From Gothenburg

Hello again from Gothenburg, Sweden’s second city!

Here is an update of the companies we visited along with some interesting insights.

Chalmers Innovation

Chalmers Innovation is a non-profit founded in 1997 with a donation from Sten A. Olson. Chalmers believes the startup is temporary and the transition is important. Chalmers Innovation is a technology-based incubator. They are very focused and have a set model for start-ups to follow.

They require a start up be:

  • fast-moving
  • based on technology
  • international growth potential
  • unique in technique or business model

Using the lean canvas/lean startup proves to be a sustainable form of starting a business that is constantly evolving and adapting.

Volvo cars

Their business model is based on safety. This is and has been a sustainable competitive advantage because it really does put the consumer first. Ultimately, the end consumer will always have a vested interest in their personal safety. The bottom line is that this model attracts life-long customers increasing customer lifetime value and decreasing customer acquisition cost.

Both of these businesses are constantly trying to improve their business model a self-sustainable one that requires little maintenance. This seems to be a trend in Sweden in that companies are very aligned with the customers as well as employees, nature, and society as a whole. This allows the company to evolve in the right direction, albeit more slowly.

Stena AB

The visit to Stena AB was probably one of the most interesting visits. Stena is a global shipping, real estate, ferry, and oil rig company. From a global perspective their business model was sustainable for many reasons. Firstly, they are highly diversified and they have segregated their subsidiaries in order to easily manage each one individually. This is important because their separate business models need to adapt and grow separately as oil prices fluctuate dramatically.

It is very interesting to note that the aforementioned companies would most likely not be viable if located in different countries mostly due to business culture and short-term profit management.

Thanks for reading! Until next time from Copenhagen!