Cali Nuur

Cali Nuur is Professor of Industrial Dynamics and Head of the Department of Industrial Economics and Management (INDEK) at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) in Stockholm, Sweden.

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His research explores how industries and technologies transform over time, with a particular focus on the roles of innovation, policy, and institutional frameworks in shaping long-term trajectories. Drawing on innovation theory, Cali investigates the mechanisms that enable or constrain transitions in sectors undergoing profound restructuring—especially in response to societal challenges such as climate change.

Over the past decade, Cali’s research has increasingly centered on sustainability-driven industrial transformation. He examines how climate imperatives and circular economy principles influence industrial change, with empirical studies on eco-innovations, low-carbon transitions, and the reconfiguration of supply chains in capital-intensive sectors.

He is currentl involved in two major research projects:

·       Circular Solar Panels (CircSolar) – funded by Vinnova, this project investigates how Sweden and Europe can develop circular value chains for end-of-life solar panels. The project is conducted in collaboration with industrial and policy partners and supported by the Axel Johnson Foundation for Sustainable Development.

·       Analyzing Circular Business Models and Circular Supply Chains in the Swedish Process Industry – supported by the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, this project explores how incumbent firms in the process industries (e.g., pulp and paper, steel, and chemical industries) are adapting/adapted to circular economy principles and what tensions and opportunities emerge in the process.

Cali has published extensively on these topics, with a portfolio of nearly 80 peer-reviewed journal articles, edited book chapters, and co-edited volumes. His work spans themes such as responsible innovation, regional industrial policy, sustainability transitions, and global-local dynamics in innovation systems.