Maryna Henrysson

I am an Assistant Professor at the Division of Energy Systems, specialising in Circular Economy and Energy Systems at the Division of Energy Systems. I earned my PhD in Low-carbon Development from the Technical University of Denmark's Department of Technology, Management, and Economics. I also hold an MSc in Environmental Studies and Sustainability Science from Lund University.

My sustained interest lies in sustainability transformations, specifically at the intersection of climate action, energy systems, and governance. I explore how socio-ecological and socio-technical systems respond to unsustainable production, consumption, and investment patterns, investigating drivers of transformation, resistance to change, and necessary shifts for societal alignment.

In earlier research, I focused on the institutional economics of climate finance and investment flows in the global South, analysing climate change mitigation strategies in Mexico and Vietnam. My PhD thesis concerned the political economy of energy systems transformation and climate change mitigation governance in newly emerging economies. Upon joining KTH, my attention shifted to understanding sustainability and circularity performance of industrial and urban systems aiming for decarbonisation and dematerialisation alongside circular value proposition extraction, focusing on the institutional nature of change.

In the field of circular economy, my research emphasizes understanding change dynamics through analytical lenses highlighting political and spatial dimensions. I explore the interplay between interests, institutions, and ideas to comprehend the political aspects of socio-technical and socio-economic change. Using modelling, resource accounting methods and mixed-method approaches from sustainability science and economics, I investigate creating enabling environments and designing sustainable, circular economies at the meso level. Additionally, I contribute to the monitoring and evaluation field by assessing the role of indicator-based assessments in framing visions and pathways for a sustainable future, particularly in urban smart and sustainable transformation projects. Most recently, I have been engaged in research and capacity development to foster knowledge exchange, provide context-specific modelling toolkits, and leverage modelling expertise to advance climate-compatible development within the established energy planning ecosystems of the African Union  and the European Union.

Before joining the KTH Department of Energy, I worked at the UNEP Copenhagen Climate Center, focusing on capacity development in climate change mitigation policies. My role involved conducting institutional analyses of capacity development, technology transfer, and climate finance mechanisms.

In addition to my research responsibilities, I actively contribute to education in various courses at the MSc, PhD, and lifelong learning levels. My instructional focus revolves around circular economy and industrial and energy systems. Over my career at KTH, I have successfully supervised over 20 MSc students and mentored two PhD candidates.

Other assignments

Member of the management team for the CE@KTH Initiative