Center for Transformative Innovation

Where bold ideas meet real-world change

The Center for Transformative Innovation (CTI) was founded on a simple belief: transforming industries toward sustainability and carbon neutrality is not just possible, but necessary. And it requires a new way of thinking.

At CTI, researchers, innovators, and industry leaders come together to tackle the kinds of challenges that no single organization can solve alone. These are the “wicked problems” of our time: transitioning entire supply chains, coordinating large-scale investments, combining complex knowledge across sectors, and shifting the very structures that shape society. Such transformations are daunting, but they are also where the greatest opportunities for progress lie.

Embedded within the House of Innovation at the Stockholm School of Economics, CTI is uniquely positioned at the intersection of innovation, sustainability, and digitalization. This environment allows us to turn ambitious ideas into meaningful action.

Here, collaboration is not an afterthought; it is the foundation of everything we do.

Research areas

The research at the Center for Transformative Innovation (CTI) unfolds through two major themes.

The first explores how transformative innovation can reshape industry, from reimagining supply chains to understanding how organizations adapt to rapid change.

The second focuses on the journey toward net-zero emissions, investigating how businesses and society can shift toward sustainable, resilient systems that can stand the test of time.

Every day, our team of dedicated researchers works alongside leading experts from the House of Innovation, the broader SSE community, and international partners. Together, we build the insights and partnerships that help businesses navigate a changing world.

“Transformative innovation is about more than efficiency,” says Professor Blome, Director of CTI. “It’s about enabling organizations to become more sustainable, more resilient, and ultimately better prepared for the future.”

Hear from our affiliate researcher

The transition to a sustainable economy is not only about new technologies. It also requires new forms of collaboration between business, policymakers, researchers, and society. The Center for Transformative Innovation creates exactly the kind of environment needed to understand and accelerate these complex transformations.
Frank Geels
Professor, University of Manchester