Nordic Entrepreneurship introduces key concepts, mindsets and models for understanding entrepreneurship and innovation through the experiences of entrepreneurs, companies and entrepreneurial ecosystems in the Nordic region. The course explores how new ventures and established organisations identify and develop opportunities, mobilise resources, renew their activities and create new economic and social value. A central question runs through the course: What can the Nordic experience teach us about entrepreneurship and innovation, and under what conditions can these insights be applied elsewhere? The Nordic setting is more than a location for studying entrepreneurship. It provides a context for examining how entrepreneurial activity is shaped by history, politics, institutions, culture, ownership and access to resources. Weexplore how these conditions interact with the decisions of entrepreneurs, executives, investors and other stakeholders. Questions of trust, welfare arrangements, international orientation and access to opportunity are examined in relation to entrepreneurial practice rather than treated as self-evident explanations of success. A key feature of the course is its attention to complexity. Rather than presenting a single Nordic model to be copied, we investigate different forms of entrepreneurship and consider both their achievements and their limitations. We examine tensions between commercial and social ambitions, tradition and renewal, competition and collaboration, and risk-taking and control. Participants are encouraged to ask what is distinctive about the Nordic context, what reflects entrepreneurship and innovation more generally, and what differs across countries, industries and organisations. For Executive MBA participants, the course connects these questions to the practical challenges of leading and developing change prone organisations. Insights are relevant to entrepreneurs in new ventures, intrapreneurs and executives in established organisations, and those working in investment, consulting or policy. The aim is to strengthen your ability to understand entrepreneurial opportunities, exercise judgement under uncertainty and assess which lessons are relevant to your own professional context.
