EntreNational will address the question, ‘How does international entrepreneurship (IE) shape the development of national identity (NI)?' While it has been argued that the development of NI is related to nation building by both authorities and citizens, the behaviours of business actors, including those of enterprises, remain understudied. Our research will entail historical process research and critical discourse analysis. It will be based on extensive case studies on six prominent international enterprises in three of Finland's major industries (forestry, design, and ICT) over the period 1865–2024. The project will provide a multi-level, novel, and context-sensitive conceptualization of the role of IE in national identity development. The project will also have societal value by making Finnish entrepreneurs and business leaders more aware of their role in developing NI. This is important for countries like Finland, which are small, but have a large international presence.

2025

2029