Foresee and innovate: Nordic Business Forum 2025

Nordic Business Forum brings together thousands of decision makers for two days of networking and inspiration each autumn. This year’s theme unfolded with focus on:

• Building a meaningful culture.
• Leveraging foresight in a post-normal world.
• Accelerating growth and innovation.

Foresight and catalysing growth are at the core of After’s work. How can we apply the key takeaways from NBF to build future-ready business?

SNAFU is the new normal

Innovation strategist and entrepreneur Peter Hinssen described the new normal, the constantly shifting, uncertain environment as SNAFU. A term used during WWII, SNAFU is short for “Situation Normal All Fucked Up”.

From a business perspective, the key is to accept that SNAFU really is the new normal: there’s no going back to the stable 1990s. But acceptance alone isn’t enough. We must anticipate what’s next and develop business strategically as the operating environment changes. At After, we take this a step further: the key to future growth can be found in customers’ changing needs and understanding them.

Hinssen also pointed to the artificial intelligence evolution and revolution. Like all innovations, AI follows an S-curve. Right now, we’re in the bend of the S but acceleration is coming. Just as a lack of imagination kept US intelligence from foreseeing 9/11, we must imagine the impossible. This is why scenario thinkingis a standard tool in After’s work, we explore even the least likely futures together with our clients.

Status quo is innovation’s greatest enemy

Entrepreneur and author Diana Kander offered practical ways to accelerate innovation. First make room for new ideas. “Kill the zombies” refers to the energy-draining processes, meetings and routines that create no real value but crowd out innovation and growth. Kander encouraged to write a not-to-do list that frees up time.

We are all drawn to our comfort zones, to stick with the status quo. But Kander challenged to recognise that the current state is innovation’s biggest enemy. To create something new, we must first let go of the old and imagine an alternative future.

The third catalyst Kander offered is the “Pit crew” . Sometimes the best ideas come from completely different contexts. She shared how the surgical team at Boston Children’s Hospital worked with a Formula 1 pit crew to optimise their operating theatre processes and making them so safe and efficient the processes have since been adopted worldwide.

Images NBF 2025: Peter Hinssen and Diana Kander.