The geological composition of Finland and the nearby regions in Russia is of the same nature and the bedrock provides excellent opportunities for mining activity and the building stone industry. Th e mining industries of Finland and Russia’s nearby areas have had only limited interaction with each other, though the interaction in geological basic research has been active already for quite some time. Th e open interaction between expertise, resources, and markets would provide a signifi cant benefi t to all parties in the mining and building stone industry. Th e natural stone industry is capital-intensive with long-term production operations, which necessitates ensuring the suffi ciency of raw materials and knowing the various characteristics of natural stones during various production processes. Th e goal of the project was to improve the operational capacity of the natural stone industry by assessing the scope of the building and soap stone deposits, researching production feasibility of interesting stone varieties, and developing mining technology. In addition, operational potential for companies was to be improved through networking, increasing cooperation, and by creating a cooperation network and business cooperation concept across the border. Achievements: The project implemented practical functions related to business and marketing and the nature and durability of the stone deposits. The actions were to support the operational capacity of businesses and the economic environment of the region. The studies focused on the sites that were seen as having the most potential. Soapstone suitable for production was discovered to be sufficient for planning large-scale fireplace and building stone industry operations and making investments. In addition the characteristics of the stone were found to meet production requirements. The network across the border and the associated company cooperation was established using market research and direct contact between companies. The project started developing business activity across the border and increased cooperation between Finnish and Russian companies. A company has thereafter started production operations on Rahikkalanvaara Hill. The stone referred to as Lappia Silver is in high demand. Further research has been completed in the area and research methods have been tested that could be used to discover the natural stone variety using electromagnetic measurements from the surface of the earth. The Juurikkaniemi soapstone deposit has also been further studied and been verified as having ample supply for production. The project was very successful from the perspective of utilisation of the studied natural stone deposits. Companies have used their own funding for research and production investments after the ending of the project. The natural stone reserves are not being fully capitalised on due to the current stage in the economic cycle. However, the potential in the stone deposits provide significant opportunity for growth. Roughly estimated, the studied natural stone reserves are sufficient for 50 years with a turnover of MEUR 50 annually. The direct employment effect would be approximately 500 persons and the indirect employment effect would be several times greater. The activity can be expected to have a significantly positive effect on employment in the future.