Green growth – Making sustainability profitable in business-to-business markets

Sustainability is no longer just an ethical choice – it is a business imperative for Finnish companies striving to remain competitive in global markets. SMEs in Finland’s B2B sectors face increasing pressure to adopt environmentally and socially responsible practices. However, turning sustainability into profitability is a major challenge. This research project aims to equip SMEs with practical strategies and tools to succeed.

Our work focuses on two key areas. First, we identify the primary barriers SMEs face in marketing and selling sustainable offerings. Second, we investigate how SMEs can quantify and communicate the value of sustainability, aligning their offerings with market demands in Finland and internationally, and aiming for profitability.

In collaboration with SMEs and organisations from sustainable construction and renewable energy sectors, the project develops frameworks for the communication and selling of sustainable offerings tailored to Finnish businesses’ unique needs, with the goal of achieving profit. This is achieved with the help of interviews, surveys, and case studies. The findings will be disseminated via reports, seminars, and workshops to benefit participating companies and the broader SME community.

Ultimately, this project empowers Finnish SMEs to grow sustainably and improve competitiveness.

The project has been granted 245,000 € of funding from Business Finland.