The current economic and security situation requires a new kind of thinking, networks and know-how that develops of SMEs’ business and advances their international growth. Especially now, it would be very important to support and promote the internationalization opportunities and partner networks of SMEs operating in the top sectors of North Savo. Development work can happen, for example, by investing more in research and development activities done as part of international research and development cooperation, which is aimed at the development of innovations in wider networks. At the same time, the national goal of increasing research and development investments in Finland is promoted. Business growth has been seen to be strongly connected to the ability of SMEs to form, develop and manage their network relationships. Special growth potential is expected to arise through ecosystems led by large companies, which continuously develop their innovation activities by increasing their RD investments together with companies and other partners operating in the ecosystems. For this reason, it is very important for SMEs to recognize the large company ecosystems in which they can join wider cooperative consortia. In them, it is possible for the SMEs to build new capabilities for international markets at the ecosystem level. Therefore, one of the main goals of the project is to identify the regional, national and international ecosystems led by large companies (the so-called flagship companies) that are most crucial to the business growth of SMEs operating in the region. The ability of SMEs to participate in leading networks varies. In addition to the actual networks, it is essential to identify and tackle the challenges of networking of SMEs. The ecosystem units that are under construction, and have been built by large Finnish flagship companies, have been found to be a very effective way to speed up particularly the development of small companies' business operations and their access to the market. The SMEs’ opportunities for growing international business also increase through ecosystems. The measures of the project are aimed at the wide-range competence development of SMEs. Through this, new know-how is created to meet the goals of the flagship companies. The development of innovation activities within and between ecosystems aims especially at RDI investments that are in line with the companies’ Agenda 2030 goals, but also at trans-regional openings between ecosystems. The measures support the creation of ecosystems in fields that have strong know-how and ability to succeed in international competition. North Savo's smart specialization strategies and the clusters and ecosystems created through them play a significant role in enabling the growth and internationalization of companies. The project utilizes the metacluster operating in our region to promote the companies’ internationalization and network-like operation, and to develop cooperation between identified and new ecosystems, also with digital tools. The goals of the project are particularly aimed at the growth of the international business of micro and SME companies, the growth of the number of RDI investments of companies as part of cluster or flagship business operations, the birth of innovative and climate-sustainable business concepts, as well as at the introduction of processes that support innovation in SMEs and ecosystems through the cooperation and development of networks, ecosystems and clusters. The results of the project can be seen in the growth of the international business of micro and SME companies, the increase in the number of companies' R&D investments, the introduction of innovative and climate-sustainable business concepts and processes that support innovation in companies and ecosystems, as well as in the cooperation of networks, ecosystems and clusters, and in the development of operations in general.