Prof. Dr. Nicola Ursina Blum

Project Lead in Applied Research and Innovation Projects
Project lead for diverse research initiatives, with a particular focus on Innosuisse-funded projects and collaborative innovation formats. Current activities include leading contributions to the Future Urban Society Innovation Booster and the Innosuisse Flagship Project SWIRCULAR, which advances digital approaches for circular construction.

Lecturer in Social Innovation, Social Entrepreneurship, and the Circular Economy
Development and leadership of multiple undergraduate and graduate-level courses at the intersection of social innovation, social entrepreneurship, and circular economy. Teaching focuses on equipping students with conceptual frameworks, applied methods, and critical perspectives to design, evaluate, and scale solutions for complex societal and environmental challenges.

Circular Economy

Social Entrepreneurship Coaching

Social and Technological Innovations

Master Circular Innovation and Sustainability

Bachelor Business Administration

Social innovation

Social entrepreneurship

Circular economy/Kreislaufwirtschaft

Sustainability transformation in business and society

Circular construction

Soziale Innovation: Wie lassen sich soziale Innovationen breiter verankern, um die Nachhaltigkeitstransformation in Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft und Politik zu unterstützen?

Kreislaufwirtschaft: Wie lässt sich die Transformation ermöglichen? Mit besonderem Fokus auf monetäre Aspekte.

Co-lead of sub-project 7 of Innosuisse Flagship SWIRCULAR (see projects below)

Core team of FUS Innovation Booster (see projects below)

Future Urban Society (FUS) Innovation Booster

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Blum, N. U., Haupt, M., & Bening, C. R. (2020). Why “Circular” doesn’t always mean “Sustainable.” In Resources, Conservation and Recycling (Vol. 162). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.21769

Kulakovskaya, A., Knoeri, C., Radke, F., & Blum, N. U. (2023). Measuring the Economic Impacts of a Circular Economy: an Evaluation of Indicators. In Circular Economy and Sustainability (Vol. 3, Issue 2). https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.21766

Desing, H., & Blum, N. U. (2023). On Circularity, Complexity and (Elements of) Hope. In Journal of Circular Economy (Vol. 1, Issue 1). https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.21767

Bening, C. R., Pruess, J. T., & Blum, N. U. (2021). Towards a circular plastics economy: Interacting barriers and contested solutions for flexible packaging recycling. In Journal of Cleaner Production (Vol. 302). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.21768

Bening, C. R., Blum, N. U., & Schmidt, T. S. (2015). The need to increase the policy relevance of the functional approach to Technological Innovation Systems (TIS). In Environmental Innovation and Societal Transitions (Vol. 16). https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.21771

Blum, N. U., Bening, C. R., & Schmidt, T. S. (2015). An analysis of remote electric mini-grids in Laos using the Technological Innovation Systems approach. In Technological Forecasting and Social Change (Vol. 95). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.21770

Schmidt, T. S., Blum, N. U., & Sryantoro Wakeling, R. (2013). Attracting private investments into rural electrification — A case study on renewable energy based village grids in Indonesia. In Energy for Sustainable Development (Vol. 17, Issue 6). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.21772

Blum, N. U., Sryantoro Wakeling, R., & Schmidt, T. S. (2013). Rural electrification through village grids: Assessing the cost competitiveness of isolated renewable energy technologies in Indonesia. In Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (Vol. 22). Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.21774

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Blum, N. U., Müller, B., Sägesser, A., & Dey, P. (2024). Towards a systemic ecosystem perspective on the mainstreaming of innovative eco-social practices. 16th International Social Innovation Research Conference (ISIRC). https://doi.org/10.24451/arbor.22177

Member of scaling4good, a Swiss charitable think-and-do tank dedicated to accelerating societal transformation and scaling initiatives that contribute to human flourishing within planetary boundaries.

Board member of Foundation for the Third Millennium, contributing to the strategic development of a Swiss foundation. The foundation is committed to holistic sustainability, social justice, environmental protection, health, and economic independence.

Board member of Suivi, the alumni association of the Swiss Study Foundation, contributing to alumni engagement, event coordination, and the continued development of a cross-disciplinary network of former foundation scholars.