How can companies make sustainable decisions that also take nature's worth into account? The research program Mistra BIOPATH at Lund University will now receive 50 million SEK from Mistra for another four years to examine this question.
The programme focuses on how biodiversity can become a natural part of corporate strategies and financial decision‑making. Today, the value of nature is often missing from economic calculations, which contributes to species loss and the degradation of ecosystems.
The goal going forward is to move from understanding to broader implementation across the value chain and to make biodiversity a more integrated part of economic and strategic decisions. To achieve this, the program will be organized into three thematic research packages in the next phase, led by interdisciplinary teams, with a focus on promoting learning processes and capacity building within policy, industry, and the financial system.
"The work takes place in close collaboration with partners in industry and finance to develop and implement concrete strategies and tools. At the same time, the focus is on biodiversity in relation to preparedness and the protection of nature's value," says Susanne Arvidsson, senior lecturer and associate professor at the School of Economics and Management at Lund University, and program director for Mistra BIOPATH.
Focus on implementation
The programme started in 2022 and is an international collaboration between several universities and a broad network of actors from business and the public sector. With the new funding, the research can continue to develop innovative solutions that will be tested in practice.
"With a strong foundation from the first phase, Mistra BIOPATH is now taking a crucial step from understanding to implementation. Considering the interdisciplinary team behind Mistra BIOPATH, Lund University, and especially the School of Economics and Management, offer a unique environment with established infrastructure and long experience of interdisciplinary collaboration. This environment enables us to effectively combine scientific excellence with practical relevance. As programme director, I ensure that these strengths are translated into coordinated action, where companies and financial actors integrate biodiversity into core strategies and investment decisions to drive the transition toward a nature‑positive economy," says Susanne Arvidsson.
Supporting companies in transition
The goal is to promote companies for an efficient transitioning contributing to a more sustainable economy. The program focuses particularly on sectors with significant impact on natural resources, such as agriculture, forestry, and energy.
"It is a great privilege to have the opportunity to conduct research that is both of high scientific quality and directly relevant for decision‑making and transition in business, the financial sector, and society," says Susanne Arvidsson.
The programme involves researchers from several faculties at Lund University, as well as researchers from the University of Gothenburg and the University of Exeter, together with a broad network of actors from business, finance, the public sector, and municipalities.
