Animals and nature + entrepreneurship – a solution for mental health?

More and more people are suffering from mental illness, which for many leads to long-term sick leave. A research project is now exploring how nature, social innovation and entrepreneurship in rural areas offer possible solutions.
NEW RESEARCH | Precarious employment increases chances of starting a business


A small change in the Employment Protection Act encouraged more people to become self-employed. But how did they fare? Research at Stockholm University explains.
HELLO THERE! Samielle Drake advises small businesses on how to navigate public procurement


There are many reasons why small businesses often struggle to win public tenders: lack of resources, complex specifications, oversized contracts – these are just a few examples. Recently graduated economist Samielle Drake, from Umeå University, gives her best advice to small businesses that want to increase their chances in public procurement.
NEW RESEARCH | Culture clash hinders innovation in government projects


Public authorities want to innovate to meet climate targets, but find themselves in cultural clashes with forward-thinking consultants. But is it resistance that is the problem?
NEW RESEARCH | Here are the crimes that increase most among small businesses


We know about companies as victims of crime, but we know less about companies as tools of crime. Researchers at Södertörn University want to change that.
NEW RESEARCH | Here are the mistakes suppliers make in product development – 3 tips for success


Many small and medium-sized suppliers believe that success in partnerships is about understanding the customer. But the biggest challenge is often at home.
BOOK TIP: Innovation is the solution to everything – or is it?


Why did innovation become such a central ideal, and what happens when the hallelujahs surrounding the concept fade? In his book Every American an Innovator, cultural historian Matthew Wisnioski explores how innovation culture emerged long before the tech boom.
NEW RESEARCH | How to make the metals industry more sustainable – and competitive


In many factories, cutting tools are discarded as soon as they become dull, even though they can often be reused. It’s expensive, bad for the environment and makes industry dependent on imported metals from troubled parts of the world. But there is a solution.
NEW RESEARCH | Fur industry in Tranås a heroic tale of small business – but many voices are missing


When the Tranås Fur Museum tells the story of the town’s former pride – the fur industry – it is a heroic tale of enterprising entrepreneurs that is highlighted. But far from all voices are heard.
NEW RESEARCH | How small businesses can demonstrate the benefits of nature-based interventions


For small businesses offering nature-based interventions (NBI), legitimacy is a challenge. But a tool like Social Return on Investment (SROI) is useful for demonstrating the benefits of interventions, recent research shows.