Innovation for sustainability
Innovating new sustainable products, services, business models and forms of consumption can help tackle global challenges.
Sustainability in Business (SUB)
Our mission is to provide knowledge about innovative business models and transition paths that enhance sustainable development. As complex sustainability challenges call for multi-disciplinary knowledge and societally impactful research, we co-create solution proposals together with partners from different sectors of society.
Research areas
Sustainability transitions
Our research looks at several dimensions of the transition toward sustainability societies.
Circular economy
Circular economy keeps materials in use longer using strategies like reuse, remanufacture, recycling, and replacing ownership with rentals.
Corporate responsibility
Cross-national governance of businesses make ethical issues urgent.
Seminar Schedule
Autumn 2026
Wednesday 28.10., 11:30-12:30
Ekonominaukio 1, Room U113 Otto Stenroth, 1st floor
Khadija Sesay, University of Granada
Common ownership and international diversification: Restraining global strategy until reputation is at stake
Wednesday 23.9., 11:30-12:30
Ekonominaukio 1, Room 1004 Kyösti Järvinen, 1st floor
Olli Tiikkainen, Aalto University School of Business
Financial sustainability governance: An inquiry into the politics of Finnish impact finance
Spring 2026
Tuesday 19.5., 13:00-14:00
Ekonominaukio 1, Room V101, Istuntosali, 1st floor
Anna Härri, Aalto University School of Business
Minna Halme, Aalto University School of Business
How distant owners enact biodiversity practices: The roles of institutional logics and place
Wednesday 15.4., 11:30-12:30
Ekonominaukio 1, Room U113 Otto Stenroth, 1st floor
Samuli Patala, Aalto University School of Business
Paavo Ritala, LUT Business School
Moral legitimacy struggles in purpose-driven ecosystems: Interplay of collective narratives and meta-organizational architectures
SUB Publications
The latest publications from SUB researchers
Sustainability teaching
Sustainability course offerings in the School of Business
SUB seminar series
The SUB lunchtime seminar series provides a monthly forum for all interested to discuss topical research in social and environmental issues in management.
Awards and highlights
Leena Lankoski
Educational developer of the year 2023 award from the HSE Support Foundation. Read the announcement here.
Patrick Shulist
Teacher of the year 2023 award from the HSE Support Foundation. Read the announcement here.
Samuli Patala and Minna Halme
“Responsible Research in Management” Distinguished Winner for article: “Polycentric governance of privately owned resources in circular economy systems.” Journal of Management Studies, 59(6), 1563-1596. With Laura Albareda. 2023. Sponsored by the Academy of Management Fellows & Responsible Research in Business and Management. Read the announcement here.
Minna Halme
Academy of Management, Social Issues in Management Division Best Paper Award of 2023. With Jennifer Goodman and Jouni Juntunen.
Minna Halme
Alfred Kordelin Prize for key future actors who have created the conditions for a stronger, diverse, and sustainable society as well as a better future, 2022
Minna Halme, Leena Lankoski and Mika Kuisma
Article "When Is There a Sustainability Case for CSR? Pathways to Environmental and Social Performance Improvements" (co-authored with Jukka Rintamäki and Jette Steen Knudsen) received Business & Society’s 2020 Best Paper Award
Inês Peixoto
Finalist for the EGOS Best Student Paper Award with the paper “Risk organization and moral multiplexity in the EU biofuels market” (presented at EGOS Edinburgh 2019)
Minna Halme
HSE Support Foundation Societal Impact Award, 2019
Elizabeth Miller
Thesis "Trash to Treasure: A Multiple Case Study of Finnish Companies That Create Economic Value from Waste Materials" received award for top university master's thesis, Association for Environmental Management (Ymparistöjohtamisen yhdistys ry), 2018
Samuli Patala and Minna Halme
Article "Polycentric Governance of Privately Owned Resources in Circular Economy Systems" received Carolyn Dexter Award for international papers, Academy of Management 2018
Jouni Juntunen, Minna Halme, Angelina Korsunova and Risto Rajala
Article "Powering sustainable innovations: Strategies for collaborating with deviant partners" won Best Academic Paper at R&D Management Conference 2016, University of Cambridge
Minna Halme, Sara Lindeman and Paula Linna
Article "Innovation for Inclusive Business: Intrapreneurial Bricolage in Multinational Corporations", Journal of Management Studies, 2012 received the Emerald Citations of Excellence for 2015
The latest from SUB
Dive deeper into SUB's work through our blog posts and news articles.
Aalto sustainability news
Would you like a small piece of future design history — shimmering wood?
Coming to the Aalto University Shop this September: a limited batch of 20 unique, handmade works by Shimber, crafted entirely from wood. Each piece is finished with Shimber’s wood‑based structural colour — a material that makes the surface shimmer and come alive with the light.
TexirC Project Results Meeting Held at UPM
The TexirC project partners met at UPM.
Forests, Wood and Carbon: now also in Finnish and available via Open University
Starting August 2026, 'Forests, wood and carbon' online course will be available in English and Finnish. Students can select their preferred language at the enrolment. The course is also available through Aalto Open University.
Aalto University ranks 126th in the world in QS World University Rankings
Aalto performs best in the employment outcomes and sustainability indicators.Events
Book a visit to Designs for a Cooler Planet exhibition
Experience Helsinki Design Week at Aalto University on a guided exhibition tour.
Tomorrow's wardrobe & fashion futuring
We need a fashion futuring approach and a new mindset—how we design and manufacture, and how we understand fashion—and this seminar aims to offer that.
Aalto Founder Talks #9: Milda Mitkute, Co-Founder of Vinted
Milda Mitkutė co-founded Vinted, turning second-hand fashion into Europe’s largest resale marketplace and a global circular economy success story.Who we are
Member of the Sustainability Centres Community
SUB is a member of the Sustainability Centres Community (SCC), hosted by the Network for Business Sustainability (NBS).
Get in touch
Address
Väre, Otaniementie 14
02150 Espoo
Contact
Karelia Dagnaud
karelia.dagnaud@aalto.fi