Personal profile
Expertise area
I help organisations create more sustainable business practices through my expertise in sustainability, research and business. My experience includes business advisory; market and sustainability research; product, business process and business model development; and business, brand and project management roles. I have industry expertise in fashion and apparel and strong knowledge of forestry and agriculture. My ambition is to advance global sustainable development working in, and with, the interlinked value networks of these sectors to improve current practices and find new more sustainable solutions. My doctoral dissertation (Econ. and Bus. Adm.), delved into the intricacies of sustainable consumption in the context of fashion and clothing. It emphasised the critical role of understanding customers and crafting compelling value propositions to drive progress in sustainable consumption and production.
Research interests
Sustainability transitions, sustainable business foresight, sustainable business models, sustainable business research, business sustainability management, sustainability assessments, sustainability strategy, marketing, bioeconomy, circular economy, textiles, fashion, clothing, apparel, forest sector, agriculture, food
Education/Academic qualification
D. Sc. (Econ. & Bus. Adm.), 2011, Aalto University School of Business
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 2 Zero Hunger -
SDG 4 Quality Education -
SDG 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth -
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure -
SDG 12 Responsible Consumption and Production -
SDG 13 Climate Action -
SDG 15 Life on Land
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Projects
- 2 Active
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CRAFT-IT4SD: Craft Revitalization Action for Futureproofing the Transition to Innovative Technologies for Sustainable Development
Markkula, A. (Manager), Pihkola, H. (Owner), Petänen, P. (Participant), Paronen, E. (Participant), Hylkilä, E. (Participant), Tuovila, H. (Participant) & Forin, S. (Participant)
1/01/24 → 31/12/26
Project: EU project
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REFOLUTION: Refinery integration, scale-up and certification for aviation and marine biofuels production
Lindfors, C. (Manager), Oasmaa, A. (Owner), Sirous-Rezaei, P. (Participant), Wessberg, N. (Participant), Ohra-aho, T. (Participant), Sarvola, I.-M. (Participant), Hepo-oja, L. (Participant), Markkula, A. (Participant) & Salo, M. (Participant)
1/01/23 → 31/12/26
Project: EU project
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Analysing the climate impacts of SME fashion business models
Forin, S., Hylkilä, E., Markkula, A., Paronen, E. & Pihkola, H., 16 Sept 2025, CRAFT-IT4SD project.Research output: Other contribution › Blog/Web article › General public
Open Access -
Climate impact assessment of current business models in the pilot sites: Deliverable D5.2
Markkula, A., Forin, S., Hylkilä, E., Paronen, E., Pihkola, H. & Tuovila, H., 30 Jun 2025, CRAFT-IT4SD project. 130 p.Research output: Book/Report › Report
Open Access -
Mapping and descriptions of current business models in selected pilot sites: Deliverable 5.1
Markkula, A., Petänen, P. & Tuovila, H., 30 Apr 2025, CRAFT-IT4SD project. 65 p.Research output: Book/Report › Report
Open Access -
Social-LCA providing new insights and learnings for social responsibility—case pulp and paper industry
Pihkola, H., Hylkilä, E., Paronen, E., Markkula, A. & Liirus, H., Jun 2025, In: International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment. 30, p. 1435-1450 16 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Scientific › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)29 Downloads (Pure) -
Supporting user resource stewardship with sufficiency-based circular business models: Exploration within the European fashion industry
Tuovila, H., Petänen, P. & Markkula, A., 2025, p. 120. 1 p.Research output: Contribution to conference › Conference Abstract › Scientific › peer-review
Activities
- 1 Conference presentation
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Analysing the climate impacts of selected SME fashion business models in Europe
Hylkilä, E. (Speaker), Forin, S. (Contributor) & Markkula, A. (Contributor)
10 Sept 2025Activity: Talk or presentation types › Conference presentation