Björn Sandén

Björn Sandén serves as Professor of Innovation and Sustainability at Chalmers University of Technology within the Division of Environmental Systems Analysis. His academic work bridges engineering, policy, and social sciences to address critical sustainability challenges through interdisciplinary collaboration.

His research centers on climate and technology policy frameworks, life cycle assessment methodologies, technological innovation systems, and industrial transitions. Sandén investigates how economic, technological, and policy interactions can foster environmentally benign innovations while avoiding unsustainable pathways, with particular focus on renewable energy systems and nanotechnology applications. His approach integrates perspectives from sociology, economics, chemistry, and physics to tackle complex sustainability problems.

Recent publications demonstrate strong emphasis on prospective life cycle assessment techniques, metal scarcity analyses in automotive systems, and sociotechnical dimensions of global energy transitions. Key contributions include terminology standardization for future-oriented LCA, structural analyses of technological innovation systems, and critical evaluations of photovoltaic adoption in Sweden.

Sandén actively engages with public discourse through frequent lectures, media appearances in newspapers, radio, and television, and contributions to the Swedish Climate Policy Council's annual reports, translating academic insights into actionable policy recommendations.