IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet

What IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet does

IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet is an independent Swedish environmental research institute founded in 1966 and headquartered in Stockholm, operating as a private Aktiebolag with a 251–500 employee range. It combines applied research — covering the full sustainability field from traditional environmental science to economics, behavioural science and social science — with commissioned consultancy assignments for businesses, authorities, municipalities and organisations. Research and development accounts for approximately half of total activity, complemented by smaller and larger client assignments and a distinctive co-financed research model that pools state and industry funding. The institute monetises work through professional-services fees, recurring research funding, event/course fees, and a portfolio of wholly-owned or jointly-controlled subsidiary platforms (BM, BASTA, CCBuild, EPD International, Möbelfakta, eBVD, IVL Sustainable Building) that operate standards, certification systems and digital climate calculation tools across the Swedish and Nordic construction sectors.

The commercial footprint is anchored in Sweden — with offices in Stockholm (including the SWIC Water Innovation Centre jointly operated with KTH), Gothenburg, Malmö and Gotland — and was extended in 2025 internationally via the acquisition of WASH Governance, which added offices in Bogotá and Amman and projects in over 30 countries annually, including a partnership with UNICEF. Notable physical assets and initiatives include the Siptex automated textile sorting plant in Malmö (24,000 tonnes/year, launched 2020), SWIC at Loudden (opened April 2024), and the Kristineberg Marine Research Station for marine pollution and sustainable aquaculture research. Named clients span enterprise (Nederman, Camfil), municipalities (Stockholm Vatten och Avfall, Syvabs), academia (Stockholm University) and intergovernmental organisations (UNICEF), with revenue mix diversified across five customer segments.

The 2025 annual report records good profitability across the group, parent and subsidiaries with growth of just over 8% in the parent company. AI/ML capabilities appear inside specific research programs (eDNA biodiversity detection, PFAS modelling, digital twins for water, predictive analytics for climate adaptation and dam safety) rather than as standalone commercial products, and the institute's competitive position rests on proprietary standards platforms, accredited analysis methods, multidisciplinary talent, regulatory expertise (SBTi, CSRD/ESRS, EU chemicals), and long-anchored municipal and enterprise relationships.

Name

IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet

Legal name

IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet AB

Website

https://ivl.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet is an independent Swedish environmental research institute founded in 1966 that delivers applied research, consultancy, and digital sustainability tools to businesses, governments, municipalities, and international organizations across more than 30 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Research and Sustainability Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Circularity Consulting & Program Management (EPR, Design-for-Circularity, LCA) (EUAIANAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH), Monitoring & Control (Dosing Systems, Remote Monitoring, Sensors) (BPABAJAK)

Keywords

• Environmental research consulting
• Sustainability advisory services
• Life cycle assessment
• Circular construction platforms
• Climate impact analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Commissioned Work/Consulting Assignments: IVL performs both smaller and larger assignments for customers in business, authorities, municipalities, and organizations. Anyone who hires IVL gets all their research included.
2. Applied Research: Research and development constitutes about half of IVL's total activity alongside commissioned work. Covers the entire sustainability field from traditional environmental science to economics, behavioral science and social science.
3. Co-financed Research: IVL's co-financed research programs are a unique opportunity for companies to conduct research projects with financing from both state and industry.
4. Event Services: IVL organizes seminars, courses and conferences. Some events are free while others are chargeable. Paid events require payment within 30 days via invoice.
5. Subsidiary Operations: Revenue from wholly-owned and partially-owned subsidiaries including BASTA, BM (climate calculation platform), CCBuild, EPD International, Möbelfakta, and eBVD.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet is an independent Swedish environmental research institute that delivers applied research, commissioned consulting, and accredited laboratory and analysis services across the entire sustainability field. It also develops and operates proprietary digital platforms (BM, BASTA, CCBuild, EPD International, Möbelfakta, eBVD) used by the construction sector and other industries to manage environmental data, hazardous substances, life cycle assessments, and circular construction workflows. The 2025 acquisition of WASH Governance extends its advisory footprint into water, sanitation, and hygiene governance for international and public-sector clients.

