News
| 02.10.2023

Hanken receives grants from the Erling-Persson Foundation to focus on a new type of entrepreneurship – corporate entrepreneurs

Hanken School of Economics receives SEK 5 million from the Erling-Persson Foundation to broaden the education of economists so that, through research and development, they can have a stronger role in the growth of established companies.

“Thanks to the grant, Hanken can continue its pioneering work in developing education and research programmes so that economists can strengthen entrepreneurship in existing companies,” says Torkel Tallqvist, Hanken's professor of practice in entrepreneurship, management and organisation. 

The research area Corporate Entrepreneurship has been accelerating internationally since the turn of the millennium, and Hanken's research has received its share of international attention. Joakim Wincent, one of the world's leading professors in entrepreneurship, is the director of Hanken's Erling-Persson Centre for Entrepreneurship (EPCE) , to which the grant is directed. He notes that it is important to anchor the research knowledge in education.

“Economists are expected to be able to assume roles as entrepreneurs. This means that you know enough about technology, management and groundbreaking strategic work to open up and reformulate business areas into growth engines,” says Professor Joakim Wincent.  

In the spring, almost one in ten Hanken students chose entrepreneurship and business management as their main subject. 

“Being a corporate entrepreneur is an interesting idea, even for those who later in their entrepreneurship studies no longer see themselves as self-employed,” says Emilia Winqvist, president of the Hanken Entrepreneurship Society (Hanken ES) .

The donation gives Hanken the opportunity to hire three new people at EPCE: a postdoctoral researcher/teacher, an international visiting professor and a professor of practice. One of the key goals is to develop a continuation of the course ‘Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation’, which was launched in 2022 when Hanken started up a collaboration with Nokia's research and development unit.

The Erling-Persson Centre for Entrepreneurship (EPCE) is named after the Erling-Persson Foundation , which made a significant donation in the Hanken 100 fundraising campaign.