SSE Business Lab

SSE Business Lab
Name	SSE Business Lab
Type	Research and innovation hub
Location	Stockholm
Established	2010s
Parent institution	Stockholm School of Economics

SSE Business Lab is an innovation and entrepreneurship hub affiliated with the Stockholm School of Economics that supports startup formation, corporate innovation, and applied research. It serves as an interface between academia, industry, and public actors, fostering collaboration among students, faculty, investors, and multinational firms. The Lab emphasizes experiential programs, case-based research, and cross-border partnerships across Scandinavia and the Baltic region.

Overview

The Lab operates as a nexus connecting the Stockholm School of Economics, Karolinska Institutet, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Uppsala University, Lund University, Chalmers University of Technology, Stockholm University, Royal Institute of Technology, University of Gothenburg, Linköping University, Södertörn University, Jönköping University, BI Norwegian Business School, Aalto University, Copenhagen Business School, University of Helsinki, Hanken School of Economics, Tallinn University of Technology, Vilnius University, University of Oslo, Norwegian School of Economics, and industry partners such as Ericsson, Volvo Group, IKEA, H&M, Spotify, ABB, Sandvik, Electrolux, SKF, Vattenfall, SEB, Swedbank, Nordea, Skanska, Atlas Copco, Telia Company, Scania, Tetra Pak, Saab AB, SAS Group, Stora Enso, Boliden, Securitas AB, Handelsbanken, Göteborgs-Posten, Dagens Nyheter, Svenska Dagbladet, Ernst & Young, PwC, Deloitte, McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, and Accenture. The Lab’s portfolio includes accelerator cohorts, corporate fellowships, incubator spaces, and applied research initiatives engaging venture capitalists, angel networks, innovation agencies, and municipal innovation offices.

History and Development

Founded during a wave of European startup ecosystem expansion in the 2010s, the Lab evolved from entrepreneurship education initiatives at the Stockholm School of Economics and collaborations with regional innovation systems such as European Innovation Council, Nordic Innovation, Vinnova, EIT Digital, Horizon 2020, Interreg, NordForsk, European Regional Development Fund, and national research councils. Early milestones included partnership agreements with corporations like Ericsson and IKEA and program launches aligned with entrepreneurship centers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, INSEAD, HEC Paris, ESADE, IE Business School, Said Business School, Judge Business School, London Business School, Rotman School of Management, Wharton School, Columbia Business School, Harvard Business School, Sloan School of Management, Kellogg School of Management, Booth School of Business, NYU Stern School of Business, Yale School of Management, and Berkeley Haas School of Business.

Research and Programs

The Lab conducts applied research and designs programs informed by case studies, field experiments, and action research involving faculty and doctoral students affiliated with the Stockholm School of Economics, SSE Riga, SSE Executive Education, SSE MBA, and partner institutions including Karolinska Institutet and KTH. Research themes intersect with innovation policy, corporate venturing, sustainability transitions, digital transformation, circular economy, and behavioural interventions. Program offerings include accelerators, pre-seed funding, mentorship networks, innovation sprints, bootcamps, executive programs, and elective courses delivered in collaboration with consulting firms such as McKinsey & Company, Boston Consulting Group, Accenture Strategy, EY-Parthenon, PwC Strategy&, and Deloitte Consulting.

Partnerships and Industry Engagement

Engagements span multinational corporations, government agencies, philanthropic foundations, and investor communities. Strategic partners have included Ericsson, Volvo Cars, Vattenfall, SEB, Swedbank, EU Commission, Nordic Innovation, Vinnova, EIT Climate-KIC, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, World Economic Forum, OECD, UNICEF, UNDP, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, European Investment Bank, Nordea Bank AB, AB Volvo, Scania AB, SAS AB, H&M Hennes & Mauritz AB, IKEA Foundation, Spotify Technology S.A., Electrolux AB, Atlas Copco AB, Saab AB, Skanska AB, Boliden AB, Stora Enso Oyj, Sandvik AB, Telia Company AB, SKF AB, Tetra Pak International S.A., and venture capital firms active in the Nordic startup ecosystem.

Facilities and Resources

Facilities include coworking spaces, prototyping labs, digital infrastructure, and seminar rooms located near the Stockholm School of Economics campus and innovation districts frequented by firms like Kista Science City, Hammarby Sjöstad, Kungsholmen, Södermalm, Vasastan, Östermalm, Norrmalm, Solna Business Park, Kista Science City Innovation Park, and incubators operated by Stockholm Innovation & Growth. Resources include access to corporate datasets, mentorship from senior executives, legal clinics linked to law faculties at Uppsala University and Stockholm University, accounting clinics linked to SSE Executive Education, and funding pathways through angel networks and seed funds such as Northzone, Creandum, Atomico, EQT Ventures, Pareto Securities, Almi Invest, Industrifonden, Inventure, Balderton Capital, Sequoia Capital (select partnerships), and accelerators modeled after Y Combinator, Techstars, 500 Startups, Startupbootcamp, European Innovation Academy, Nexus, Plug and Play Tech Center, Seedcamp, MassChallenge, and Wayra.

Impact and Recognition

The Lab has contributed to startup exits, corporate spin-offs, academic publications, and policy recommendations cited in reports by European Commission, OECD, Nordic Innovation, Vinnova, World Economic Forum, UNCTAD, EIT Digital, and Horizon Europe. Alumni ventures have attracted investment from firms such as Northzone, Atomico, EQT Ventures, Creandum, and strategic acquirers including Spotify, Ericsson, IKEA Group, Volvo Group, ABB Group, and Electrolux. The Lab’s work has been showcased at conferences like Slush, Web Summit, SxSW, NOAH Conference, NOAH18, Money 20/20 Europe, Nordic Business Forum, Arctic15, TechCrunch Disrupt, DLD Conference, World Economic Forum Annual Meeting, and academic symposia at Academy of Management and European Academy of Management.

Category:Stockholm School of Economics