News
HOI research | The key to impact lies in understanding the full history of past inventions
28 March 2025
Inventors don’t just need to borrow ideas—they need to understand where those ideas came from. A new study published in the Journal of Business Research by House of Innovation researcher Holmer Kok introduces the concept of “trajectory integration” to explain how tracing an invention’s full history can lead to more powerful and impactful innovation.
New research | Can public procurement drive innovation? A fresh look at the evidence
24 March 2025
Governments spend billions on procurement, but can these contracts be a tool to drive innovation? A new study co-authored by Giancarlo Spagnolo, professor at the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE), explores the effectiveness of Public Procurement of Innovation (PPI). Forthcoming in the International Journal of Industrial Organization, the study finds that while PPI can foster innovation—especially for small and young firms—major challenges remain in policy design and implementation.
Largest intake of new startups ever at SSE Business Lab
17 March 2025
As its new CEO Isabel Keulen welcomes her first batch of startups into SSE’s incubator, the scene is set for an AI boom. Today, SSE Business Lab announces its largest intake of companies ever – 15 startups, of which an impressive 60% are built on AI technology. Among the new founders are both serial entrepreneurs and senior executives.
HOI research|How generative AI is reshaping creativity and decision-making
04 March 2025
The rise of generative AI (GenAI) is challenging the idea that AI is only useful for automation and efficiency and suggests it’s time to rethink human-AI collaboration. A new research article by HOI researcher Sebastian Krakowski recently published in Information & Organization, argues that GenAI can enhance creativity, democratize AI access, and fundamentally change the way organizations function.
Anders Wall Scholarship to F1RST and Entrepreneurship Society leader
04 March 2025
Sophia Nabil (b. 2002) is being awarded this year's Anders Wall Scholarship in collaboration with SSE Business Lab. The scholarship amount is 200,000 SEK.
SSE Business Lab skyrockets in new FT ranking: Only Nordic incubator in Europe’s top 10
27 February 2025
According to the Financial Times’ newest ranking of Europe’s startup hubs, dramatic changes are afoot: half of last year’s leading hubs have vanished from the list, while SSE Business Lab has surged ahead. Now ranked at number eight, SSE's incubator is the only Nordic hub to earn a place in the top ten.
HOI research|Why design must move beyond user-ism
12 February 2025
For the past two decades, Design Thinking has been a driving force in business innovation, helping companies improve products and services. Yet, Design Thinking has serious limitations, according to new research by HOI researcher Roberto Verganti, with co-author Elizabeth Bowie Cristoforetti of Harvard, published in The Design Journal. Its extreme and close focus on user needs (or user-ism, sometimes becoming a face-lifted version of consumerism), can lead businesses to overlook broader systemic challenges, from sustainability to social responsibility. The authors argue that design must evolve—moving beyond being purely reactive to market needs and instead becoming an active shaper of a positive future.
HOI research|With regulatory reforms, the EU can lead in global medicine innovation
27 January 2025
In a globalized world, competition between medicine approval agencies such as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Europe’s European Medicines Agency (EMA) significantly impacts the development and availability of innovative drugs. A new study by HOI researcher Stefan Haefliger published in Drug Discovery Today suggests that Europe must modernize its regulatory processes to become the destination of choice for groundbreaking medical innovation.
Sebastian Krakowski selected for the Thinkers50 Radar list
27 January 2025
SSE researcher Sebastian Krakowski has been selected for the Thinkers50 Radar 2025, recognizing 30 emerging thought leaders expected to shape the future of management. The annual list, introduced in 2016, is a key indicator of influential ideas in the field.
Isabel Keulen takes over SSE Business Lab and SSE Ventures as new CEO
16 December 2024
The Stockholm School of Economics has appointed Isabel Keulen the new CEO of its fund SSE Ventures and startup incubator SSE Business Lab. The change in leadership is happening at the same time as the incubator and the fund will move into the School’s new premises at Norrtullsgatan. The plan is to build a new hub for innovation and entrepreneurship.