Ville-Veikko Piispanen

Ville-Veikko Piispanen, D.Sc. (Econ.), Docent, serves as a Research Manager at the University of Eastern Finland. My mission is to generate new research-based knowledge and understanding of society’s sustainability transition from the perspectives of entrepreneurship, innovation management, ecosystems, and the circular economy. I study how entrepreneurs and firms seek to reshape and transform their business operations toward sustainable circularity—often within markets still dominated by linear logic. This involves developing new business opportunities, business models, and value-creating innovations in contexts where social, environmental, and economic pressures demand systemic change.

I am particularly interested in how the possibilities for sustainable business emerge amid uncertainty and change, and how companies can build legitimacy for new ways of operating—even when prevailing norms remain largely linear. In this context, my work examines circular entrepreneurship, ecosystem formation, the potential of digital platforms, and value co-creation as collaborative practices that enable circular solutions.

My goal is to advance academic discussion while simultaneously producing practical insights for organizations and policymakers because building a sustainable future is not only a research agenda but an ongoing societal task.

I conduct my research within the Centre for Sustainable Circular Economy (CECE) and the SunLab research group at the University of Eastern Finland, Business School.