New Member: EFL offering executive education and networking

EFL Executive Education was founded in 1969 and has since provided executive education as a non-profit foundation under the School of Economics and Management at Lund University. The EFL team comprises educators, researchers, subject matter experts, and instructional designers, delivering high-quality, cutting-edge education from their new location in the northern part of the Inspira building, between Kry and Nordic Wellness, at Medicon Village.

Their overall purpose is to make a difference for people and companies – to meet more individuals to create impact, keep networks and education active, and stay up to date. They do this by focusing on five key areas:

• Business development – Increasing interest in helping mature organisations adapt to new opportunities and integrate emerging technologies.
• Management & Change leadership – Driving business transformation while ensuring people are engaged and on board.
• Finance – Growing demand for leading and influencing financial value creation to enable well-informed financial and strategic business decisions.
• CSR and sustainability – Turning these concepts into real, tangible actions.
• Impact pedagogy – Addressing challenges based on one's expertise. Participants bring a challenge into the programme and receive support to develop solutions.

According to CEO Malena Carlström, hot topics right now include change leadership, business fundamentals, business development, sustainability/CSR, and AI strategy programmes, alongside the always relevant general leadership/management training.

She is confident that their new setting at Medicon Village will boost both their business and the team spirit among staff. They are now able to host breakfast events and approximately 20 corporate network events, such as workshops and member days, in their new space or in a larger venue just a doorway away in the Inspira conference section. Additionally, open education programmes ranging from 3-day courses to 15-month programmes, as well as alumni network events and lectures for former participants, can now be more effectively managed.

Malena Carlström plans to expand offerings dedicated to making a difference in our life science community and the industry in our region by developing life science-specific training programmes and fostering cross-disciplinary meetings to create more dynamism. According to her, this approach sometimes brings more value than strictly sector-specific initiatives.

– Context and environment were key factors in their decision to relocate their headquarters in Lund. Compared to their previous location, Medicon Village provides a better bridge between academia and industry, along with optimal facilities, says Malena Carlström.

Looking ahead, she sees strong trends in the increasing demand for tailored training programmes, which is why they currently offer around 50 customised programmes globally. Another trend affecting EFL is the significant growth of their corporate network over the past year, likely as a post-pandemic effect, highlighting the need for in-person meetings.

– We've been around for more than 50 years and continue to stay relevant by offering high-quality, cutting-edge education. We are optimistic about the future, as networking, knowledge sharing, and building competence never go out of style, concludes Malena Carlström as we leave her and the team in their new Inspira setting.

More information on EFL at https://www.efl.se/en/.