The global business environment is witnessing dramatic and rapid change. Between 2007 and 2017, more than half of S&P 500 firms (stock market index maintained by S&P Dow Jones Indices) were overtaken and knocked out by newcomers.

In this report, Business Sweden suggests that tomorrow’s market leaders will be agile network orchestrators who create value by expertly identifying, accessing and combining external capabilities. In particular, companies will need to adopt a network organisation, create engaging narratives to access relevant stakeholders, invest in coordination capacity and govern critical information flows.

In a study conducted by Business Sweden, only a handful of Sweden's 30 largest exporters were shown to have invested in network-based organisational models. In consequence, we think that many Swedish companies are largely unprepared for the challenges ahead.

The report has been co-authored by colleagues from the Business Sweden India office. The findings of the report are based on current research on network dynamics and global innovation ecosystems, and hands-on experience from working with clients on innovation projects in developing markets. Introducing our new innovation methodology, “The UNNATI way”, the India team – together with companies such as AstraZeneca, Volvo, Fortum and IKEA – have led open innovation challenges to position Swedish market leaders as trusted partners for key stakeholders. The learnings from working with this methodology are explored as a case study in this global trendspotting report.