Beat Affolter

Beat Affolter is a Professor of Corporate Finance at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) with a focus on Sustainability & Innovation. He leads the Department of Corporate Performance and Sustainable Financing and serves as a lecturer at the Universities of Zurich and Lucerne. His affiliations include the School of Management and Law at ZHAW, where he teaches modules in Finance & Asset Pricing, Corporate Finance & Financial Modeling, and Sustainable Finance.

• Research Interests: Sustainable Financing, Innovative Financing, Risk Management, Capital Structure, Financial Instruments, and Corporate Sustainability.
• Projects: Ongoing work in Sustainable Digital Finance, Integration of Sustainability Assessment in SME Financing, and Sustainability Training for UBS Switzerland AG.
• Networks: Green Fintech Network (Board Member), Swiss Sustainable Finance (Platform Leader), European Institute of Quantitative Finance (Advisory Board), and PRME Committee ZHAW SML (UN Principles of Responsible Management Education).

His recent publications emphasize Sustainable Finance, Fintech, Risk Management, and SMEs. Key trends include the role of digital solutions in sustainable lending, ESG integration in credit markets, and blockchain applications for Fairtrade producers. He actively participates in conferences like the Point Zero Forum and Sustainable Lending Report Launch Event, and contributes to reports such as the KMU ZH Monitor.