INTO – Industrial Heritage Meets Tourism

Northern Finland and Northern Sweden’s rich industrial history is taking on a new role as a driver of tourism, culture, and regional development. The INTO (Industrial Heritage Meets Tourism) project is developing tourism products based on the region’s industrial cultural heritage and creating a shared cross-border tourism route in cooperation with regional stakeholders. The newly launched project brings together industrial companies, tourism operators, cultural heritage organizations, and local communities to develop new experiential tourism solutions that make the region’s unique industrial past and present accessible and engaging for all.

The project aims to strengthen the role of industrial cultural heritage as a regional attraction, promote sustainable tourism, and foster closer cooperation between Northern Finland and Northern Sweden. At the same time, it seeks to increase the visibility of the regions, attract new visitors, and enhance their vitality and competitiveness. Industrial cultural heritage is much more than old buildings or historic sites. It is part of people’s identity, the story of communities, and the development of regions.

Project Activities

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

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

Centria University of Applied Sciences serves as the project’s lead partner, responsible for the overall coordination and smooth implementation of the project. 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 connected to the region’s industrial heritage. At the same time, cooperation among stakeholders will be strengthened, and selected products and services will be integrated into a cross-border industrial heritage tourism route.

Industrial Heritage Route Connecting Northern Finland and Northern Sweden

One of the project’s most visible outcomes will be a shared cross-border Industrial Heritage Route. The route will bring together heritage sites, stories, and tourism products into an engaging visitor experience that guides travellers through the shared industrial history of the northern regions. Along the route, visitors will discover how mining, forestry, energy production, and manufacturing have shaped the development of local communities and economies.

The histories of Northern Finland and Northern Sweden are closely intertwined through industry. By highlighting these shared roots, the route will not only showcase the region’s unique heritage but also provide a compelling reason to visit throughout the year.

Communication and international cooperation play a central role in the project. One of the key objectives is to connect the future route with the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) network, which would enhance 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 broad international audience.

Sustainable and Cross-Border Cooperation

In the long term, the INTO project will build sustainable cross-border cooperation that will continue to benefit the tourism sector, industry, local communities, and visitors well beyond the project’s lifetime. The operating models, stories, and tourism products developed through the project will support regional vitality and contribute to the future development of sustainable tourism.

Centria University of Applied Sciences is implementing the INTO project together with Lapland University of Applied Sciences, the Arctic Sweden Visitors Board, and Luleå University of Technology. The project started in September 2026 and will run until June 2029. It is funded by Interreg Aurora, the Regional Council of Lapland, and Region Norrbotten.

Linda Lindroos is the Project Manager of the INTO

Linda Lindroos serves as the Project Manager of the INTO (Industrial Heritage Meets Tourism) project and is a member of Centria’s Entrepreneurship and Business Development team.

– In the INTO project, we want to make these stories visible and create new kinds of experiences around them that appeal to both local residents and international visitors,” says Project Manager Linda Lindroos.

Holding a Master of Arts degree with a specialization in history, she combines a strong academic background with extensive experience in business development. Throughout her career, she has worked on both practical and strategic aspects of business development and has also completed a Specialist Vocational Qualification in Service Design and Product Development in Tourism alongside her professional work.

Lindroos brings extensive expertise in tourism development, the promotion of cultural heritage-based innovation, and collaboration with businesses. She has served as a Project Manager in international projects, including the Bothnia Business Heritage project, which aimed to strengthen the connection between industrial heritage and contemporary business across the Bothnian Bay region.