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.

Finnish politicians are on average more intelligent, motivated, and honest than the general population. Jaakko Meriläinen, Assistant Professor at the Department of Economics at SSE, and co-authors show in a new study that both local and national politicians demonstrate higher cognitive and non-cognitive abilities, suggesting that voters and parties effectively select capable leaders.

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.

Today is the International Day of Happiness, a UN initiative to highlight the importance of well-being. It’s also the day the World Happiness Report is released – the global ranking of the happiest countries. And once again, Sweden holds its place at the top, securing fourth place out of 147 nations, just behind our Nordic neighbors Finland, Denmark, and Iceland. But what does this ranking actually mean for Swedes? And why is it something to celebrate?

Johanna Wallenius, Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics at SSE, has been appointed member of the Finnish Economic Policy Council. The appointment starts beginning of April, 2025.

Academic freedom in the U.S. is under siege, with funding cuts and political interference threatening research. As top scholars look abroad, Sweden has a chance to defend academic independence – and attract world-class talent in the process, SSE President Lars Strannegård argues in an op ed in Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter.

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.

Sweden is moving toward a fossil-free future, but its electricity market faces significant uncertainties regarding demand, costs, and policy directions. A new report by SITE research fellow Chloé Le Coq and her co-authors highlights that Sweden’s energy transition cannot happen in isolation. Strong European cooperation and robust regulatory frameworks are crucial for ensuring stability and efficiency.

SSE researchers Anna Dreber and Magnus Johannesson, together with PhD Student Yifan Yang, have been honored with the 2024 Best Article Award from the journal Economic Inquiry. Their study has been recognized for its significant contribution to the field of economics and research transparency.

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.