Jarkko Levänen

Dr. Jarkko Levänen is an Associate professor of Sustainability science at LUT University’s Lahti Campus. He leads the Master’s programme in Circular economy and teaches courses on sustainability transitions and ecological economics. Jarkko is part of the Sustainability change group, and his research focuses on new socio-ecological models and prospects for strong sustainability across various societal sectors. He leads work package in the “Sustainable textile systems: Co-creating resource-wise business for Finland in global textile networks” project, funded by the Strategic research council of the Academy of Finland.

Jarkko has held several leading positions in projects funded by the EU Horizon programme, the Academy of Finland, and Business Finland. He has published over 50 peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and book chapters in the fields of sustainability science, environmental policy, and innovation studies. His research has earned him several recognitions, including the ASLA-Fulbright Graduate Grant. Before joining LUT in 2019, Jarkko worked at Aalto University and the University of Helsinki.

Jarkko is a member of the National committee of the Future Earth Finland and a vice board member of the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies (TSV). At LUT University, he serves in the board of Sustainable circulation of inorganic materials research platform (SCIMAT) and in the Ethics committee for human sciences. Previously, he has also served as the chair of the Finnish society for environmental social science (YHYS) and as a member of the advisory board of the Helsinki institute of sustainability science (HELSUS). He is also a supervisor in the national Sustainability transformations doctoral education pilot (SusTra).

Ongoing projects:

- Prosumer-driven green and digital transition towards de-centralized peer-to-peer energy communities: https://fusiongrid.cs.aalto.fi/proge/index.html

- Providing operational economic appraisal methods and practices for informed decision-making on climate and environmental policies: https://pattern-heu.eu

- Standardised, automated, safe and cost-efficient processing of end-of-life batteries for second and third life re-use and recycling: https://reinforceproject.eu/

- Sustainable textile systems: Co-creating resource-wise business for Finland in global textile networks: https://finix.aalto.fi/

- Collective stakeholder action for commons: Integrating business-stakeholder value creation with polycentric governance: https://www.action4commons.fi/

- Recycling of lithium from secondary raw materials and further: https://www.lithium-relief.eu/