Why do we have so little time for the things we find the most important? While this unfortunately applies in many areas of life, from spending time with family to career planning, it was also a question I pondered during the first ever International Research Workshop BIODIFUL organized on the May 23rd, a day after the more business oriented BIODIFUL Leadership Forum.
I pondered it because in the research workshop, we actually had time for deep thoughts and dialogue. Having rushed through May – and to be honest, the whole spring – being able to really stop and listen, to think and discuss, reminded me why I became an academic in the first place. Research is not about publications and funding, but about seeking novel insights, being curious alone and together, and engaging in deep discussions with people sharing the same interests but viewing them through different lenses.
The theme of our first International Research Workshop was Connecting Biodiversity and Business, chosen not only for its connections to the theme of this year’s Leadership Forum. As one of the presentations highlighted, while there is ample research on the general business sustainability, and increasing awareness of biodiversity loss in general, there is surprisingly little research explicitly exploring the biodiversity impacts of business – and even less knowledge about how to go about reversing the negative impacts in practice on the level of the firms.
The presentations in our research seminar reflected the findings of this literature review: while the amount of research is still scant, the approaches and research areas are widely heterogeneous. We discussed for example the possibilities of utilizing the attention-based view in scrutinizing regenerative business practices, leveraging geospatial technologies and AI in uncovering conservation needs and possibilities, or the role of middle managers in sustainability transitions.
The food system represents a more advanced research area in our sphere. As food production is one of the most biodiversity impactful activities, and food consumption essential for human survival, it is one of the themes most explored also in BIODIFUL. We were happy to learn the insights from our guest researchers focusing on the same problem but bringing in new data and conclusions from Finland and New Zealand. The discussion flowed naturally to the role of consumers and to the eternal question of who should lead the necessary transformation.
Bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical actions was not only the theme of one presentation, but also an overarching theme our discussions often veered towards. How can we make sure that the knowledge we researchers create finds it way to practical applications? Are there any ways to do that, or do we just have to accept that even though in theory solutions could exist, in practice we are sliding towards a societal collapse, like suggested in the collapsology presentation? If so, what should we orient our efforts towards?
The first step is to share and genuinely discuss our respective findings and even difficult thoughts and feelings with each other, to create spaces for reflection and learning. As organizers of the first BIODIFUL International Research Workshop we were happy to note that when we structure a seminar that gives ample time for discussion, such discussion emerges. This learning is something we hold dear and have already made plans for our next year’s International Research Workshop: we aim to cherish the principles of Slow Academia, focus on discussion and interaction, and keep our next seminar as intimate, inspiring and psychologically safe as this one.
We want to thank all of the presenters and participants for the atmosphere of reflection we created together! We welcome you to join us again next year and also extend the invitation to all researchers who wish to have a bit different research conference experience. We will open the call for abstracts next autumn, and hope for interesting submissions, but when scheduling the event, we will make sure that there is enough time for discussion, so the presentation slots will be limited.
The theme, call and venue of our next seminar will be revealed later this year, but you can already save the date! The second BIODIFUL International Research Seminar will take place in May 21st-22nd 2026. Let’s continue the discussions!
