Economics

A new economic analysis finds that governments should use tax credits rather than deductions to encourage charitable giving — a shift that could reshape how the wealthy are incentivized to donate. The finding challenges decades of tax policy, suggesting current approaches may be subsidizing charity inefficiently or even counterproductively.EN

Swedish researchers discovered that healthcare staff abandon critical procedures not because they're lazy, but because those routines lack meaning. The findings suggest that clinics failing to explain *why* protocols exist—and letting staff have input—create dangerous gaps in patient safety and operational consistency.EN

Researchers have solved a decades-old problem in portfolio management: how to reliably pick winning asset combinations when you have fewer observations than assets to choose from—a common real-world constraint. The breakthrough enables fund managers and risk officers to make statistically sound investment decisions even with sparse or correlated data.EN

Researchers say algorithms can boost how manufacturers catch defects and optimize production, by adapting decades-old quality management methods to modern data capabilities. The finding suggests factories don't need AI to solve everything—just smarter tools to spot patterns humans miss.EN

Movement restrictions and expanded testing delivered the biggest economic returns during the pandemic, according to a sweeping analysis of 75 real-world studies. The findings could reshape how governments and businesses prepare for future health crises, offering concrete guidance on which preventive measures justify their cost.EN

Employees who feel politically misaligned with their workplace are more likely to self-censor their views—and that suppression directly erodes their satisfaction, sense of belonging, and commitment to staying. The finding suggests companies face a hidden retention risk as ideological tension forces workers to mask their authentic selves.EN

Swedish researchers found that regions with more interconnected labor flows between industries weathered the 2008 financial crisis far better than isolated ones. The discovery suggests policymakers and business leaders should prioritize cross-industry workforce mobility as a concrete measure of regional economic resilience.EN

A comprehensive expert survey in Sweden has identified 14 specific barriers preventing companies from simultaneously pursuing profitability, sustainability, and social responsibility. The findings reveal that workforce skill gaps and outdated organizational structures pose the biggest obstacles—insights companies need to compete as climate rules tighten globally.EN

Swedish researchers found that medical secretaries face significant anxiety and skill gaps as hospitals digitize, with serious consequences for workplace health and efficiency. The findings suggest healthcare organizations need formal retraining programs and clearer role definitions to manage technology transitions without losing experienced staff.EN

Researchers found that vested interests—not broken procedures—are the real obstacle to reforming the UN's climate agreement. The finding suggests policymakers have been targeting the wrong problem for decades, addressing procedural delays instead of the entrenched actors blocking climate action.EN

A new paper proposes that obsolete media systems offer lessons for building resilient digital infrastructure independent of corporate cloud providers. The analysis suggests that decentralized, physical storage models could address growing concerns about data control, sustainability, and technological fragility in an era of cloud dependency.EN

A new study reveals a persistent divide between why governments say they need innovation and how they actually implement it in practice. The research found that public agencies lack clarity on defining innovation goals, leaving staff confused about what they're supposed to do—a problem that wastes resources and undermines reform efforts.EN

Researchers found that salmon producers using fixed feed costs in harvesting decisions miss significant profit opportunities when commodity prices fluctuate. A new model that treats feed costs as variable yields better outcomes with minimal extra calculation, potentially saving aquaculture operations millions annually.EN

Swedish researchers identified how community initiatives reshape daily practices to reduce carbon footprints by changing what people value, what skills they possess, and what resources they use. The finding matters because it suggests businesses and policymakers can drive climate action through social influence rather than regulation alone.EN

A new analysis of EU climate legislation reveals that advocacy coalitions and political conflict—not technical expertise alone—determine whether green energy policies succeed. For businesses and policymakers navigating Europe's Fit for 55 package, understanding these power dynamics is now essential to influence outcomes on building efficiency and shipping decarbonization.EN

A new Swedish legal study examines when the state can force landowners to sell property to private companies—a practice growing more common across Europe. As property rights protections strengthen, the tension between eminent domain and owner protections is becoming a critical flashpoint for courts and policymakers.EN

A new study of how organizations scrambled to adapt during the pandemic reveals that temporary fixes are becoming permanent business practices. The research identifies three distinct improvisation patterns—from ramping up operations to shutting them down—offering leaders a framework to understand which emergency measures are worth keeping.EN

When governments auction off adult education to the lowest bidder, they're doing more than cutting costs—they're redefining what education is worth. A Swedish study reveals that procurement rules transform teaching into measurable commodities, shifting focus toward efficiency over learning outcomes and turning educators into service vendors.EN

First-line managers in elderly care spend their days firefighting unpredictable crises rather than following playbooks, forcing them to constantly improvise solutions. The finding exposes a hidden productivity drain in a sector already strained by labor shortages and aging populations—and suggests that better training systems could unlock efficiency gains across the care industry.EN

Researchers analyzing 1613 tax records found Sweden had lower income inequality than other early modern European societies, primarily because peasants owned most land and the elite held modest wealth shares. The finding reshapes understanding of how inclusive governance—not just modern policy—can emerge from historical economic structures.EN

A new study of boiler makers pivoting to Heat-as-a-Service reveals companies will absorb significant upfront losses before profitability returns. The research offers executives a roadmap for managing the financial and operational turbulence of servitization—a critical shift for industrial firms seeking recurring revenue and competitive advantage.EN

A new study finds that successful eHealth projects require genuine collaboration between government, business, academia, and patients—not just coordination between silos. The research maps how these four groups must share resources and activities to actually deliver digital healthcare that works.EN

A new study identifies why subscription models work well for software and services but stumble in goods-heavy industries. Researchers interviewed 27 executives to develop a classification system that helps manufacturers understand which subscription strategies fit their business, potentially unlocking new revenue streams in a market growing fast.EN

Extreme weather events like typhoons and droughts affect China's coal and oil prices differently than stock markets for energy companies, according to new research. The finding matters for investors hedging energy exposure and policymakers planning energy infrastructure resilience in the world's largest energy consumer.EN

A new study of 19 academic entrepreneurs reveals a paradox: universities want more innovation but maintain traditional rules that innovators must work around. The finding suggests institutions need to fundamentally reset how they support internal entrepreneurship to actually achieve their innovation goals.EN