Innovation the Swedish way: The Short Program at SSE
A journey through Sweden’s entrepreneurial landscape
Over ten intensive days, participants from around the world explore the core challenges of innovation - always with societal impact in focus. The program combines academic depth with hands-on experience through workshops, team-based projects, company visits, and cultural trips.
Faculty from the House of Innovation play a central role, guiding sessions on digital innovation, entrepreneurial ecosystems, and family business. Grounded in Sweden’s culture of trust and experimentation, their contributions turn cutting-edge research into real-world learning.
This term, a record number of House of Innovation professors have been involved in the program. One of them is Marco Mismetti, Assistant Professor who shared his insights on innovation within family firms:
"True innovation begins when diverse perspectives are openly shared and converge. It's not just about solving problems but learning from the past to shaping a future where every solution benefits society."
A unique learning experience
Innovation also comes to life outside the classroom, as students immerse themselves in Sweden’s dynamic innovation ecosystem - analyzing frontline healthcare at Karolinska University Hospital, exploring AI and IoT at Ericsson, and engaging with entrepreneurs at SSE Business Lab and Volvo Cars.
Designed for students from SSE’s global partner institutions, the program brings together diverse perspectives, while staying rooted in Sweden’s distinct model of impact-oriented innovation.
"This program offers international students a rare opportunity to step beyond the classroom and into Sweden’s world-class innovation ecosystem. By immersing themselves in hands-on experiences and collaborating with global peers, they gain unique insights that shape both their careers and their ability to drive impactful change." explains Paraskevi Dimakou, Course Director and affiliated researcher at the House of Innovation.
Innovation as a leverage for progress
The Short Program is more than a course - it’s a full-scale immersion into how Sweden turns innovation into impact. By combining academic precision with real-world engagement, the program brings together a global cohort to explore innovation not just as a business strategy, but as a force for societal change.
“In a world of unprecedented change, it is more important than ever to be fact-based, reflective, empathetic, and entrepreneurial. During the Short Program at the Stockholm School of Economics, I learned that on a clear day, I can see forever. That true growth doesn't begin with learning. It begins with unlearning and relearning. SSE teaches students not to see things as they are, but as they could be, cultivating a mindset of vision-driven innovation rather than constraint-bound analysis.” shares Brian Park, a student from the University of Michigan who took part in the program this year.
The result is clear: a learning experience that doesn’t just inform but equips. Students leave with a sharpened lens on innovation - ready to apply what they’ve learned in their own contexts, with purpose at the core.
Interested in joining the Short Program next year?
We would love to welcome you!
For more information, visit: https://www.hhs.se/en/education/study-at-sse/the-short-program
Contact:
Paraskevi Dimakou, Course Director
