Naturefin - Interreg Europe

🌲 NATUREFIN partners meet in Heinola to explore sustainable tourism and forestry

NATUREFIN’s new press release shares highlights from the project’s 3rd partner workshop, held in Heinola, Finland, from 9–11 June 2026.

Hosted by Heinolan kaupunki - City of Heinola, the meeting included peer learning, study visits and good practice exchange on biodiversity conservation, sustainable tourism, responsible forestry and regional development.

Partners visited Versowood to learn about responsible wood processing, joined the Forest Seminar in Vierumäki to explore Heinola’s forest programme and biodiversity initiatives, and visited the Lemmenharju trail to see how natural landscapes can support recreation and tourism while protecting environmental values.

The Sustainable Finance Navigator Workshop also helped partners reflect on how sustainable finance tools can be made more practical and useful for regional policy authorities.

The main takeaway was clear: successful nature-based development requires reliable data, long-term planning, stakeholder engagement and strong cooperation between local actors.

📄 Read our full press release below.

NATUREFIN is led by Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, and our partners are: Somogy County Government (Hungary), Heinolan kaupunki (Finland), Paggaio Municipality (Greece), CIM Região Beiras e Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Diputación de Badajoz (Spain), and Municipality of Maliq (Albania).

NATUREFIN in Heinola: Day 3.

The third and final day of our Heinola meeting focused on good practice exchange, peer learning and local sustainability.

The day started at Hotel Kumpeli with the NATUREFIN Good Practice Simulation Game. Using good practice cards based on Interreg Europe examples, partners discussed how different project ideas can contribute to biodiversity, ecosystem restoration and sustainable regional development.

The activity also encouraged partners to think about project implementation in a more balanced way. Each good practice could bring positive impacts, but also trade-offs that needed to be considered when planning and delivering projects in real regional contexts.

The programme continued with peer learning and remarks from the City of Heinola as the host of the meeting. Partners reflected on shared challenges, including how local authorities can continue developing their activities with limited resources and the need to identify suitable funding opportunities.

The meeting concluded with a culinary study visit and lunch at Restaurant Heila, highlighting traditional Finnish food, local producers and products from small farms in the region.

A valuable closing day, combining practical learning, partner exchange and local examples from Heinola.

NATUREFIN is co-funded by the European Union under Interreg Europe.
Leading Partner: Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem.
Partners: Somogy County Government (Hungary), Heinolan kaupunki - City of Heinola (Finland), Paggaio Municipality (Greece), CIM Região Beiras e Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Diputación de Badajoz (Spain), and Municipality of Maliq (Albania).

NATUREFIN in Heinola: Day 2.

Our second day in Heinola connected forests, biodiversity, tourism, culture and local sustainability practices.

The morning started with a Forest Seminar in Vierumäki, where partners learned more about Heinola’s forest programme, biodiversity projects and nature-based tourism in the Päijät-Häme region.

The programme continued outdoors with a visit to the Lemmenharju trail, shaped by ice more than 12,000 years ago, followed by lunch by Lake Valkjärvi. In the afternoon, partners visited Holiday Club to learn about its newly opened spa hotel and holiday accommodation model in Heinola.

The day concluded with a cultural visit to Aschan House and a sustainable Midsummer Dinner at Bistro Tango & Matto, highlighting local food, Finnish summer traditions and the importance of connecting project learning with local culture.

NATUREFIN is co-funded by the European Union under Interreg Europe.
Leading Partner: Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem.
Partners: Somogy County Government (Hungary), Heinolan kaupunki - City of Heinola (Finland), Paggaio Municipality (Greece), CIM Região Beiras e Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Diputación de Badajoz (Spain), and Municipality of Maliq (Albania).

NATUREFIN in Heinola: Day 1.

We started our three-day NATUREFIN Project Meeting in Heinola, Finland, on 9 June, bringing partners together for three days of learning, exchange and collaboration.

Day 1 focused on practical exchange and learning. Partners worked to connect real policy instrument challenges with concrete actions, improvement mechanisms and next steps based on their own needs.

