Harvard Business School use Hövding as case study

Harvard Business School use Hövding as case study

Harvard Business School (HBS), Boston USA, use the Swedish company Hövding as a case in its required first-year MBA entrepreneurship course. The Hövding company and its innovative airbag for cyclists have already created big waves around the world. Hövding recently presented the second generation of its airbag for cyclists. The course in which Hövding was used at Harvard is designed to prepare students for the reality of being an entrepreneur.

"It is exciting that Harvard Business School has chosen Hövding as one of the cases it will presents to its students. We are in great company with other strong brands and businesses that are also used in the courses at Harvard. These include LEGO, IKEA and the Copenhagen restaurant Noma," says Hövding's CEO, Fredrik Carling.

Hövding turned the concept of the cycle helmet on its head when it was launched in Sweden three years ago. The company is a commercial product development company and its core vision is to 'save lives'. Hövding now works actively to export the Swedish tradition of safety products with its airbag for cyclists.

Hövding is one of the cases selected for Harvard Business School’s course 'The Entrepreneurial Manager'.The case, titled 'Hövding, the airbag for cyclists' covers the classic challenges that arise when an entrepreneurial company wants to advance from the entrepreneurial phase to the commercial phase. The process in which entrepreneurs come face to face with commercial reality can be an emotional one. This was the case at Hövding when a CEO was appointed in 2012 to develop the company in a more commercial direction.

Harvard Business School Senior Lecturer Joseph B. Fuller and Research Associate Emilie Billaud wrote the case, which was presented for the first time on Monday, 6 April, at the HBS campus in Boston. Hövding's CEO, Fredrik Carling, attended the class and commented on the discussion.

"It was interesting to listen as it was presented and see the response by the more than 900 students in Harvard Business School’s first-year MBA curriculum. Their engagement in the case also confirms the relevance of our product and what we do. Developments at an innovation-based company like Hövding are exciting, and the journey taken by our company and the lessons we have learned can help other organisations facing similar challenges in the future," says Fredrik Carling.

“Our case study on Hövding provides our students with an excellent example of the issues involved in financing a European business that produces a novel product in a challenging market,” says Harvard Business School’s Fuller. “The case also makes clear the difficult choices a firm faces as it makes the transition from the creation of such a product to its commercialization.”

For further information, contact Fredrik Carling, +46 (0)40 23 68 68