Market shaping refers to the deliberate and future-oriented efforts of business actors to alter market structures or create new markets. As wars, pandemics, climate change, and artificial intelligence shake up business environments, companies can proactively influence market development instead of merely anticipating and adapting.

In my doctoral research, I studied how a hybrid energy tech startup aimed to catalyze sustainable market change while building credibility. Hybrids refer to companies that equally pursue both commercial and sustainability goals. My findings show that the development of hybrid businesses and market shaping are tightly intertwined processes, integral to the company's mission and strategy from the outset.

In my postdoctoral research, I deepen and expand this understanding, exploring market shaping for environmental impact and offering a more systemic view of how various actors contribute to market-shaping activities and their associated visions. This research is part of the MarketVision project at the University of Turku, funded by the Dr. h.c. Marcus Wallenberg's Foundation and the Foundation for Economic Education.