Ägarlyftet – New initiative to strengthen local ownership in Jönköping County

A new research-based initiative at Jönköping International Business School (JIBS) at Jönköping University (JU) will provide local business owners with better tools to meet future challenges. The project, known as Ägarlyftet, is led by the research centre CeFEO – Centre for Family Entrepreneurship and Ownership and aims to promote active and long-term ownership in Jönköping County.

“We know that regionally rooted and owner-managed companies play an important role in employment and social development. At the same time, many business owners face major challenges. With Ägarlyftet, we want to help strengthen their skills and create real benefits for both businesses and the region,” says Kajsa Haag, Associate Professor of Business Administration at JIBS.

A three-year project focusing on owner competence

Ägarlyftet is a three-year project funded by the Syskonen Inger & Sixten Norheds Foundation External link, opens in new window.. Through a network of business owners, researchers and practitioners, the project will generate meetings, exchanges of experience and research-based knowledge on topics such as corporate governance, generational change and business renewal.

One of the entrepreneurs who has signed up is Marcus Mårdskog, finance and marketing controller at Mårdskog och Lindkvist AB.

He believes that Ägarlyftet is important for building a bridge between research and the reality in which many family-owned companies operate and live.

“It will be a meeting place for decision-makers to share their experiences, but also to gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics of their own companies,” he says.

The project’s structure is based on so-called owner forums, where participants meet three times a year. The content is shaped together with the participants, based on their needs and current challenges. The project will also produce regional reports on ownership issues and organise an annual open event for the business community.

“Ägarlyftet promotes the work that JU and the CeFEO research centre do by providing training in entrepreneurship that contributes to the local business and working life environment in the municipality of Jönköping,” says Marcus Mårdskog.

20 years of research - now in practice

CeFEO has been conducting research on ownership and family business for over 20 years. With Ägarlyftet, the centre’s researchers want to take the next step and translate their expert knowledge into practical benefits for companies in the region.

“We hope that Ägarlyftet will not only strengthen the participants' ownership skills but also contribute to the public debate on the importance of locally-owned companies that remain and grow in their local area,” says Kajsa Haag.

Interested business owners in Jönköping County can now sign up to participate in the project. The first group is scheduled to start in the spring.

Register your interest here. External link, opens in new window.