In the strategy prepared for Northern Finland in 2001, the commencement of natural gas and oil industry production in the surrounding areas of the Barents region, together with its related investments, was seen as providing promising opportunities for the mechanical engineering industry of Northern Finland. Th e fi rst project to be started was the Norwegian Snövit project. Th e goal for the BASTMO project was to obtain information regarding the opportunities related to constructing the oil and natural gas fi elds and to create a realistic picture of the near-term projects in the northern regions. Th e project was to, for example, obtain material in writing regarding the future investments of both Norwegian and Russian projects. Analysis regarding the competitiveness of the mechanical engineering industry in northern Finland and the state of readiness in terms of participating in the implementation of the aforementioned projects (for example, fi nancial capacity, technical know-how and capacity to be able to off er the job contracts in question, job contract procurement strategy and organisations, and cooperation between diff erent offi cials) was also included in the information gathering. After acquiring this information, the project would then make Finnish and Russian metal industry companies familiar with the new opportunities available in the Barents region and create personal contacts between the key offi cials and individuals of the diff erent parties in, for example, the Hammerfest area and in the mechanical engineering industry and industrial council of the Murmansk area in Northwest Russia.