Angelos Balatsas Lekkas

BACKGROUND CURRENT POSITION

Angelos Balatsas-Lekkas currently works as post-doctoral researcher at the university of Vaasa, school of Marketing and Communication. He holds an MSc in Engineering Management and a PhD in collaborative design practices in healthcare, both degrees obtained from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU). For over 7 years Angelos has been studying consumers in the fields of healthcare, food and packaging innovation. He has been regularly producing new knowledge related to needs, expectations and behavior of consumers for national and international projects attended by public and private organizations.

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Angelos studies the role of sustainable food and packaging innovations in consumers' transition toward more (or less) sustainable behaviors. His current focus is on consumers' perspectives and behavior related to reusable packaging for Fast-Moving Consumer Goods.

During 2023, he conducted a 3-month research visit at MAPP Centre, in Aarhus University (Denmark) related to the topic of reusable packaging and supported by national project "4everPack".

RESEARCH PROJECTS

• 4everPack - Circular business from reusable packaking for fast moving consumer goods 2021-2023, Business Finland (Completed)

• Me, My Health and My Food, 2021-2023, Business Finland (Completed)

• STOPP - Strategies to prevent and reduce plastic packaging pollution from the food system, 2023-2025, Horizon Europe

• REUSIFY -  From Single Use to Reuse of Packaging, 2024 - 2026. Business Finland

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

• Balatsas-Lekkas, A., Luomala, H., & Pennanen, K. (2024). Factors associated with Finnish, German and UK consumers' intentions to test, buy and recommend reusable fast-moving consumer goods packaging. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 52, pp. 210-227.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.10.011

• Tenhunen-Lunkka, A., Balatsas-Lekkas, A., Mouazan, E., Palola, S., Ngo, T., Salo, M., ... & Lahtinen, J. H. (2024). Implementing a circular business model for reusable packaging: Multidisciplinary learnings from reusable pizza packaging. Sustainable Production and Consumption, 48, pp. 62-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.spc.2024.05.006

• Tenhunen-Lunkka, A., Lahtinen, H., J., Hakola, L., Palmgren R., Sundqvist, H.,  Balatsas-Lekkas, A., Mouazan, E., Luomala H., and Pennanen, K. (2023): Operational environment review for reusable packaging used in fast moving consumer goods: 4everPack, VTT Technology 415, DOI: 10.32040/2242-122X.2023.T415 https://uwasa.cris.fi/publications/a8ec31c4-95ac-4b58-8f50-a58a09738f20

• Rantala, E., Balatsas-Lekkas, A., Sozer, N., & Pennanen, K. (2022). Overview of objective measurement technologies for nutrition research, food-related consumer and marketing research. Trends in Food Science & Technology, 125, pp. 100-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tifs.2022.05.006

• Orenius, T., Paloniemi, S., Hurri, H., Kuusisto, O., Ristolainen, L., Tolonen, A., Seisto, A., Sourkatti, H., Sachinopoulou, A., Leppänen, T., Cluitmans, L., Urhemaa, T., Railo-Granfelt, A., Balatsas-Lekkas, A., & van Gils, M. Piloting a Smart Rollator: User experiences with technology-related motivation and physical activity. Gerontechnology, 20,2, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2021.20.2.420.01

• Balatsas-Lekkas, A., Arvola, A., Kotilainen, H., Meneses, N., & Pennanen, K. (2020) Effect of labelling fresh cultivated blueberry products with information about irradiation technologies and related benefits on Finnish, German, and Spanish consumers' product acceptance. Food Control, 118, 107387 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2020.107387

https://uwasa.cris.fi/persons/VY-16525576

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