STOCKHOLM SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS IN RIGA SIA

Their core work

SSE Riga is a leading business school in the Baltics, affiliated with the Stockholm School of Economics, specializing in research on informal economies, shadow practices, and business environments in post-Soviet countries. Their H2020 work focuses on understanding how businesses operate in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and the former USSR — mapping informal barriers, institutional uncertainties, and economic transitions. They also contribute to research on inclusive and sustainable creative economies in Europe.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

SSE Riga's H2020 involvement spans 2018–2020 (project start dates), with a consistent thread around informality and post-Soviet economies. Early work (SHADOW, 2018) explored the nature of shadow practices and informal economies across Russia, Central Asia, and the Caucasus. Later projects broadened the lens: DISCE (2019) brought in creative economy research, while MARKETS (2020) shifted toward mapping future opportunities, business environment barriers, and uncertainties in emerging markets — a more forward-looking and applied framing compared to the earlier descriptive exploration.

SSE Riga is moving from descriptive research on informal economies toward applied analysis of business opportunities and barriers in emerging markets — increasingly useful for companies considering entry into Central Asian and Caucasus markets.

How they like to work

SSE Riga participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator, across all three H2020 projects. With 21 unique consortium partners across 16 countries, they operate in broad international consortia rather than tight, repeated partnerships. This suggests they are a valued specialist contributor brought in for their regional expertise on post-Soviet economies rather than a project driver.

Collaborates with 21 partners across 16 countries, indicating a wide European and international network. The geographic breadth suggests they are well-connected across diverse academic and research communities, particularly those working on transition economies and regional development.

What sets them apart

SSE Riga occupies a rare niche: a Western-standard business school physically located in the Baltics with deep research expertise on post-Soviet and Central Asian economies. This combination of rigorous business school methodology and on-the-ground understanding of informal economies in the former USSR is hard to find elsewhere. For any consortium needing expertise on how business actually works in these regions — beyond official statistics — SSE Riga is a strong choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DISCE
  Largest funding (EUR 304K) and a departure from their core post-Soviet focus, demonstrating capacity in broader European creative economy research.
• MARKETS
  Most applied and forward-looking project, mapping future business opportunities and informal barriers in emerging markets — directly relevant to companies and policymakers.