Malla Mattila

Educational background and teaching themes:

I hold a Doctor of Science in Economics and Business Administration. I also serve as a Docent (adjuct professor) in Digital and Sustainable Business at LUT University’s School of Business, Finland.

I work at the Faculty of Management and Business as a University Lecturer and Academic Director of the international Master’s Degree Programme in Leadership for Change (LFC).

My teaching focuses on themes such as sustainability and the circular economy, case study research, platform business, and supervision of master’s theses.

Research interests:

My research combines themes from strategic business management, strategic marketing, sustainability, consumption, sociomateriality, and (emerging) technology business. I aim to promote the development of sustainable business solutions and consumption practices in society. You can find my latest publications below (please scroll down to view them).

I am one of the founding members of the research group on food waste and the circular economy, known as WASTEBUSTERS. Our group seeks to address various sustainability challenges through research and to support the transition toward a sustainable circular economy.

Ongoing research projects where I am involved with:

• CARE Project: Promotes household-level transition to the circular economy in five countries (Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, and Estonia), focusing on food waste and clothing consumption. Funded by the European Union (2024–2027).
• CIRCEX Project: Investigates human experiences of the circular economy in the context of plastics. Funded by the Academy of Finland (2024–2027).

Completed research projects:

• LOWINFOOD Project: Focused on reducing food waste and related innovations. Funded by the European Union (2020–2025).
• IN2FOOD Project: Concentrated on managing food waste by creating and developing interdisciplinary courses, a research center, and a master’s programme. Conducted in collaboration with Indonesian university partners and funded by the European Union’s Erasmus+ Capacity Building for Higher Education programme (2021–2024).
• WASTE MATTERS Project: Used qualitative research methods to explore the role of change agents in the circular economy transition. Funded by the Foundation for Economic Education (Liikesivistysrahasto) from 2020 to 2023.