Product overview

IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet operates as an independent research institute offering applied research and consultancy services across the entire sustainability field. The portfolio consists of a core research and consultancy platform complemented by specialized digital tools and subsidiaries. Key products include BM (Byggsektorns Miljöberäkningsplattform) for building climate calculations, BASTA for construction product environmental assessment, CCBuild for circular construction, EPD International for environmental product declarations, Möbelfakta for furniture sustainability labeling, and eBVD for digital construction environmental information. IVL Sustainable Building is a wholly-owned subsidiary driving CCBuild and BM. The institute also operates research stations including SWIC (Sjöstadsverket Water Innovation Centre) and Kristineberg Center for marine research. Services encompass laboratory and analysis, WASH governance, Science Based Targets support, and digital services for sustainable business operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BASTA: A qualification system for products in the building sector providing a public database enabling safe and toxin-free material choices
• BM (Byggsektorns Miljöberäkningsplattform)
• CCBuild (Centrum för cirkulärt byggande)
• EPD International
• Möbelfakta
• IVL Sustainable Building
• SWIC (Sjöstadsverket Water Innovation Centre)

Products and services

• BM (Byggsektorns Miljöberäkningsplattform) Digital environmental calculation platform for the Swedish construction sector that supports life cycle assessments, climate declarations, and building material calculations for contractors, manufacturers, and public-sector builders.
• BASTA Environmental assessment system that evaluates and registers construction products free from hazardous substances, used by building product manufacturers and procurement clients to meet chemical-compliance requirements.
• CCBuild Digital services supporting circular construction, enabling material passports, reuse workflows, and circularity data exchange for the Swedish construction sector.
• EPD International Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) system that develops and verifies standardized environmental product declarations for construction and manufacturing products based on LCA methodology.
• Möbelfakta Furniture sustainability labeling and certification system that verifies environmental, quality, and social criteria for furniture products, serving furniture manufacturers and public procurement.
• eBVD Digital solution for building material declarations that captures and shares product environmental data across construction projects, replacing manual BVD processes with structured data exchange.
• WASH Governance Advisory service for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) governance targeting international organizations, governments, and development agencies working in low-resource and developing-market contexts.
• Laboratory and Analysis Services Accredited environmental laboratory and analysis services, including eDNA-based environmental monitoring, chemical and biological testing, and bespoke sample analysis for industrial, public, and research clients.
• Science Based Targets Advisory Advisory service that helps companies and organizations set, validate, and operationalize Science Based Targets (SBT) for greenhouse-gas emissions reductions aligned with climate science.
• Climate Declarations for Buildings Service for producing and reporting climate declarations for buildings, supporting compliance with Swedish and EU climate reporting requirements for property owners, developers, and contractors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 24,000 tons annual textile sorting capacity through Siptex plant
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• UnicefcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership established through acquisition of WASH Governance, working internationally on water and sanitation solutions in areas with severe water scarcity. IVL WASH Governance collaborates with Unicef on sustainable water governance projects.
• KTH (Royal Institute of Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSWIC (Sjöstadsverket Water Innovation Centre) is jointly operated by IVL and KTH. The facility tests and develops new technology for water purification and resource recovery from wastewater. Started in 2008 at Henriksdalsberget, now located at Loudden in Stockholm.
• Stockholm Vatten och AvfallcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term collaboration on membrane bioreactor (MBR) optimization at wastewater treatment facilities. The partnership spans 15 years and focuses on biological phosphorus removal and membrane technology.
• Malmö StadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration in the 3-30-300+ research project developing urban greenery solutions for the dense city. Project aims to integrate small-scale greenery with trees to promote multifunctionality of urban green space.
• Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet (SLU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration in the 3-30-300+ project focused on urban greenery research and sustainable city development practices.
• Göteborgs botaniska trädgårdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration in the 3-30-300+ project developing and designing solutions for integrating greenery in urban environments.
• ByggföretagenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-owner of BASTA-system along with IVL. BASTA provides a public database enabling safe and toxin-free material choices for the construction industry.
• ByggmaterialindustriernamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-owner of eBVD i Norden AB with IVL. Company facilitates digitization of the construction process for manufacturers and builders.
• Trä- och Möbelföretagen (TMF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-owner of Möbelfakta along with IVL. Möbelfakta is a reference and labeling system for furniture meeting quality, environmental and social responsibility requirements.
• Siptex Consortium Partners (21 partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium including Berendsen, Boer Group, Eco TLC, Gina Tricot, H&M, Human Bridge, Ica, Ikea, Kappahl, Kemikalieinspektionen, Kretslopp och vatten, Malmö Stad, Myrorna, Naturvårdsverket, Re:newcell, Röda korset, Stadium, Stockholm vatten och avfall, Sysav, and VTT working on automated textile sorting for recycling.
• CamfilmajorOthersLong-term partnership where IVL supports Camfil's air filtration development, helping ensure solutions remain at the forefront. IVL serves as important development partner.
• Syvabs (Himmerfjärdsverket)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on combining MBR technology with powdered activated carbon dosing to remove micropollutants including pharmaceuticals and PFAS from wastewater.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• TNO: Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, operating applied research institutes across environment, water, and circular economy. Mirrors IVL's positioning as an independent research organization with commercial consulting, particularly relevant for IVL's WASH and circular construction work.
• VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland: Finland's state-owned applied research organization with significant activity in environmental, water, and bioeconomy research. Closely comparable in mission, scale, and the blend of public-interest research with commercial consulting, and a natural counterpart to IVL in the Nordic research ecosystem.
• SINTEF: Norway's largest independent research institute, conducting applied research across sustainability, climate, water, and circular economy. Direct structural and mission parallel to IVL: nonprofit-style applied research with commercial consulting arms, similar Nordic public-sector funding model, and overlapping environmental and water expertise.
• DHI: Denmark-based water and environment research/consulting firm with proprietary modelling tools and global reach. Directly comparable to IVL's water practice — particularly SWIC, MBR work, PFAS research, and WASH governance — and similarly blends domain science with commercial software and consulting.
• Fraunhofer Society: Germany's largest applied research organization with multiple institutes working on environmental, water, and circular economy topics. Closest European analogue to IVL in the applied-research-meets-consulting model, with comparable headcount scale and a similar mix of public and industry funding.

