RESEARCH GROUP

Sustainability, Innovation & Policy

The main vision of the Sustainability, Innovation and Policy research group is to contribute to the development of sustainability through innovative and applied research.

RESEARCH GROUP

Sustainability, Innovation & Policy

The main vision of the Sustainability, Innovation and Policy research group is to contribute to the development of sustainability through innovative and applied research.

The Sustainability Innovation and Policy Group (SIP) at Aalborg University conducts interdisciplinary research on sustainable transformation, with a strong focus on long-term partnerships between academia, industry, the public sector, and civil society.

SIP explores how continuous and shared responsibility among actors can drive innovation and accelerate sustainable transitions across societal actors and institutions. The main focus areas are Circular Economy, Ecodesign, Climate Action, and Sustainable Entrepreneurship.

By integrating action-oriented research with co-creation, education, and collaborative learning processes, the group develops knowledge and solutions which have both scientific and practical impact and thereby contributes to a regenerative societal transition.

VISION

SIP’s vision is to remain a leading research group in our field, recognized as the go-to resource for all levels of society in achieving real-world impact. We strive to foster innovation and generate knowledge on sustainability transition through nurturing strong internal collaboration and cultivate an inspiring and inclusive workplace. Our goal is to be a valued partner for external stakeholders across the private, public, and academic sectors and civil society.

MISSION

FOCUS AREAS

Within the three fields sustainability, innovation and policy, the SIP research group is working with a range of research topics including:

Circular business innovation – transforming businesses and value chains to prioritize durability, repairability and sufficiency over wasteful production,
Climate-resilient and regenerative planning – designing cities and economies that restore ecosystems and adapt to climate challenges
Waste prevention and innovative competitive circular solutions – shaping policies and practices that reduce waste at the source, promote reuse, repair, recycling, and support the uptake of circular business models at EU and national levels.
Sustainable product policies – embedding sustainability in policies and strengthening transparency and producer responsibility to advance circular economies and drive systemic change.
Partnerships and systems-building – fostering collaboration among businesses, policy makers, and communities to scale impact
Regenerative transitions that are inclusive, fair, and aligned with planetary boundaries

EDUCATION

STUDY RELATED ACTIVITIES

A cornerstone of our activities is to provide research-based teaching. Primarily for the bachelor program City, Energy and Environment and for the masters programs Sustainable Cities, Environmental Management & Sustainability Science, and Cities & Sustainability.

To us, teaching is a mutual gain; in the interaction with the students we illuminate new perspectives and angles. In our teaching, we collaborate with companies and other external partners who further contribute by bringing the research into a real relevant context for the students.

Key projects

Seizmic Doctoral Network

MSCA is the first doctoral network of its kind, dedicated to positioning 'the scaling of social entrepreneurship' as a central academic discipline bridging research, training, and practice across Europe. The consortium brings together nine leading academic institutions, research centers, and industry partners from across Europe.

Projects on Environmental Policy Instruments

In the SIP-group we are continuously working on smaller research projects financed by governmental agencies and other public organisations to support the political decision-making. These projects cover policy instruments such as the Ecodesign Directive (replaced by the Ecodesign for Sustainable Product Regulation), the Product Environmental Footprint, Ecolabels and Public Procurement.

Assessment Report series on Climate Change in Cities (ARC3)

The Urban Climate Change Research Network’s (UCCRN) Assessment Report series on Climate Change in Cities (ARC3) represents a collaborative effort with authors from cities in developed and developing countries around the world. The reports are the first-ever global, interdisciplinary, cross-regional, science-based assessment to address climate risks, adaptation, mitigation, and policy mechanisms relevant to cities. The assessment articulates urban climate risk frameworks and climate science for cities and derives policy implications for key urban sectors water, energy, transportation, sanitation, public health and the systemic issues of land use and governance.

CircularTEX

CirculatTex is running from 2022 to 2024. The purpose of CircularTex is to develop and test new textile solutions and value propositions for markets that will lead to a slowing of textile resource loops and have a significant impact on CO2 reductions. By working with both suppliers (producers) and demand (private/public consumers), the project will create 4 pilots that are aligned with local market needs, developed through a user-led design process and based on new circular design strategies. There are five partners in the project in addition to AAU: Gabriel A/S, Holmris B8, IKEA, Hjørring Kommune, Vraa Dampvaskeri. The project is funded by Innovation Fund Denmark.

See all projects

Cooperation

We have close cooperation with other research groups within the department and also collaborate with a number of external industry partners. In addition, we engage in short-term cooperation with other other organisations and societal actors, such as Aalborg municipality, Copenhagen municipality, Roskilde municipality.