CIRCLE, Lund University

What CIRCLE, Lund University does

CIRCLE (Centre for Innovation Research) is a non-profit interdisciplinary research center at Lund University in Sweden, founded in 2004. It conducts research on innovation processes, economic geography, and sustainability transitions, and serves as a hub for academic inquiry and policy-relevant analysis rather than a commercial enterprise. The center employs more than 50 staff and researchers, operates nine interconnected research themes spanning green transitions, digital transformations, and innovation policy, and was ranked the leading innovation research center in Sweden in 2010. Its director is Markus Grillitsch.

The center's outputs are predominantly academic—peer-reviewed publications (approximately 200 in 2024), policy briefs, and conference contributions—rather than commercial products. CIRCLE does not operate a traditional product business model; instead, it is funded through competitive grants from Swedish research funding bodies (notably Vinnova and Vetenskapsrådet), the European Union, and various foundations. Educational activities are emerging as a complement to research, with a new Master's programme in Innovation and Societal Change planned for 2026 and existing doctoral training, alongside a newly introduced Responsible AI course.

The center's "customers" are effectively its funders and the academic and policy community it serves. CIRCLE is institutionally embedded within Lund University, one of Scandinavia's leading research universities, and its interdisciplinary research structure, multi-decade publication record, and relationships with major public funders together form the basis of its competitive position in the Swedish and European innovation studies landscape.

Name

CIRCLE, Lund University

Legal name

CIRCLE (Centre for Innovation Research) at Lund University

Website

https://circle.lu.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CIRCLE is a non-profit interdisciplinary research center at Lund University conducting research on innovation, economic geography, and sustainability transitions. It serves academic and policy communities, is funded by Swedish and EU grants, and is expanding into graduate education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Major Extension & Outreach Missions (EDAHAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Circular Economy & Resource Efficiency (BPADALAM), Research, Capstone & Extended Essay Mentoring (IB EE, independent research) (EDANAKAH)

Keywords

• Innovation research
• Policy briefs
• Academic publishing
• Sustainability transitions
• Entrepreneurship studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Lund

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Institutional Funding: CIRCLE receives primary funding from Swedish government agencies including Vinnova (Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems), Vetenskapsrådet (Swedish Research Council), Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, Formas, Energimyndigheten, Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, and The Rausing Foundation. Additional funding comes from European Commission grants and Forskningsrådet (Norwegian Research Council). The center was established in 2004 with a 6-year grant from Vinnova and matching funding from Lund University.
2. Educational Programs: CIRCLE contributes to master's level education and PhD courses, generating some revenue through tuition and program coordination. The center launched a new international Master's programme 'Innovation and Societal Change' at Campus Helsingborg starting August 2026, expected to welcome 25 students.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CIRCLE is an interdisciplinary academic research center at Lund University that conducts research on innovation processes, sustainability transitions, and entrepreneurship. It delivers graduate-level teaching (a Master's programme in Innovation and Societal Change, doctoral courses, and the EU-SPRI Autumn School), publishes working papers and policy briefs, hosts visiting scholars, and runs seminar and outreach events.

Product overview

CIRCLE (Centre for Innovation Research) is an interdisciplinary research center at Lund University that functions as an incubator, coordinator, and implementer of innovation research across faculties. CIRCLE offers a portfolio of educational programmes (including a new Master's Programme in Innovation and Societal Change launching in 2026, PhD courses through EU-SPRI and NORSI), research publications (working papers, policy briefs, video interviews), nine thematic research programmes, and a visiting scholars programme. The center does not offer commercial products or software but provides academic research services, educational programmes, and policy-oriented publications focused on understanding how innovation can contribute to a good society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master's Programme in Innovation and Societal Change Interdisciplinary Master's-level graduate degree for students seeking training in innovation studies and societal change.
• EU-SPRI Autumn School Intensive short-course offering within the EU-SPRI network, delivered as a recurring academic school for innovation-studies researchers and students.
• Visiting Scholars Programme Short- to medium-term hosted research visits at CIRCLE for external academic researchers wishing to engage with Lund University's innovation-studies environment.
• CIRCLE Policy Briefs Concise, policy-oriented publications that translate CIRCLE research for policy and public-sector audiences.
• CIRCLE Working Papers Peer-style academic working papers disseminating CIRCLE research to scholarly audiences.
• CIRCLE Research Themes A bundle of thematic research areas — including sustainability transitions, entrepreneurship, and knowledge democratization — that structure CIRCLE's research portfolio.
• Knowledge Democratization Seminar Series Recurring seminar series hosting talks on the theme of knowledge democratization, aimed at academic and policy audiences.
• Coffee Break with Researchers Informal outreach event/series offering a less formal engagement venue between CIRCLE researchers and external audiences.