We also visited Versowood, where we learned about the company’s activities, operational performance, business areas, markets and sustainability efforts. The visit also highlighted the importance of responsible wood sourcing, including the use of PEFC-certified forests from Finland.

The afternoon continued with a communication workshop focused on improving how NATUREFIN partners share project results and regional activities in a clearer and more practical way. Participants exchanged good communication practices and reflected on past experiences from their own organisations to identify approaches that could strengthen communication across the partnership.

Day 1 set a strong foundation. More updates from Day 2 and Day 3 will follow soon.

NATUREFIN is co-funded by the European Union under Interreg Europe.
Leading Partner: Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem.
Partners: Somogy County Government (Hungary), Heinolan kaupunki - City of Heinola (Finland), Paggaio Municipality (Greece), CIM Região Beiras e Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Diputación de Badajoz (Spain), and Municipality of Maliq (Albania).

Meet the Partner: Somogy County Government, Hungary

In southern Hungary, Somogy is shaped by Lake Balaton’s southern shore, the Drava corridor, extensive forests and wetland landscapes. These natural assets are important not only for biodiversity, but also for water management, recreation, tourism and local livelihoods.

Through NATUREFIN, Somogy County Government is working to improve financing for nature-based solutions, helping biodiversity and climate resilience become more visible in territorial planning and investment.

The county includes remarkable natural areas such as the Mura–Drava–Danube UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, the Drava section of the Duna–Drava National Park, the Baláta Lake Nature Reserve and Forest Reserve, the Boronka Landscape Protection Area and the Zselic Landscape Protection Area, home to Europe’s first Dark Sky Park.

For Somogy, success means a clearer and more supportive long-term framework for financing nature-based solutions, stronger capacity among local actors, and a better pipeline of investments supporting biodiversity, climate adaptation and sustainable land use.

Read more: https://www.interregeurope.eu/naturefin/news-and-events/news/meet-partner-somogy-county-government-hungary

NATUREFIN is co-funded by the European Union under Interreg Europe.
Leading Partner: Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem.
Partners: Somogy County Government (Hungary), Heinolan kaupunki - City of Heinola (Finland), Paggaio Municipality (Greece), CIM Região Beiras e Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Diputación de Badajoz (Spain), and Municipality of Maliq (Albania).

How can we finance more nature-positive projects?

On 20–21 May 2026, NATUREFIN organised the Expert Webinar “Private Capital Mobilisation for Investable Projects”, led by Mátyás Horák, CFA, FRM, Sustainable Finance Expert.

The two-day webinar explored how municipalities and regions can make nature-based and biodiversity-related projects more investable.

Key points discussed included:
• Why nature projects often struggle to attract private capital
• What makes a project investable or “bankable”
• How local governments can use planning, procurement, technical assistance and policy instruments to support nature finance
• Why clear revenue models, strong governance, risk management and monitoring systems are important

A key message from the webinar was that public funding remains crucial, but local and regional governments can also help create the conditions for private capital to support nature restoration, biodiversity and climate adaptation.

Thank you to Mátyás Horák for the insightful sessions, and to all participants and NATUREFIN partners for joining the discussion.
We look forward to continuing this work with our partners across Europe.

Read the full article: https://www.interregeurope.eu/naturefin/news-and-events/news/private-capital-mobilisation-for-investable-projects

NATUREFIN is co-funded by the European Union under Interreg Europe.
NATUREFIN is led by Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, and our partners are: Somogy County Government (Hungary), Heinolan kaupunki (Finland), Paggaio Municipality (Greece), CIM Região Beiras e Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Diputación de Badajoz (Spain), and Municipality of Maliq (Albania).

Join the NATUREFIN Expert Webinar “Private Capital Mobilisation for Investable Projects” with Matyas Horak, CFA, FRM, Senior Sustainable Investment Specialist.

Matyas brings around 20 years of experience across credit, project finance, ESG and sustainability integration. He has led sustainable investing at Legal & General and ESG analytics and product innovation at S&P Global, advising institutional investors across Europe and Asia.

Across two sessions, the webinar will explore how private capital can be mobilised for investable projects, with a focus on sustainable investment, ESG integration, project finance, risk management and credible project pipelines.

