The consultant's outside-in perspective strengthens Sweden's ability to innovate

// insights

For the past ten years, Sweden has been ranked in the top three countries on the list of innovative countries produced annually by the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization Agency (WIPO). In 2021, Sweden came in second place globally (after Switzerland). A fantastic position - year after year. What is it that makes Sweden so innovative?

According to the Agency’s Global Innovation Index 2021 report[1], Sweden is the highest-ranked globally in terms of the share of employees working in knowledge-intensive industries, with 54% of all jobs in Sweden falling within this category. Sweden also sits on the top spot internationally in terms of the number of patents applied for, number of published scientific articles, number of newly started technology companies, and number of IPOs per capita.

In a good innovation climate, people are put at the center. Man’s opportunities to develop his knowledge are the cornerstone of innovation. By creating both the ability to acquire new knowledge and the attitude to knowledge-making in the school system, we can use the knowledge in research and applications, leading to innovation. These conditions are optimal in Sweden, according to the report.

But, I want to add another parameter: the contribution of the consulting industry to the high level of innovation in Sweden. There is a well-established culture of using consultants and advisers to build companies in Sweden. An important reason for this is that Sweden and the other Nordic countries operate within a “high trust environment,” where it is easy to go from idea to cooperation. Consultants provide knowledge from an external perspective, which challenges existing working methods. Combining the consultant’s outside-in perspective with customer domain knowledge creates a breeding ground for innovation and creativity, i.e., a fantastic platform for innovation.

Thanks to Swedish companies’ tendency to use consultants with experience from diverse industries and organizations, existing knowledge can be refined in a new environment. This applies regardless of whether it is about company development, organizational changes, or the latest technology applications. Consultants then become the lubricant that, in a trusting and collaborative relationship, contribute to advancing knowledge to the next level – and delivering new innovations. Historically, Sweden has been the world’s most innovative country! Let it remain so and let us together maintain a creative and innovative climate where we, by cross-fertilizing knowledge and experience, constantly take our knowledge to new levels.

Author: Erik Netz, Sr Key Account Manager
[1] https://www.wipo.int/edocs/pubdocs/en/wipo_pub_gii_2021.pdf

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