Industrial heritage becomes experiences across borders 

The rich industrial history of Northern Finland and Northern Sweden is taking on a new role as a driver of tourism, culture, and regional development. The INTO (Industrial Heritage Meets Tourism) project develops tourism products based on the region’s industrial cultural heritage and creates a shared cross-border tourism route in cooperation with regional stakeholders.

The project brings together industrial companies, tourism operators, cultural heritage organizations, and local communities to develop new visitor experiences that make the region’s unique industrial past and present accessible and engaging for everyone. Through collaboration, INTO aims to highlight industrial heritage as a living resource that can inspire sustainable tourism and strengthen regional identity.

The project seeks to enhance the role of industrial cultural heritage as a key attraction factor, promote sustainable tourism development, and foster closer cooperation between Northern Finland and Northern Sweden. At the same time, it aims to increase the visibility of the participating regions, attract new visitors, and contribute to their long-term vitality.

Industrial cultural heritage is much more than historic buildings or former industrial sites. It reflects the identity of local communities, tells the story of regional development, and connects past achievements with future opportunities.

– Through the INTO project, we want to make these stories visible and create new kinds of experiences around them, appealing to both local residents and international visitors, says the project manager Linda Lindroos.

Project Activities

The project will begin with mapping key industrial heritage sites and collecting the stories connected to them. Information will be gathered from archives, interviews, and through collaboration with local stakeholders. Based on this material, the project partners will develop new tourism products using participatory methods and service design approaches.

The concepts developed during the project will be tested in real-life environments and further refined based on user feedback. The goal is to create services that are engaging, accessible, and commercially viable while supporting the growth of sustainable tourism.

Centria University of Applied Sciences serves as the lead partner of the project and is responsible for overall project coordination and implementation. Centria is also responsible for coordinating and developing Work Package 3, which focuses on piloting and further developing the tourism products and services created during the project. In addition, the work package will develop the Made Here concept, built around stories of industrial cultural heritage. The activities will strengthen cooperation among stakeholders, and selected products and services will be integrated into a cross-border industrial heritage tourism route.

Industrial Heritage Route

The most visible outcome of the project will be a shared cross-border industrial heritage route. The route will connect sites, stories, and tourism products into an immersive visitor experience that guides travelers through the shared industrial history of the northern regions.

The route will highlight the impact of mining, the forest industry, energy production, and manufacturing on regional development. The histories of Northern Finland and Northern Sweden are closely intertwined through industry. By making these shared roots visible, the route will also provide a new reason to visit the region throughout the year.

Communication and international cooperation play a central role in the project. One of the objectives is to connect the future route to the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) network, which would strengthen the region’s visibility in international tourism markets. In addition, Kiruna’s European Capital of Culture year in 2029 presents a significant opportunity to bring the stories of Northern industrial heritage to a wider audience.

Sustainable Cross-Border Cooperation

In the long term, the INTO project will build sustainable cross-border cooperation that benefits the tourism sector, industry, local communities, and visitors long after the project has ended. The methods, stories, and tourism products developed through the project will support regional vitality and the future development of sustainable tourism.

Centria coordinates the INTO project in cooperation with Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Arctic Sweden Visitors Board, and Luleå University of Technology.

The project started in September 2026 and will continue until June 2029. It is funded by Interreg Aurora, the Regional Council of Lapland, and Region Norrbotten.