The Old World Is Not Coming Back: Fredrik Erixon on Competing in a New Global Economy

Waiting Is No Longer a Strategy

Rather than waiting for economic conditions to improve, Erixon argued that organisations need to start preparing for the economy that is emerging today.

That means investing in growth, committing capital earlier and positioning products and capabilities where future demand is being created—not where it existed in the past.

“The old world is not coming back.”

For Erixon, uncertainty is not a reason to delay decisions. The organisations that succeed will be those willing to adapt early and move before the market settles into a new normal.

The Nordics Are Building Their Next Growth Story

The past decade has not been easy for the Nordic economies. Slow growth, inflation, higher interest rates and geopolitical uncertainty have all weighed on the region, following years of industrial disruption and technological change.

Yet Erixon believes the Nordics are entering a new phase.

Rather than trying to recreate the success of previous industrial champions, a new generation of entrepreneurs, startups and technology companies is emerging. Backed by world-class engineering talent and a strong culture of innovation, they are investing in fields that could define the next wave of economic growth.

Artificial intelligence is part of that story, but Erixon also highlighted opportunities in quantum technologies, space and other advanced engineering sectors where the Nordics already have significant expertise.

For him, the region’s greatest strength is not its size, but its ability to turn technical excellence into new industries.

Europe Should Focus on Its Own Competitiveness

Erixon argues that Europe should spend less time worrying about the strategic rivalry between the United States and China and more time improving its own economic prospects.

In his view, the continent has become too cautious—too quick to regulate emerging technologies instead of helping businesses scale and innovate. The consequences are already visible in sectors such as data and technology, where Europe risks falling behind global competitors.

Rather than focusing on decisions made in Washington or Beijing, Europe should concentrate on what it can control: raising economic growth, accelerating innovation and creating better conditions for companies to succeed.

The Nordics Don’t Need to Be Bigger — They Need to Be Faster

Erixon believes Nordic organisations should stop trying to compete on size.

The region will never have the world’s largest companies, biggest data centres or deepest pools of capital. But it doesn’t have to.

Instead, the Nordics can compete by making decisions faster, adapting more quickly and turning innovation into commercial advantage ahead of larger rivals.

As Erixon argued, speed is becoming one of the few advantages that smaller economies can consistently leverage.