Helping small and medium-sized companies in Norrland to scale up

A research project is underway to assist small and medium-sized companies in developing their business models and scaling up their business.

Many companies in northern Sweden have developed innovative solutions but struggle to bring these solutions to market and scale up their operations. One reason is believed to be getting stuck in the "pilot hell," where companies continuously test the technology in small projects without getting the chance to fully implement it.

The research project, titled "Supporting Business Model Innovation for SMEs: Scaling and international growth through digital servitisation," began in January 2024 and will last for two years. The goal is to support companies in northern Sweden with expansion strategies.

"We will assist companies with strategies to expand their operations and organize workshops where companies have the opportunity to analyse their situation to further develop," says Patricia Garcia, a postdoctoral researcher at Luleå University of Technology.

The overall aim of the project is to support small and medium-sized companies with their business models and solutions and help them scale up their operations. The idea is that the project will also lead to the development of a framework for various scaling processes.

The project is part of the Norrlands navet at Luleå University of Technology and is funded by the Kamprad Family Foundation.