IVL's business
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute is an independent research institute specialising in the environment and sustainability. We work with applied research and consultancy assignments that help to fulfil both the global sustainability goals and the Swedish environmental goals.
IVL - Bridging science and society
IVL has Sweden's broadest environmental profile, with experts in virtually all areas of environment and sustainability. We have solid scientific expertise in engineering and environmental science, as well as experienced behavioural scientists, economists and social scientists. We are used to working on complex and interdisciplinary projects and taking an interdisciplinary approach.
Together with industry, government and the research community, IVL is driving the transition to a sustainable society by turning science into reality, environmental problems into opportunities and linear processes into a circular economy.
IVL's organisation
IVL was founded jointly by the state and industry in 1966 and was Sweden's first environmental research institute. IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute AB has been a limited company since 1982 and is owned by the Swedish Institute for Water and Air Pollution Research (SIVL). The company is non-profit-making in the sense that no profits are distributed to the owners but are reinvested in the company's R&D activities.
The owner foundation, SIVL, is responsible for the funds made available by the state for co-financed environmental research at IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute. SIVL has a joint board, with industry appointing half of the members and the government half. The chairman of the board is appointed by the government.
The foundation's board appoints members to the board of the limited company IVL. The government and the business community are also represented on the company's board with an equal number of members. We work with applied research and consultancy assignments with the aim of achieving a sustainable society. Based in Sweden and Europe, we also conduct R&D activities in other parts of the world, particularly in China and India.
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute conducts both research and consulting activities. Research is partly co-funded by the government and industry, and partly grant-funded through government research organisations, research foundations and the EU. Consultancy activities include both short-term consultancy assignments and more extensive national and international research and development assignments.
In addition to the parent company IVL, the Group also comprises the subsidiaries eBVD i Norden AB (in which IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute has a 51 per cent stake), BASTAonline AB, Möbelfakta Sverige AB, EPD International AB, IVL Sustainable building AB, IVL Environmental Technologies (Beijing) Company Ltd, Sino-Swedish Environmental Technology Development Center Ltd (SEC), IVL India Environmental R&D Private Ltd
Together with KTH, IVL owns the Sjöstadsverket Water Innovation Centre (SWIC) pilot and test facility. Since 2019, IVL has had a wholly owned subsidiary in India that will mainly focus on wastewater treatment projects in the Indian market.
Our operative units:
- Environmental Intelligence
- Sustainable Society
- Sustainable Business and Consumption
Our focus areas:
- Sustainable environment
- Sustainable society
- Sustainable transition
Turnover: SEK 517,3 million (2023)
Profit after net financial items: SEK 45,4 million (2023)
Number of employees: 437 (2023). The actual number of employees is higher due to part-time jobs and the fact that some employees work during part of the year.
Offices: Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Fiskebäckskil, Skellefteå, Beijing and Mumbai
Subsidiary companies: BASTAonline AB, Möbelfakta Sverige AB, EPD International AB, eBVD i Norden AB, IVL Sustainable building AB, IVL Environmental Technologies (Beijing) Company Ltd, Sino-Swedish Environmental Technology Development Center Ltd (SEC), IVL India Environmental R&D Private Ltd.
Vision, aim and core values
Our vision is a sustainable society. We are pushing the shift to a sustainable society by:
- taking science to society
- turning environmental challenges into solutions
- bending linear processes into a circular economy
Our aim is to work with applied research and consultancy for an ecologic, economic and socially sustainable growth in the business sector as well as for the society at large. Our core values rely on credibility, foresight, commitment, utility and a holistic approach.
Collaborations and networks
IVL's strategy is to maintain and develop a close collaboration with the business sector, government agencies and international research bodies and universities.
As part of this, IVL has formalized collaborations with, for example, the Royal Institute of Technology, Chalmers University of Technology and Lund University. One of our roles lies in acting as a bridge between research and business and creating arenas for collaboration between different societal actors. Therefore, IVL actively leads and participates in various types of networks and other collaborations.
These are some of our important collaborations and networks:
- SMED - Svenska MiljöemissionsDataLänk till annan webbplats, öppnas i nytt fönster.
External link. - Sjöstadsverket Water Innovation CentreLänk till annan webbplats, öppnas i nytt fönster.
- CPM - Swedish Life Cycle CenterLänk till annan webbplats, öppnas i nytt fönster. External link.
- Mistra Urban FuturesLänk till annan webbplats, öppnas i nytt fönster. External link.
- VA-kluster MälardalenLänk till annan webbplats, öppnas i nytt fönster. External link.
- Sweden Green Building CouncilLänk till annan webbplats, öppnas i nytt fönster. External link.
- Swedish CleantechLänk till annan webbplats, öppnas i nytt fönster. External link.
- NTM - Nätverket för transport och miljöLänk till annan webbplats, öppnas i nytt fönster. External link.
- ENERO - European Network of Environmental Research Organisations External link.
Our Code of Conduct
IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute enjoys a good reputation as a responsible company. This is based on business integrity and activities that are consistently undertaken in accordance with the laws and regulations governing IVL's activities.
The IVL Code of Conduct is based on the UN Global Compact's ten principles and the IVL core values. The Code of Conduct has been adopted by the IVL Board to emphasize the principles that apply to all IVL's officers and directors and that govern IVL's conduct in relation to employees, suppliers, business partners and other stakeholders. IVL urges all suppliers and partners to follow this Code of Conduct. The principles in the Code of Conduct are to be applied when evaluating current and future suppliers.
In addition to the Code of Conduct IVL's activities are governed by a number of policies.
Our own environmental and quality work
All our operations are carried out with a focus on sustainability, with decisions based on a systemic approach and life cycle thinking. Our own operations are permeated by efficient resource utilization, climate-smart choices and reduced emissions from our transports and journeys. Our policy emphasizes the importance of all our assignments and research to contribute to the fulfillment of both the Swedish environmental goals and the global goals for sustainable development (Agenda 2030).
Presently IVL have the following tasks:
- Contribute to sustainable societal development
- Offer relevant and credible environmental knowledge
- Minimize your own environmental impact
- Comply with applicable laws and regulations as well as our code of conduct
Our most important environmental goals are:
- Contribute to improved environmental performance of our customers and to a sustainable society
- To reduce the environmental impact that arises from travel within the business
- To reduce energy use in offices and other premises
Read our Sustainability and Environmental Policy
Pdf, 241.6 kB.
We work with environmental and quality issues within the framework of an integrated business system and are certified in accordance with SS-EN ISO 14001 and 9001. Large parts of our measurement and analysis business are accredited in accordance with EN ISO / IEC 17025:2018. For the scope of the accreditation, see Swedac's accreditation registerExternal link, opens in new window. External link..
Our quality work is correspondingly governed by a quality policy as well as overall and detailed quality goals. Take a look at our Quality Policy here.
Our quality goals, in brief:
- To provide services with quality, based on good service on agreed terms
- Not to exceed project budgets
- To be a well-reputed and internationally established institute
Read IVL's annual reports
Here you can read all our annual reports since 2008. Feel free to take a look at our annual reports to learn more about what we have been working on over the years.
IVL's offices in northern Sweden
We focus on the new green industry and sustainable transition in business and the public sector in northern Sweden.
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