Niklas Arvidsson

Niklas Arvidsson holds a Professorship in Industrial Economics and Management at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, focusing on industrial dynamics, innovation processes, and payment systems. His work emphasizes transitions from cash to digital payment methods, including mobile payments, card systems, and potential central bank digital currencies (CBDC). He completed his MSc and PhD at the Stockholm School of Economics (1999) and became a Docent at KTH in 2011.

Arvidsson’s research explores societal impacts of digital payment adoption, including climate implications of retail CBDC models and the Swedish route to a cashless society. His 2019 book, Building a Cashless Society, has been downloaded over 100,000 times and analyzes Sweden’s near-cashless transition. He actively participates in academic conferences, media discussions, and national inquiries, blending academic rigor with public engagement.

His studies span business models in mobile payments, sustainability in corporate governance, and innovation in payment systems. Key themes include digital transformation’s societal effects, stakeholder expectations in payment ecosystems, and the interplay between technology adoption and institutional frameworks.

Arvidsson’s work intersects economics, sociology, and technology, addressing questions like why societies abandon cash, how digital innovations emerge, and future payment system designs. He critiques traditional banking models and advocates for policy-driven payment system evolution, emphasizing environmental and economic sustainability.