To adequately address sustainability challenges and climate change businesses need radical transformations. These will inevitably take a long time to unfold, and we need to start right now as the window of opportunity is closing fast.

Businesses need new methods and tools for generation of long-term innovation strategies for transformation towards sustainable, post-carbon futures. This means development of ‘shadow track strategies’ so that short-term innovation can be aligned with long-term requirements. Currently the research at the intersection between business innovation and sustainability transformations is significantly underdeveloped.

Dr. Idil Gaziulusoy’s research builds theory and practical tools to help businesses achieve alignment between design and innovation efforts with long-term societal visions through mediation of business strategy.

And how does the talk transfer into today’s global business environment? We have invited Dr. Heli Antila, the Vice President, Biobased Solutions at Fortum to join the event for an interesting dialogue. For Fortum climate change is one of the main drivers behind its strategy. Heli Antila has extensive knowledge and leadership experience on sustainability on international level. She has also been nominated as an ambassador for clean energy by the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM).

Online Talks by Design Museum Helsinki Business network Design Club and Aalto University. Welcome!

DR. IDIL GAZIULUSOY, Professor, Sustainable Design, Aalto University:

İdil Gaziulusoy is a design researcher with a PhD in sustainability science from University of Auckland, New Zealand. Her research is situated within the emerging area of design for sustainability transitions. She is interested in the new ways of designing and the agencies enabled, enacted and embodied by design that emerge in transformations/transitions contexts. In her work she develops theories, tools and methods to link the day to day activities and strategic decisions of design and innovation teams to the longer-term, systemic and radical transformations which need to take place at the societal level to achieve sustainability.