Quantifiable outcome

• Publications increased from ~60 in 2018 to ~200 in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Länsförsäkringar Research FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Partner in the Almedalen panel discussion on crisis preparedness, with Peter Griepenkerl Lööf, Head of Research, participating as panel member alongside CIRCLE researchers.
• European UnionmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Alice Bah Kuhnke, Member of the European Parliament, participated in the Almedalen panel discussion hosted by CIRCLE.
• BMW GroupmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 November 2025Philipp Janello, Head of Academic Relations and Innovation Politics at BMW Group, presented at a CIRCLE seminar on 'Industry – University Cooperation – a Key Factor for Innovation', highlighting areas of cooperation including joint research projects, teaching initiatives, and internships.
• Swedish Interaction Platform for Research on System Transformation (STIPP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVINNOVA-funded strategic platform bringing together Lund University (CIRCLE), Stockholm University, Stockholm School of Economics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Chalmers University of Technology for research on system transformation and innovation policy.
• NanoLundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the annual Innovation Research Day event, bringing together researchers from natural sciences and engineering with social sciences to explore advanced materials, quantum technologies, and semiconductors.
• NORSI (Norwegian Research School in Innovation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of NORSI, contributing to and delivering PhD courses on innovation. CIRCLE develops and delivers PhD courses within this network.
• EU-SPRI (European Forum for Studies of Policies for Research and Innovation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive member of EU-SPRI, developing and delivering PhD courses on innovation policy. CIRCLE hosts the EU-SPRI Autumn School 2026 on Responsible AI.
• Stockholm UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipant in the Swedish Interaction Platform for Research on System Transformation (STIPP) along with CIRCLE and other Swedish universities.
• Stockholm School of EconomicsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipant in the Swedish Interaction Platform for Research on System Transformation (STIPP) along with CIRCLE and other Swedish universities.
• KTH Royal Institute of TechnologymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipant in the Swedish Interaction Platform for Research on System Transformation (STIPP) along with CIRCLE and other Swedish universities.
• Chalmers University of TechnologymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipant in the Swedish Interaction Platform for Research on System Transformation (STIPP) along with CIRCLE and other Swedish universities.
• IIIEE (International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating unit at Lund University participating in the 2025 Innovation Research Day and research agenda co-creation.
• LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating unit at Lund University participating in the 2025 Innovation Research Day and research agenda co-creation.
• Sten K. Johnson Centre for EntrepreneurshipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating unit at Lund University participating in the 2025 Innovation Research Day and research agenda co-creation.
• University of the Republic (Uruguay)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLecturers Judith Sutz (Professor of Science, Technology and Society) and Rodrigo Arocena (Professor of Science and Development) from University of the Republic deliver the Knowledge Democratization for Inclusive Innovation Systems seminar series.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LUCSUS (Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies): LUCSUS is Lund University's interdisciplinary center for sustainability studies. It co-participates in CIRCLE's Innovation Research Day and shares sustainability-transitions research themes with CIRCLE.
• IIIEE (International Institute for Industrial Environmental Economics), Lund University: IIIEE is a sister research center at Lund University focused on environmental economics and sustainability transitions. Collaborates with CIRCLE on Innovation Research Day and sustainability research, sharing Lund University infrastructure.
• Sten K. Johnson Centre for Entrepreneurship, Lund University: A Lund University research center focused on entrepreneurship research, partnering with CIRCLE on Innovation Research Day. Overlaps with CIRCLE's entrepreneurial experimentation and corporate venturing themes.
• NIFU (Nordic Institute for Studies of Innovation, Research and Education): NIFU is a Norwegian social-science research institute studying innovation, R&D policy, and higher education systems. Directly comparable to CIRCLE on Nordic public-policy research on innovation systems.
• Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIoIR), University of Manchester: MIoIR is a major European center conducting interdisciplinary research on innovation policy, innovation management, and sustainability transitions. Comparable in scale, research themes, and PhD training to CIRCLE.
• DRUID (Danish Research Unit on Industrial Dynamics), Copenhagen Business School: DRUID conducts research on innovation, entrepreneurship, and industrial dynamics, organizing annual conferences and PhD courses. It is a near-twin Nordic research milieu with overlapping themes in innovation studies and economic geography.
• Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition: Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition conducts interdisciplinary research on innovation and intellectual property from a social science perspective. Comparable to CIRCLE in producing high-impact academic research on innovation systems.
• SPRU (Science Policy Research Unit), University of Sussex: SPRU is one of Europe's longest-standing interdisciplinary research centers on innovation, science policy, and sustainability transitions, run within a public UK research university. Like CIRCLE it works across social sciences, hosts visiting scholars, runs PhD training, and engages policymakers via briefs and events.

Broad incumbents

• Fraunhofer ISI (Institute for Systems and Innovation Research): Fraunhofer ISI is a large German applied research institute conducting systems and innovation research, including policy advisory work. Broader in scope than CIRCLE but serves overlapping stakeholders.

Regional players

• STIPP (Swedish Transformative Innovation Policy Platform): STIPP is a Vinnova-funded platform co-hosted by CIRCLE alongside four other Swedish universities (Stockholm Univ, SSE, KTH, Chalmers). Functions as a strategic peer and joint policy-research consortium for transformative innovation policy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/circle-lund-university

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about CIRCLE, Lund University