Once home to an insular highly-regulated economy, Sweden’s transformation over the last 30 years into the second-most prolific producer of billion-dollar startups per capita has made them a lightning rod for international innovation. This shift came about with a systematic focus on deregulation after a troublesome downturn in the Swedish economy during the 1990s. As […]
In an interview, the aptly named feedback company HappyOrNot attributed the startup success in Finland to the uniquely Finnish idea of sisu. This nearly untranslatable word describes a mindset among Finns that refers to everything from stoic determination and bravery to openness and tenacious resilience. This notion of sisu makes Finnish people action-oriented with a […]
The 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang was something of a foreshadowing, with South Korea being named the most innovative country in the Bloomberg Innovation Index. The Coolest Innovations from the 2018 Winter Olympics The rankings are based on everything from the concentration of tech companies to the number of engineering graduates. South Korea was given […]
For a country whose chief exports are often thought to be politeness, hockey, and putting gravy on French fries, Canada is quickly becoming a hot destination for innovative tech startups. As a result, several tech giants have begun to put down roots in the Great White North. Amazon, for example, expanded its Vancouver base of […]
For each of the last ten years, the United Kingdom has been ranked inside the top ten most innovative nations in the world according to the Global Innovation Index. In 2017, the UK took 5th place. So what is it that makes the the country so innovative? Human capital and research was an area where […]
This article is part of our Corporate Innovation Around the World series. To see past articles click here. In 2012, it seemed like nothing could stop Brazil. The country was at the top of a two decade rise where inflation was curbed, commodities rose, and the country’s GDP increased to $2.5 trillion. During this time, […]
This article is part of our Innovation Around the World series. To see past posts click here. Australia now has more than sun, surf and sand to offer – it has a booming startup scene that is showing no signs of slowing down. Over the past few years, Australia has seen a steady increase in […]
More than chocolate, cows, Heidi and après-ski, Switzerland has also become known as the most innovative country in the world, frequently topping international innovation ranking lists since 2011. What has propelled this innovative spirit? Beyond having a stable economy and a penchant for neutrality, one thing Switzerland is running low on is natural resources. Having […]
While some places have the distinct advantage of being considered innovation hubs, other places are quietly transforming themselves into startup centers. Iceland is one of those places. Years ago the media focused on Iceland as another failing country following the 2008 recession. Today, the media tends to focus on Iceland as being the spotting ground […]
Chile may not be the first place that comes to mind when you visualize a bustling startup scene, but that’s exactly why Chilecon Valley, as it’s become known, is a high tech hub to watch. In 2010, the Chilean government encouraged the local startup scene with the launch of a publicly funded accelerator, Start-Up Chile. […]
