Institute for Sustainability (IfN)

The Institute for Sustainability

Sustainability is one of the defining challenges of our time – and a central responsibility of academia. The Institute for Sustainability at the School of Business, Economics and Society (WiSo) of Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU) brings together expertise from a range of disciplines to address this challenge through an integrative and solution-oriented approach. It connects researchers and educators within WiSo and beyond, fostering cross-faculty collaboration and strengthening the role of sustainability in research, teaching, and societal dialogue at FAU.

The Institute views sustainability as a societal task that requires collaborative action and academic insight. It pursues theoretically grounded and empirically informed research with practical and policy relevance. Its approach embraces a broad understanding of sustainability that integrates ecological, economic, and social dimensions. Particular attention is given to the role of businesses and their management in driving sustainable transformation. The Institute promotes interdisciplinary collaboration, systems thinking, and methodological diversity to generate new perspectives on complex challenges – from climate change and decarbonisation to circular economy, sustainable technologies, human rights, and social inclusion.

As a platform for exchange and collaboration with internal and external partners, the Institute aims not only to generate knowledge but to translate it into real-world impact. At the same time, it coordinates and advances sustainability-related teaching, supports innovative educational formats, and empowers students to develop the competencies needed for leading sustainable transformation.

Head of the Institute

Chairs

Chair of Corporate Sustainability Management	Prof. Dr. Markus Beckmann
Chair of Business Analytics and Sustainability	Prof. Dr. Devrimi Kaya
Chair of Sustainability Transition Policy	Prof. Dr. Johan Lilliestam
Chair of International Business, Society and Sustainability	Prof. Dr. Almut Schilling-Vacaflor
Professorship of Economics (Industrial Organization and Energy Markets)	Prof. Dr. Gregor Zöttl

Affiliated chairs

Chair of Comparative Politics

Prof. Dr. Sandra Eckert

Assistant Professorships

Assistant Professorship of Sustainability Reporting	Prof. Dr. Marvin Nipper
Assistant Professorship for Digital Transformation	Prof. Dr. Verena Tiefenbeck