Broad incumbents

• Sweco: Sweden-headquartered European engineering and environmental consulting firm with significant Nordic and EU environmental advisory practice. Overlaps with IVL on water, climate, and circular construction advisory but at much larger scale and as a publicly listed engineering firm rather than a research institute.
• COWI: Denmark-based international engineering, environment, and water consulting group. Competes with IVL on Nordic water, climate adaptation, and environmental infrastructure mandates, and is a relevant broad incumbent given IVL's aspirations to scale beyond research-only engagements.
• WSP: Global professional services firm with strong Nordic footprint (including via the former Golder acquisition). Competes with IVL on environmental impact assessment, water, and climate advisory at enterprise scale, and represents the larger-incumbent threat on multi-year mandates.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): Global pure-play environmental, sustainability, and EHS consultancy serving large multinationals. Represents the global incumbent threat to IVL's enterprise sustainability, SBTi, and LCA work, and a likely channel partner or competitor as European clients seek global delivery capabilities.
• Ramboll: Denmark-rooted global engineering, environment, and sustainability consultancy with deep Nordic presence. Comparable to IVL in environmental and water consulting, but operating as a much larger, globalized firm serving enterprise and public-sector clients across CSRD, climate, and water mandates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMXMaOYCBWbtMhiRyj06xbA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ivl-svenska-miljoinstitutet
• Xx.com/IVLSvenskaMiljo

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IVL Svenska Miljöinstitutet