Department of Strategic Sustainable Development
Page Contents
Page Contents
The Department of Strategic Sustainable Development is a global meeting place for leadership and innovation with a focus on sustainability. We research, educate and collaborate with companies, municipalities and organisations that want to contribute to society's transition towards a sustainable future - while strengthening their own operations.
With our unique methodology and international network, we attract students and partners from all over the world. The department's work is an important part of BTH's vision to be a globally attractive knowledge community for applied IT and innovation for sustainable growth.
Read more about our programmes, research and collaborations below.
Research activities
The Department of Strategic Sustainable Development develops methods and tools to support decision-makers in different sectors. Our solutions help business leaders, product developers and business developers to create better products and services, improve energy and transportation systems and make strategic decisions from a sustainability perspective.
Our research has received high ratings from both the scientific community and the business community. In an independent review of research at BTH, the sustainability group was classified as excellent and internationally leading. The review assessed, among other things, publications, funding, collaborations within academia, business and society, and international visibility. The review team wrote, among other things:
"BTH has gained an excellent international recognition for its support to strategic sustainable development... has an excellent, uniquely large, incomparable and extraordinary well-established national and international network ...
Overall, this is an excellent research group performing excellent results"
One example of our success is our participation in 2017 in a special volume of the Journal of Cleaner Production focusing on leadership for sustainability.
“...the most outstanding special volume ever published in the journal.”
Donald Huisingh
Chefredaktör och grundare, Journal of Cleaner Production
We also offer a unique PhD program in Strategic Sustainable Development, which has attracted considerable international interest. The program provides PhD students with a broad skill set that combines sustainability science with innovation methodology. Graduates are able to coordinate collaborations across disciplines such as engineering, economics, natural and social sciences, as well as between sectors such as industry, energy, transport and public administration.
Find out more about our projects and collaborations, including SPIRIT - a center for sustainable product and service innovation - and the International Alliance for Strategic Sustainable Development, where our research group plays a central role.
Education and training
We see education as a key to sustainable development. Our education offerings are based on our world-leading research and have received excellent reviews from academia, industry and society.
The Master of Science in Strategic Leadership for Sustainability (MSLS) is our most internationally successful program. Since its inception in 2004, over 800 students from more than 90 countries and all continents have studied here. Each year we welcome participants from 20-30 different countries.
Here's how some former students and international experts describe the program:
“The year that changed my life. Words do not describe the power & impact of this Master´s program. People often ask me how I ended up working with what I do, and I always respond by saying that it was MSLS that provided me the clarity of the path ahead and the tools, skills and systems lens to take forward my talents into the world.”
Sarah Forrester-Wilson, MSLS 2016
“I wish we had a program similar to MSLS here at MIT.”
Otto Scharmer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
“I am completely blown away by how much I am learning, the commitment and passion from everyone and how well structured everything is.”
Victoria Karlsson, hållbarhetskonsult, Sverige
We also offer:
- Bachelor's and Master's level courses, both on campus and online.
- Tailor-made training for companies and organisations (contract training).
Our courses specialise in strategic sustainable development and leadership in complex contexts. By partnering with us, companies and organisations gain the tools and skills to navigate the sustainability challenges of today and tomorrow.
Contact us for more information
