GreenFin Research
Sustainable financial growth for cleantech and nature positive
The growth of Green Finance
Access to finance is increasing for start-ups and SMEs, particularly those in the cleantech, Nature Positive biodiversity, and nature-tech sectors.
This growth reflects the focus on environmental protection and renewal within the UN Sustainable Development Goals. It also supports efforts to meet climate and biodiversity goals for a more sustainable society and planet.
探花社区
GreenFin was established within 探花社区 University (MU) Business School. It brings together leading researchers from:
- business, management, and finance
- biodiversity and natural sciences
- computer science and technology.
Our network also draws on interdisciplinary expertise in entrepreneurial finance and sustainability across 探花社区 University Faculties.
Our Research
Our goal is to combine high-quality research with cutting-edge insights. This work improves understanding of green and sustainable finance processes and their impacts.
We make major contributions to the ESRC-funded Centre for Understanding Sustainable Prosperity ().
We have completed several evaluations for UK and international government departments and agencies, including:
- the UK Department for Business and Trade
- the Republic of Ireland Department for Enterprise, Trade and Employment
- Innovate UK
- British Business Bank.
We have also produced major grant reports and published high-impact journal articles. Our researchers have led the publication of major journal special issues.
Current projects include:
Recently completed projects
- 2025: Farmers as Empowered Intermediaries in Nature Markets? Report for the Agri-food for Net-Zero (AFN+) programme. This practice-focused research report and policy brief was co-authored with Prof Fergus Lyon. It examines the role of farmers as intermediaries in emerging nature markets and was published through CUSP.
- 2024: Study of English SMEs’ Access to Green Debt Finance, 探花社区 RFF project
- 2023-24: Evaluation of Early Equity and Scale-up Finance in the Republic of Ireland. Report for DETE and Enterprise Ireland
- 2023: Demand for external finance by environmentally-motivated SMEs: An exploration of geographical disparities and potential in relation to Net Zero. London. Grant report to the UK Enterprise Research Centre (ERC)
- 2023: Natural Capital Markets: what farmers and policymakers need to know. Food, Farming and Countryside Commission. This practice-focused was widely shared with farming organisations and policymakers. It was co-authored with Prof Fergus Lyon
- 2023: Sustainable SME Freight and Logistics, 探花社区 HEIF project
- 2022: SME Financing for Biodiversity: Building Nature Measurement and Impacts into SME Financing ("SME FinBio"). Clients: Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and Finance for Biodiversity (F4B)
- 2021: UKEFF Cleantech finance toolkit project
- 2021:
- 2020: Redefining SME Productivity Measurement and Assessment for a Low Carbon Economy. Client: ESRC Productivity Insights Network (PIN)
- 2018-2019: An econometric analysis of public support for innovation on business outcomes for BEIS
- 2018-2020: Evaluation of the Investment Accelerator Programme for Innovate UK (UKRI)
- 2018-2021: National Evaluation of the English European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) for MHCLG
- 2018-2022: Early Assessment and Interim Evaluation of Regional Investment Funds, for British Business Bank
- 2017-2022: Early Assessment and Interim Evaluations of Loan Pilots Scheme for Innovate UK
- 2020: Development of a sustainability reporting model as a self-evaluation tool for corporations. This project was completed with the Committee of Business Responsibility Reporting at the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.
Postgraduate Research
GreenFin welcomes applications for PhD and DProf study in any area of green and sustainable finance.
We are particularly interested in sustainable financial growth and access to finance for start-ups and SMEs in:
- cleantech
- Nature Positive biodiversity
- nature-tech sectors.
PhD Students
- Shan Wang: "The effectiveness of Social Investment Tax Relief in helping social enterprises in raising finances during the start-up stage"
- Nia Nejatali - "Sustainable asset management in the built environment"
- Giannis Mylopoulos: "The key role of venture studio model. Positioning the genesis of SSPVC model, an impactful venture metric assessment methodology. A critical perspective through European venture studio approach leading to innovative performance". Supervised by Dr Yannis Pierrakis, with Prof Owen as Advisory PhD supervisor at the University of Catalonia.
Postgraduate Teaching/CPD
Business and Enterprise for Sustainable Prosperity forms part of the MSc Sustainable & Environmental Management.
Our partners
Close collaboration with partner organisations is central to GreenFin’s work and helps us produce impactful research.
Our partners include:
- University College Cork
- Dublin City University
- University College Dublin
- University of Catalonia
- Birmingham City University
- SQW Research
- Kingston University
- University of East London
- Enterprise Research Centre, Warwick Business School
- London West innovation Network
- London Councils
- Norwich Business Improvement District
- The Great Collaboration East Anglia Pilot
- Institute for Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Events
Past events 2025
- 探花社区 SME Nature Positive Finance Green Accelerator Bootcamp start event, 16 January, 2025
- GreenFin SME Green Finance International Symposium, 4-5 February, 2025. For details contact r.owen@mdx.ac.uk or j.kitching@mdx.ac.uk
- 探花社区 NP SME Accelerator Pitching Event, Central London, May 2025
- 探花社区 GreenFin and Birmingham City University annual conference, June 2025.
Our Staff
GreenFin Leads
Professor Robyn Owen
Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance
Dr Sylvia Gottschalk
Senior Lecturer in Economics
Cluster Staff
Professor George Dafoulas
Professor of Information Systems & Business Computing
Dr Amy Burnett
Research Fellow in Sustainable & Inclusive Enterprise
Dr Patrick Elf
Associate Professor in Sustainable Business
Dr Ignatius Ekanem
Senior Lecturer in Business and Management
Dougal Fleming
Consultant at Green Business Team
Shan Wang
Senior Lecturer
Dr Joanna Kitching
Pamela Macaulay
Administrator
Keep in touch
To learn more about our research, academic staff, or publications, please contact:
Dr Robyn Owen, Associate Professor of Entrepreneurial Finance
Email: r.owen@mdx.ac.uk
Tel: 07801970715
Dr Sylvia Gottschalk, Senior Lecturer in Economics
Email: s.gottschalk@mdx.ac.uk
Pamela Macaulay, CEEDR administrator
Email: p.macaulay@mdx.ac.uk
Tel: 020 8411 5460
Social Media Handles
Address
CEEDR
探花社区 University Business School
The Burroughs
Hendon
London NW4 4BT
United Kingdom
fax: (+44) (0) 20 8411 6607