The Short Program

Innovation is today happening in centers of excellence around the world faster than ever before. Nevertheless, not all countries are capable of innovating.

Driving innovation in society - the Swedish context

Most countries, most organizations, and most leaders want to foster a culture of innovation, but this is easier theoretically said than practically done. The magic and love for entrepreneurship and experimentation must be there. These two conditions are indeed met in the Swedish context, and one can easily observe it when casting a glance at the country’s business landscape: one which has given birth to Spotify, H&M, Klarna and IKEA. After all, rankings such as Bloomberg’s innovation index ranks Sweden as one of the world’s 10 most innovative countries.

It is for these reasons that this intensive program is focused on the innovative Swedish context. Theory and practice are here intertwined and consistently integrated to a meaningful whole with internationally renowned faculty taking students to an exciting journey to the world of innovation and business venturing. Specifically, the program will introduce participants to how innovation takes place in a range of sectors in international business. With the help of scholars at the research frontier and study visits to successful startups and leading established multinational corporations, participants will be given the opportunity to reach deeper insight into contemporarily pressing issues in regard to:

  • Innovation in finance
  • Innovation in transportation
  • Business transformation in large firms
  • Social innovation
  • Gender equality as driver of innovation and societal progress
  • Innovation in family firms
  • New venture creation

Sweden is a member of the EU and an especially suitable location for this type of program, as the country is a small open economy forced to respond to changes in the political and business environment. The country is also home to a disproportionate number of large, successful multinational corporations and startups according to the OECD. Stockholm produces the second-highest number of billion-dollar tech companies per capita, after Silicon Valley. The links with the USA have, especially in the post-war era, been strong and many prominent Swedish engineers, founders of corporations, managers, and scholars have been educated in and inspired by the US. The limited home market for Swedish firms has also required an international outlook when establishing, growing and developing businesses.

Practical information and how to apply

  • Practical matters

    Important dates

    • May 11 - 21, 2027
      We recommend students to arrive at the latest May 10, 2027
    • Language of instruction: English
    • Credits: The course is 4.5 ECTS 
    • Class hours: ∼50
    • Schedule (from 2026)
    • Syllabus (from 2026)


    Class format and examination

    Format and attendance: Class discussions, individual and group work, based on lectures, case studies, company presentations, and the literature. Attendance is mandatory and active class participation is expected throughout the program.

    The Short Program builds on active participation. Literature, lectures, case discussions, and company visits together provide the basic building blocks for acquiring the knowledge students will need in the short term for the individual assignment and the team project, and in the long term for working with or within organizations.

    The basic tenet of the course is to take advantage of the ‘collective wisdom’ and the varying backgrounds of the participants. Interaction in groups and in the classroom will take center stage. We strongly encourage students to come to the Program with an open mind and a willingness to engage in discussions together with your peers and faculty.

    Evaluation

    In addition to class participation and individual assignment, a team project will underlie the evaluation of student performance for the final grade. The project is used to test students’ analytical, synthesizing, and evaluative skills and their ability to critically discuss the topics, lectures and literature. When evaluating student performance, we will be using Bloom’s taxonomy. SSE uses a scale with four passing grades: Excellent, Very Good, Good and Pass.


    Participation fee & living costs

    The program participation fee is SEK 5 000.

    In the participation fee, the following is included:

    • Most lunches
    • Welcome lunch/mingle
    • Farewell dinner
    • Visits to companies/museums
    • Public transportation card

    Not included: Housing + travel to and from Stockholm + extra costs (food, airport transfer etc)


    Accommodation

    The students are expected to find housing on their own. SSE unfortunately does not have the possibility to arrange for housing but if there will be rooms available via SSE, we will let students know.

    The residential areas closest to SSE are Vasastan and Norrmalm but there are very good public transportation facilities within the Stockholm area. The School is situated in the city center (Sveavägen 65), and it is easy to reach by bus, metro or commuter train.

    Find housing on your own


    Social activities

    Several activities will be organized for the participants, including company visits, a welcome lunch, and a farewell dinner.


    Residence permits / visa

    For information about visa requirements, please have a look at the following pages:


    Insurance

    Incoming students at SSE are required to have arranged full medical insurance before they leave their home countries. Dental care being very expensive, you might want to add this to your medical insurance as well.

    If you are a European citizen, make sure to bring your European Health Insurance Card. With this, you will only be charged the minimum fee when seeing a doctor, just like a Swedish citizen. 

    If you are not a European citizen, check with the Swedish consulate if your country has an agreement with Sweden or if you should buy a medical insurance before you leave.

    A householder's comprehensive insurance is included in the rent of all SSE housing.

  • Application and admission

    How to apply

    Only students from SSE’s partner universities will be considered for admission where the MBA exchange partners are given priority.

    Please contact the International Coordinator at your school. The selection is conducted by your home school and they will nominate participants to the program. After selection, you will be asked to fill our a form and attach a CV.

    Deadline for nomination to SSE by your home school 2027

    • February 2027

    Please contact us if you would like to nominate at a later date.