Economics

A new study of Nordic fashion re-commerce firms reveals that moving thrift stores online requires fundamentally different supply chains and technology infrastructure than traditional retail. As the used fashion market booms, companies that fail to rebuild their logistics operations risk losing competitive ground to digital-native rivals.EN

A Swedish study of Covid-era wage subsidies finds that short-time work programs saved medium-sized companies but failed to improve survival odds for micro and small firms. The finding suggests policymakers need different tools for different business sizes during economic crises.EN

Researchers have created a common language for managing interconnected business data across entire organizations. The framework reconciles competing technical approaches that previously treated objects—customers, orders, products—as separate threads rather than as an integrated whole, making it easier for companies to see how different parts of their operations truly influence each other.EN

Swedish researchers found that family-owned real estate firms outmaneuver larger competitors by leveraging family relationships to adapt quickly when conditions shift. The study identifies three distinct strategies—from flexible partnerships to cautious, stakeholder-focused moves—that help smaller firms survive volatility better than their corporate rivals.EN

A new study of 18th-century Swedish commerce in Naples upends the idea that states single-handedly controlled trade expansion. Instead, private merchants strategically used consul positions to advance their own interests—a model that challenges how we understand state economic policy today.EN

A study of Sweden's entire rental housing stock finds public housing companies renovate more extensively and raise rents more slowly than private owners, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods. The finding has sharp implications for housing affordability as private equity increasingly dominates rental markets across Europe and North America.EN

A new study reveals that organizations developing machine learning systems lack formal processes for specifying how data should be labeled—a critical step that directly impacts model performance and costs. The finding matters because poor data annotation requirements lead to wasted resources, quality problems, and delayed AI deployments across industries.EN

A new framework identifies four distinct ways antibiotics become unavailable—from temporary supply disruptions to permanent market exit—each requiring targeted fixes. The distinction matters because wrong solutions waste resources and can accelerate dangerous resistance, affecting patient outcomes and healthcare costs worldwide.EN

A new paper shows how the modern definition of work as paid, full-time employment has systematically erased entire categories of labor from economic history, particularly women's contributions. For businesses and policymakers, this matters: it means our data on labor markets, productivity, and workforce trends are built on incomplete historical foundations that may distort current policy decisions.EN

A new study of circular economy ventures reveals that early-stage waste recycling projects collapse not due to technical problems, but because investors, environmentalists, engineers, and communities value waste differently. Understanding these conflicting worldviews is now critical for companies and policymakers backing the circular economy boom.EN

A new study reveals that competitive dynamics change fundamentally when firms create or dissolve partnerships and alliances—moving competition to different organizational levels. The finding matters because executives and regulators often miss these structural shifts, misunderstanding how markets actually compete and consolidate.EN

Companies reshoring manufacturing jobs strengthen direct ties with some host-country partners but weaken overall network access, research shows. The finding matters because it reveals a hidden cost of reshoring: firms may lose critical supply chains and market intelligence by pulling back from international operations, even partially.EN

A new analysis of Swedish companies in 1908 shows foreign investors disproportionately backed high-growth sectors like pulp, chemicals, and electromechanics—and those firms survived at rates far above peers. The finding challenges the conventional wisdom that domestic savings alone funded industrial growth, with implications for how economies develop competitive advantage.EN

A new economic model shows that countries reducing emissions to lead climate action face a hard trade-off: transparency about their costs undercuts their influence on other nations, yet they commit to it anyway. The finding challenges how governments and corporations should signal climate ambitions to drive real global change.EN

Researchers found that a simpler statistical approach outperforms traditional methods when analyzing patient symptom questionnaires in drug trials. The finding matters because it could reduce the time and cost needed to detect whether experimental drugs actually work, potentially accelerating the path from lab to pharmacy.EN

Researchers show that streamlined randomized trials using routine healthcare data can test new medical devices faster and cheaper than traditional studies. The approach could accelerate innovation cycles for device makers and get life-saving treatments to patients sooner without sacrificing scientific rigor.EN

A new historical study traces how Swedish business education transformed from practical vocational training into academic disciplines during the early 1900s. The shift reveals how economic education shaped modern workforce development—a pattern that echoes today as companies debate whether schools should prioritize theory or job-ready skills.EN

A comprehensive handbook maps how lobbying influences public policy through three distinct pathways—from systemic forces down to individual organization strategy. For policymakers and executives, understanding this multi-layered influence is critical: it reveals where advocacy efforts gain traction and how business and political interests interact to reshape regulatory landscapes.EN

A new study of book and video rental history reveals a counterintuitive truth: sharing economy services don't displace traditional sales. Instead, they expand markets by lowering prices and creating new customer segments. The finding challenges assumptions underlying sustainability policy and suggests companies pursuing green alternatives may be missing opportunities for growth.EN

A new handbook maps the dramatic expansion of lobbying since the 1970s—particularly in the last two decades—revealing how billions are spent annually to shape public policy across the US, EU, and beyond. The blurred lines between lobbyists and policymakers signal a fundamental shift in how companies and interest groups compete for influence in an increasingly complex, multi-layered political arena.EN

A new study of rural communities during COVID-19 reveals that government safety nets failed to reach remote areas, forcing charities and local organizations to fill the gaps. For policymakers and business leaders, the finding exposes a structural weakness: rural economies lack the institutional infrastructure to absorb future shocks.EN

A new study of 17th-century Scandinavian craft guilds reveals how skilled workers negotiated across borders, forcing masters to balance tight labor control with business realities. The findings expose timeless tensions between worker mobility and employer interests—and show that sustainable solutions required compromise, not coercion.EN

The European Union is adapting its climate negotiating tactics to compete in a more hostile geopolitical environment, according to new research. While Brussels remains committed to aggressive climate action, it's shifted how it narrates, coordinates, and deploys its diplomatic influence—a strategic recalibration that signals climate leadership now requires playing hardball.EN

Twenty leading researchers have outlined a fresh agenda for studying how entrepreneurship emerges within family firms, identifying gaps in how scholars currently measure agency, process, and context. The framework could help entrepreneurs and investors better understand how family dynamics shape business creation and growth.EN

A new paper examines the deep links between how industries organize their infrastructure and their environmental impact. The research suggests that sustainability transitions require rethinking industrial systems as a whole—not just adopting green technologies—a finding that reshapes how companies and policymakers should approach competitive advantage in a carbon-constrained world.EN