Umeå Sustainability Prize for theses in business administration 2025

Sustainability prize winners Johan Glase and Gustav Sigling.

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The winning thesis explores the development of value proposition within the emerging fossil-free steel ecosystem surrounding the HYBRIT initiative by SSAB, LKAB, and Vattenfall. This research is particularly relevant today because global challenges like climate change necessitate complex collaborations across sectors and the entire value chain to create and capture value. Johan and Gustav mean that understanding how value propositions are developed in such settings, decision makers can better support the transition toward a fossil-free future.

– Already during our Master's program, we became intrigued by the concept of collaboration between companies rather than competition. Recognizing the increasing importance of such collaborations for addressing complex global challenges, we decided to focus our thesis on this area. When we came across the HYBRIT initiative, which aims to decarbonize steel production and has the potential to cut Sweden's CO2 emissions dramatically, we knew it was the perfect case study for us to explore, Johan says. 

Johan and Gustav have many memorable experiences from working with the thesis. One of the most significant was conducting interviews with the key stakeholders involved in the HYBRIT initiative. Hearing firsthand about the challenges and successes of developing the fossil-free steel ecosystem was both enlightening and inspiring.  

– Additionally, spending so much time working on our thesis together, even during difficult times, deepened our friendship and made the journey even more rewarding, Gustav says. 

Their effort paid off. The jury, consisting of Johan Sandström (Luleå University of Technology), Emilia Cederberg (Stockholm School of Economics), Michelle Rydback (University of Gävle), and representatives from Umeå Energi AB, have selected the thesis for its original and academically rigorous contribution, noting how the students innovatively integrate marketing concepts and offer valuable, practice-oriented insights for businesses and policymakers driving green energy transitions.  

– Winning the prize is a great honor. It's incredibly rewarding to have our efforts recognized and to know that our research makes a meaningful contribution to the field of sustainability. This award inspires us to keep exploring and promoting sustainable practices in business, Johan and Gustav reflect together. 

After graduation, they coincidentally started working at the same consulting company. Johan became a Management Analyst for the Energies & Utilities team, focusing on sustainable energy transition, while Gustav joined the Talent and Organization team, focusing on change management. 

Honourable mention

The jury directs an honorable mention to two exceptional theses. As a runner-up, “Bothness Despite Otherness: A Synergistic Approach in a North-South Social Enterprise fusing Mutual Collaboration with Degrowth Values”, by Ricarda Becker and Ladina Laura Kaupp, Lund University School of Economics and Management. Third place goes to “Sustainable Food Systems: Leveraging Producer-Retailer Relationships” written by Olivia Adolfsson, Uppsala University. 

Important collaboration

The prize, which is handed out as a scholarship worth 25,000 SEK, has been made financially possible through collaboration with Umeå Energi AB. 

– Umeå Energi wants to be a positive force in sustainable development of the Umeå region. With this scholarship, we want to encourage students in business administration to deeply engage in sustainability. The winning thesis is of high relevance for the opportunities and challenges of green energy transitions that are unfolding in our region, says Magnus Stenvall, Umeå Energi AB.