Work & Business

Entrepreneurial Spirit

Starting in 1996 with a donation from well-known Swedish inventor and entrepreneur Leif Lundblad, the Entrepreneurship and Small Business Research Institute (ESBRI) has become a key ingredient in Sweden’s impressive rise to world-class entrepreneurship.

With its 10 open lecture series, four magazines and 10 newsletters each year, ESBRI has a lot to say about entrepreneurship and making sure that its voice is heard.

“ESBRI has distinguished itself globally as one of the leading centers for thought leadership in contemporary entrepreneurship research and policymaking,” reads a testimonial from Professor Jerome Katz of Saint Louis University on the institute’s website.

What does it offer?

• A PhD course designed to help entrepreneurs convert research into business? Yes!
• An annual teacher’s workshop for those who teach entrepreneurship and small business? Check!
• A yearly entrepreneurial forum between the United States and Sweden? Absolutely!
• A Web-TV channel where you can watch lectures, interviews and more on entrepreneurship? It does that, too!
• How about a yearly award for top entrepreneurs? Of course!

ESBRI also has connected with The Diana Project™, an American research group focused on female entrepreneurship and growth to help level the playing field for women entrepreneurs worldwide. The partnership has resulted in multiple books and a variety of conferences.

It also was influential in taking control of the Swedish side of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), the world’s most foremost study of entrepreneurship, before the Swedish Entrepreneurship Forum took that responsibility in 2010.

What are some interesting findings of GEM?

• Early-stage entrepreneurial activity in Sweden has increased over the past decade
• There has been an increase in women’s entrepreneurship over the past couple of years
• The number of startups has doubled since 2010
• The typical Swedish entrepreneur is male, 44 years of age
• Access to business support and information, entrepreneurship education and training as well as solid fundamentals such as IT infrastructure are positive factors for the enhancement of entrepreneurship in Sweden.
• Sweden has advanced in the ranking for innovation-driven (most developed) economies

ESBRI continues to be a shining light in the world of entrepreneurship, seeding the entrepreneurs of tomorrow in their bid to make our world a better place.