Enabling nature and business to thrive together

Between September 2018 and December 2022, 15 partners from Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, and the UK collaborated to develop and test innovative tools and strategies in three pilot regions: Geirangerfjord, the Wadden Sea, and The Wash & North Norfolk Coast. 

The goal? To establish a “nature-business-benefit-cycle,” proving that economic growth and nature conservation can go hand in hand.

PROWAD Link fostered a new level of transnational cooperation, bringing together businesses, conservationists, and policymakers to co-develop solutions. Over the course of four years and despite restrictions caused by a global pandemic, the project partners managed to engage 800+ organizations in the search for sustainable solutions. 

Within the project over 30 business ideas were developed with SMEs, associations, NGOS, and educational institutions. New digital tools and branding resources now support sustainable entrepreneurship in nature areas. For example, the Nature-Business and Community Development Toolkit was launched, offering practical guidance for SMEs to integrate sustainability into their operations. 

Educational materials and insights on sustainable entrepreneurship were compiled on tenseducation.com, providing ongoing learning opportunities for SMEs and academia.

In the Geirangerfjord region, PROWAD LINK facilitated the launch of Fjord Cowork, a platform designed to attract digital nomads and remote workers during the off-peak seasons of autumn, winter, and spring. 

Fjord Cowork offers attractive living and working spaces, allowing professionals to immerse themselves in the region's spectacular World Heritage nature while maintaining their work commitments. This initiative promotes sustainable tourism and fosters economic stability in the local communities throughout the year. 

The continuation of the initiative led to the Arctic Digital Nomads Grant, an initiative together with Iceland and Faroe Islands to attract coworkers to Northern latitudes. The winter 2024/2025 proved a momentous success. Several hundred applicants were narrowed down to 13 digital nomad grant receivers who are currently (February 2025) coworking in the area. As inhabitants, they support local businesses and communities during the traditionally quieter winter months.

The project also helped transform the Geiranger Green Fjord partnership into Smart Fjord, a collaborative hub fostering sustainable tourism and innovation. One of its key initiatives, the Geiranger Light Art Festival, turns the winter landscape into a vibrant outdoor art exhibition, drawing visitors beyond the summer season. The 2025 edition highlighted 13 installations and a full program of concerts and activities for 10 days, filling up the accommodation businesses in the area. 

PROWAD Link, in addition, helped enhance visitor awareness of the World Heritage Site. The Fjord Ranger Programme offers guided tours led by expert rangers. This initiative educates guests on Geirangerfjord’s natural and cultural significance, promoting responsible tourism on a year-round basis.

How do these intiatives benefit the local community? Hear from a local couple running a tourist farm thriving off tourists and sale of their low-intensive produce: 

In the pilot region of The Wash & North Norfolk Coast, a key focus was the Limits of Acceptable Change (LAC) framework, addressing recreational disturbance in protected landscapes. Phase 1, supported by PROWAD Link, established a structured approach to managing visitor impacts. Following the project's completion, stakeholders secured funding for Phase 2, which will implement management strategies in designated zones. A new Officer, starting in summer 2025, will support engagement efforts with residents and visitors.

Network creation was a fundamental pillar of the project activities in the Wadden Sea. The project enhanced and extended existing partnership programmes, such as the World Heritage Partnership category in the Danish National Park. In the Netherlands, we also developed the new Dutch Wadden Sea World Heritage Ambassador programme offering training for SMEs on sustainability.

To foster collaboration across Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands, a transnational Wadden Sea World Heritage Partnership Hub was created and put into action. This "network of networks" connects over 750 organisations, including local and national partner programs, facilitating transnational knowledge exchange and collaborative initiatives to support the World Heritage Site. 

The Wadden SeaWorld Heritage Exchange Platform, also created in PROWAD Link, offers a virtual place of exchange between stakeholders. Today, the platform counts 250 registered users and features new EU-funded projects, such as DARKER SKY. 

The Wadden Sea World Heritage Site has earned a global reputation as a symbol of an internationally recognised natural wonder. To activate the brand towards promoting sustainable development of the area and the Wadden Sea’s protection, PROWAD Link created easy online access to guidelines and materials. These help stakeholders engage with and promote the brand, enhancing its accessibility and economic value for SMEs.

Conducted across Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands, the trilateral visitor survey offered valuable insights into visitor behaviours and perceptions, informing sustainable tourism strategies, and emphasising the importance of protected nature to Wadden Sea guests. Its output shows that over 90 per cent of guests know that the Wadden Sea is designated as a World Heritage Site. 

Nature protection and information about nature experience are important aspects to the visitors. The status also plays a role in the travel decision for more than half of the Danish interviewees and about 40 percent of the interviewees in Germany and the Netherlands. More than 80 per cent of visitors want nature at the destination to be protected and prefer to experience intact nature away from large tourist crowds. 

PROWAD Link has demonstrated that businesses and nature can thrive together. By providing tools, resources, and networks, the project has empowered SMEs, protected natural landscapes, and fostered cross-border collaboration. Our resources and findings will continue to support stakeholders in promoting sustainable development in harmony with natural heritage. 

PROWAD LINK brought together 14 partners from five countries. For a period of five years the partners worked closely together, finding pathways to empowering small enterprises to engage in nature-friendly business in world-class natural areas.  

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Annika Bostelmann is the Communications and Outreach Officer of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat, the facilitating body of the Trilateral Wadden Sea Cooperation and lead partner of PROWAD LINK. She holds an MA in European area studies.

If you would like to talk to the people behind the project, feel free to contact project officer Anja Domnick of the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat at domnick@waddensea-secretariat.org