Session 1: 20 May 2026, 10:00–12:00 CEST
Session 2: 21 May 2026, 10:00–12:00 CEST

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/naturefin-webinar-private-capital-mobilisation-for-investable-projects-tickets-1988428329661

Places are limited. Registration closes on 18 May 2026 at 23:59 CEST.

NATUREFIN is co-funded by the European Union under Interreg Europe.
NATUREFIN is led by Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, and our partners are: Somogy County Government (Hungary), Heinolan kaupunki (Finland), Paggaio Municipality (Greece), CIM Região Beiras e Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Diputación de Badajoz (Spain), and Municipality of Maliq (Albania).

What does biodiversity have to do with finance?

In our new NATUREFIN interview, Professor Brian Lucey from Trinity Business School, Trinity College Dublin, explains why biodiversity risk is becoming an important topic for companies, investors, policymakers and local authorities.

The discussion looks at biodiversity exposure, supply-chain risks, market incentives and the idea that protecting nature is also about protecting the economy.

Watch the full interview here: https://youtu.be/WjXbeCa7Rsk

NATUREFIN is co-funded by the European Union under Interreg Europe.
NATUREFIN is led by Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, and our partners are: Somogy County Government (Hungary), Heinolan kaupunki (Finland), Paggaio Municipality (Greece), CIM Região Beiras e Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Diputación de Badajoz (Spain), and Municipality of Maliq (Albania).

Sustainable Finance Research Centre NATUREFIN Interview with Professor Brian Lucey | Biodiversity and Finance

Meet the Partner: CIMBSE, Portugal

From mountains and rivers to protected landscapes and rural livelihoods, the Beiras and Serra da Estrela territory in Portugal shows how closely nature and regional development are connected.

Through NATUREFIN, our Portuguese partner CIMBSE, the Intermunicipal Community of Beiras and Serra da Estrela, is exploring how more innovative approaches to financing biodiversity conservation and ecosystem restoration can help turn strategic priorities into practical action across 15 municipalities.

With Serra da Estrela, Natura 2000 sites, the Estrela UNESCO Global Geopark, and the Mondego, Alva, Zêzere and Côa river basins, this is a territory shaped by rich natural assets. At the same time, it faces pressures linked to wildfire risk, water scarcity, habitat fragmentation and climate change.

By strengthening knowledge on instruments such as green bonds, payments for ecosystem services and public-private partnerships, CIMBSE is working towards stronger local capacity, better integration of biodiversity into planning, and clearer pathways for financing nature-positive action.

Read more: https://www.interregeurope.eu/naturefin/news-and-events/news/meet-partner-cimbse-portugal

NATUREFIN is co-funded by the European Union under Interreg Europe.
NATUREFIN is led by Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, and our partners are: Somogy County Government (Hungary), Heinolan kaupunki (Finland), Paggaio Municipality (Greece), CIM Região Beiras e Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Diputación de Badajoz (Spain), and Municipality of Maliq (Albania).

Last Friday, Europe, let’s cooperate! 2026 concluded in Copenhagen with a second day dedicated to study visits and exchange on the ground.

The final programme moved from forum sessions to in-person visits and networking opportunities, giving participants the chance to explore concrete examples of regional development and policy learning in practice in and around Copenhagen.

The study visits covered a wide range of themes, including sustainable urban innovation, cycling infrastructure, circular economy, international talent, greener cityscapes, and future-oriented urban development. For NATUREFIN, this closing day was a valuable reminder that interregional cooperation is strongest when policy discussion connects with real places, real challenges, and practical solutions.

As the forum came to a close, Europe, let’s cooperate! 2026 once again highlighted the value of shared learning, new connections, and cooperation across regions working towards better policies.

NATUREFIN is co-funded by the European Union under Interreg Europe.
NATUREFIN is led by Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem, and our partners are: Somogy County Government (Hungary), Heinolan kaupunki (Finland), Paggaio Municipality (Greece), CIM Região Beiras e Serra da Estrela (Portugal), Diputación de Badajoz (Spain), and Municipality of Maliq (Albania).