resource efficiency, including ways to create higher value from raw materials and side streams.

The visit to Kouvola Lakritsi provided a practical example of how long-term success can be built through high product quality, consistency, and a strong story.

Next steps: continued support and joint learning

The participating companies will continue the scaling programme together with their mentors. After the summer, the project consortium will organise joint webinars focusing on topics such as preparation for international events, the use of AI and sustainability. The next joint meeting of the consortium is planned to take place in Tartu in October 2026.

This activity was supported as part of RURAL-UP, an Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021-2027 project co-funded by the European Union.