Finland Futures Research Centre participates in long-term research and development to promote everyday sustainability. In our research, we focus especially on the sustainability of everyday activities of an individual. We analyse and support change toward sustainable everyday choices. In addition, we develop multidisciplinary joint competencies that support sustainable lifestyles, for example by, involving citizens and organizations in various processes that promote sustainable everyday life.
Our recent research projects have focused particularly on sustainable food consumption and climate-friendly energy. We also study bioeconomy, human-ecosystem relationship, sustainable mobility and the promotion of healthy lifestyles. Systemic understanding and people's experiences of everyday life, lifestyle changes and their futures are important in understanding and enabling transitions towards sustainable everyday life. As methods, we use, e.g., futures workshops, scenario and Delphi processes, various methods for identifying weak signals and ethnographic methods.
Ongoing Research and Development Projects:
The CHILL project researches and develops solutions that enable Finnish organizations to tap into hybrid work as a competitive advantage. The study looks at how a hybrid work culture can be built to support communality, learning and innovation. In addition, the project examines what kinds of changes hybrid work requires from management and HR practices and what kinds of impacts it has on well-being at work.
The project will result in new hybrid work models, management practices and workspace solutions that strengthen communality, well-being and work performance and can be widely used in Finnish workplaces.
The project will be carried out as a learning network of more than 30 organizations, and the results can be applied to practically any organization that uses hybrid work.
The project is funded by Business Finland and conducted in co-operation between the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and Turku School of Economics under the University of Turku during 15.5.2025–31.3.2028.
Further information: Riku Santala, FFRC
The ReNuW-Hubs project improves nutrient (phosphorus and nitrogen) recycling and water reuse from community wastewater, including human sludge, using a physico-chemical treatment system housed in a 20-foot mobile container (MWWTD). The project enhances the system’s efficiency and promotes the use of recycled nutrients and reclaimed water for irrigation by farmers, horticulturalists, and municipalities.
As drought and production costs rise, demand for recycled resources grows. Unlike large-scale centralized systems, the mobile unit allows earlier nutrient recovery, increasing efficiency and producing irrigation water and hydro-char.
ReNuW-Hubs also explores barriers and opportunities through futures methods (e.g. Delphi, horizon scanning), cost-benefit analysis, and end-user interviews to assess attitudes, preferences, and product-market fit.
ReNuW-Hubs is a Interreg Central Baltic Programme 2021–2027 project co-funded by the European Union. The project is carried out by University of Turku, Finland Futures Research Centre (Finland) as a lead partner, with project partners:
- Keep Archipelago Tidy Association (Finland),
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd (Finland),
- Estonian University of Life Science (Estonia),
- University of Latvia (Latvia) &
- Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies (Latvia).
Project duration: 1.5.2025–30.4.2028
Further information: Veijo Pönni, Anna Kirveennummi & Riikka Saarimaa
Project website: https://centralbaltic.eu/project/renuw-hubs/
TransFarm project aims to increase the adoption of circular soilless farming for urban farmers.
The project is funded by EUs Interreg Central Baltic programme.
> Read more about the project.
Further information: Veijo Pönni, Finland Futures Research Centre
This study brings together a unique team of researchers and methods from fields of spatial and land use planning, housing design, architecture, facility management, urban physics and environmental health, real estate, and futures studies.
We will present a novel understanding on how different work settings, including homes, workplaces and third places contribute directly and indirectly to social and environmental impacts. Concrete spatial solutions for different types of organizations and individuals will be provided. Key elements for optimization of corporate workplace strategies will be identified.
>> Read more about the project
Research partners:
- Aalto University, coordinator
- Finland Futures Research Centre, University of Turku and
- Tampere University (with two departments)
Research team: Juha Kaskinen (PI), Sirkka Heinonen, Juho Ruotsalainen, Mikkel Stein Knudsen, Amos Taylor & Joni Karjalainen.
This project has received funding from the European Union – NextGenerationEU instrument and is funded by the Academy of Finland under grant number 353326.
Further information: Sirkka Heinonen
