Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM)

What Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM) does

Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM) operates today as Senter for global bærekraft (Centre for Global Sustainability), an interdisciplinary research and education centre at the University of Oslo (UiO). Established in 2024 as successor to the 30-year-old SUM centre, it consolidates sustainability research across UiO's faculties — natural sciences, medicine, social sciences, and humanities — into four thematic areas: Energy, Food and Resources; Health, Climate and Environment; Democracy, Governance and Social Justice; and Knowledge, Technology and Trust. The centre is led by Director Helge Jordheim (since June 2025) and Administrative Director Ane Marte Rasmussen, with a core team of 19 employees augmented by the broader UiO research community.

The centre offers a master's program and two sustainability certificates as part of UiO's public education system, alongside research projects, publications, and academic events. It is operationally embedded in UiO's cross-faculty initiatives (UiO:Demokrati, UiO:Livsvitenskap, UiO:Energi og miljø) and maintains international partnerships through Circle U European University Alliance and the Global University Academy. The centre plans to relocate to Bærekrafthuset (the former Pharmacy building at Blindern) in 2027 as a dedicated interdisciplinary sustainability facility.

The centre has no commercial revenue model; it is funded through UiO's public university budget and competitive research grants (e.g., Norwegian Research Council FRIPRO). Its go-to-market is academic rather than commercial — distributing research through publications, events (including Arendalsuka 2026 sessions), newsletters, and LinkedIn. Customer segments are internal (UiO students, researchers) and institutional (research partners, government, civil society collaborators), not transactional buyers. This is a public-good, non-commercial entity within Norway's higher education system.

Name

Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM)

Legal name

Senter for global bærekraft

Website

https://sum.uio.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Senter for global bærekraft (Centre for Global Sustainability) is an interdisciplinary research and education centre at the University of Oslo, succeeding the 30-year-old SUM. It conducts sustainability research across four thematic areas and offers a master's program and sustainability certificates to UiO students and researchers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

akta.pro primary industry

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI), Technical Universities with Energy, Materials & Sustainability Focus (EDAHAEAL)

Keywords

• Interdisciplinary sustainability research
• Higher education programs
• University research center
• Academic publications
• Climate and environment studies

Headquarters

HQ city

Oslo

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Centre for Global Sustainability (Senter for global bærekraft) is a university research centre at the University of Oslo that conducts interdisciplinary sustainability research across four thematic areas (Energy, Food and Resources; Health, Climate and Environment; Democracy, Governance and Social Justice; Knowledge, Technology and Trust), delivers a master's program with two sustainability certificates, and publishes research outputs and academic collaborations. It also hosts research groups and serves as a knowledge-sharing platform for sustainability research and education.

Product overview

Senter for global bærekraft (Centre for Global Sustainability) is a university research center at the University of Oslo that serves as a hub for interdisciplinary sustainability research, education, and knowledge sharing. The center houses both permanent and temporary research environments, offering research projects, publications, and educational programs including a master's degree and sustainability certificates. Research is organized around four thematic areas: Health/Climate/Environment, Knowledge/Technology/Trust, Democracy/Governance/Social Justice, and Energy/Food/Resources. The center also supports various initiatives including UiO:Democracy, UiO:Livsvitenskap (Life Science), and UiO:Energy and Environment research initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Master's Program in Sustainability Interdisciplinary master's degree program in sustainability offered through the University of Oslo, targeting graduate students seeking expertise spanning health, climate, environment, democracy, energy, and resources.
• Sustainability Certificates Two standalone sustainability certificates offered through the University of Oslo's sustainability certificate initiative, designed for students and professionals seeking credentialed sustainability expertise.
• Interdisciplinary Sustainability Research Projects Interdisciplinary research projects spanning global health, consumption, energy and resources, democracy, and sustainable development, carried out by UiO researchers and partners across the four thematic areas.
• Thematic Research Areas Program Four interdisciplinary thematic research areas organising the centre's work: Energy, Food and Resources; Health, Climate and Environment; Democracy, Governance and Social Justice; Knowledge, Technology and Trust.
• Public Sustainability Events and Conferences Public events and conferences organised by the centre, including sessions at Arendalsuka 2026 covering topics such as the Oslofjord ecosystem, 2050 future scenarios, and nature-based responsibility.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Circle U (European University Alliance)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university alliance providing global education collaborations. The centre participates in Circle U's educational initiatives, expanding access to sustainability education across European universities.
• Global University AcademycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports work to increase refugees' access to higher education. The centre contributes to Global University Academy's mission by providing expertise and collaboration on sustainability education for displaced populations.
• UiO:DemokraticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-faculty initiative at UiO focusing on research on democratic institutions, practices, participation, inequality, crisis management and the role of knowledge in society.
• UiO:Livsvitenskap (UiO:Life Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-faculty initiative conducting research to solve major societal challenges in health and environment, aligning with the centre's interdisciplinary approach.
• UiO:Energi og miljø (UiO:Energy and Environment)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-faculty initiative strengthening and promoting the breadth of UiO's activities within sustainable energy, climate and environment, complementing the centre's research focus areas.
• Grønt kontor (Green Office)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArena for students and employees with ideas and input on how UiO can become more sustainable. The centre collaborates on sustainability initiatives with this student-staff platform.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• NTNU Sustainability Research Group: Norwegian University of Science and Technology runs sustainability research and education across faculties. Comparable in mission and Nordic context, but is Norway's other large technical university rather than a direct Oslo-based competitor.
• PRIO (Peace Research Institute Oslo): Oslo-based research institute conducting interdisciplinary work on democracy, governance, and conflict. Comparable as a Norway-headquartered interdisciplinary research organisation with social-science focus overlapping the centre's Democracy, Governance and Social Justice theme.
• CICERO Center for International Climate Research: Oslo-based research centre focused on climate change research and policy. Comparable as a Norwegian interdisciplinary climate/sustainability research organisation that overlaps with the centre's Health, Climate and Environment theme.

Direct peers

• Lund University Centre for Sustainability Studies (LUCSUS): Interdisciplinary sustainability research and education centre at Lund University combining social and natural sciences. Directly comparable as a Nordic university-based hub for sustainability research, training, and policy engagement.
• Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership: University-embedded institute delivering sustainability leadership education, research, and business engagement. Comparable as a sustainability-focused unit within a major research university with both education and convening roles.
• Wageningen University & Research - Environmental Sciences Group: Major European university research group covering environment, sustainability, food, and resources. Comparable as a large academic research organisation with sustainability education programmes and interdisciplinary scope.
• Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK): European research institute focused on climate and sustainability science with strong policy and education links. Comparable as an interdisciplinary sustainability/climate research organisation with academic affiliations and international reach.
• Stockholm Resilience Centre: University-based interdisciplinary research centre at Stockholm University focused on sustainability, resilience, and global development. Highly comparable mission, academic setting, and cross-disciplinary structure to Centre for Global Sustainability at UiO.
• Utrecht University Copernicus Institute of Sustainable Development: European university institute conducting interdisciplinary research on energy, climate, and sustainable development with strong education programmes. Comparable in scope, academic setting, and integration of natural and social sciences.

Broad incumbents

• MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative: MIT-wide initiative convening sustainability research, education, and partnerships. Comparable in operating model (university-wide sustainability hub with research and education mandates), but operates at a much larger scale within a global elite university.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-for-development-and-the-environment-sum-

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM)