Fast Track – an SME programme to boost growth

Participants of the 18-months long diploma course Fast Track get new insights and tools to drive change in their businesses, with focus on growth through for example product development or strategy. Fast Track, now in its’ second rendition, was initiated by LTU Business and Luleå University of Technology.

The participants are individuals with a management position in a company based in Sweden’s northernmost area.

Emma Norrfors, business development manager at LTU Business, has been in charge of recruiting candidates and match-making them with business coaches.

– In Fast Track, the companies get support with analysing their business, as well as identifying the best strategies going forward, all in close collaboration with scientists at Luleå University of Technology and professional business developers”, Emma explains.

Eight small and medium enteprises from industries ranging from construction and manufacturing, through healthcare and food production participate in Fast Track.

Fast Track is led by Anna Öhrwall Rönnbäck, professor and Head of Product Innovation at Luleå University of Technology.

– Close partnerships between the companies and universities benefits the business community overall as well as the economic growth on a national scale. Our ambition with Fast Track is to create fast, sustainable growth for each of the participating companies, and eventually that the concept is introduced to other regions, Anna says.

Background

Fast Track runs from September 2020 to December 2021 as part of the regional developmnet project Samverkan för Innovation och Regional Tillväxt (Cooperation for Innovation and Regional Growth). The project is initiated and operated by Luleå University of Technology in partnership with LTU Business, with sponsorship from EU/ERUF, the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth, Region Norrbotten, Skellefteå Municipality and Luleå University of Technology.