Salvatore Ruggiero

Salvatore Ruggiero serves as an Associate Professor in the Department of Social Sciences at the School of Engineering Science, LUT University. He also holds the title of Docent (Adjunct Professor) in Sustainable Entrepreneurship at the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, and is a member of the Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science (HELSUS).

His research interest lies at the intersection of social innovation, business renewal, and sustainability transitions. Much of his academic work has concentrated on the energy transition, exploring the pivotal role of active citizenship and public participation in driving socio-technical change. Ruggiero's work has delved into energy prosumerism, community-based renewable energy generation, the social acceptability of renewable energy technologies and infrastructures, and energy justice. Currently, he is investigating the emerging phenomenon of energy communities in Europe, aiming to understand and quantify the social impact of these hybrid organisations. He has also been interested in business model innovation for demand-side management in Finland.

Ruggiero is actively involved in the Phoenix (Pathways out of Energy Crises towards a Resilient and Just Energy System) project, funded by the Strategic Research Council (SRC) of Finland and led by LUT University. He is part of Work Package 1, focusing on providing key conceptual foundations and stakeholder considerations for enhancing energy justice and resilience in the Finnish energy system.

His academic journey includes roles as a visiting scholar at the Austrian Institute of Innovation (AIT) in Vienna and as a visiting professor at the Department of Management, Economics, and Industrial Engineering (DIG) of Politecnico di Milano. Salvatore earned his PhD in Corporate Environmental Management from the University of Jyväskylä. Before joining LUT, he worked at the Aalto University School of Business and the Centre for Consumer Society Research at the University of Helsinki.

Teaching:

• Transition Studies and Innovation Policy, 5 ECTS
• Renewable Energy Policy, 5 ECTS
• Sustainable Strategy (Joint Course with LUT Business School), 6 ECTS