SB FICA – South Baltic Food Innovation Culture Actors
South Baltic Food Innovation Culture Actors (SB FICA) is a cooperation and capacity building project with the common denominators being food and culture. Krinova Incubator & Science Park has been running the project together with the partners in the project Czarna Dąbrówka, a small municipality in Northern Poland, Rietavas Business and Information Centre from Lithuania and the Baltic Sea Cultural Centre in Gdańsk.
The intention of the SB FICA project was to learn from each other and to learn about each other. An exchange of history, traditions and culture, but also of new innovations.
The common method applied for the work was Swedish FIKA literally meaning a snack, a coffee break that brings people together in an informal and easy way, opening up for chats and all ideas that can come out of such a spontaneous and relaxed conversation. FIKA was both a theme and a method to gather the partners around common challenges
The common values, GÖS, Swedish for Zander and also an acronym for Glädje, Öppenhet och Samarbete meaning Joy, Openness and Cooperation, served as the basis for interaction during the project.
The tools for learning and innovating were participating in events organized by the partners and associated partners. Spotting and defining similarities in the common use of raw materials and traditions as well as differences in culture and history and how those aspects influence interpretations and usage of raw materials. Forming a new understanding and relations and building platforms for collaboration with food as a common denominator and joint thinking, co-creation, i.e. inventing and shaping the traditions of tomorrow was the result. Telling new common stories that help anchor cultural innovations in both the old, and the new traditions.
