Sasin AI Data Analytics Center Research Published in Discover Sustainability

A research article by the Sasin AI Data Analytics Center has been published in Discover Sustainability (2026). The study, “Global sectoral and funding disparities in data-driven climate innovation using BERTopic,” was authored by Assistant Professor Pinnaree Tea-makorn, Associate Professor Stefano Starita, Assistant Professor Pavitra Jindahra (Sasin School of Management), and Punyanuch Maitreenukul (Lancaster University). As climate change drives demand for innovative solutions, data-driven technologies are playing an increasingly important role in accelerating climate action. The research provides a comprehensive analysis of 5,964 data-driven climate startups using BERTopic, an advanced natural language processing technique, to identify emerging trends and patterns across the global climate innovation ecosystem. The study identifies 38 thematic clusters and reveals significant disparities in sectoral focus, funding, and geographic distribution. While commercially mature, mitigation-focused sectors such as agriculture and energy monitoring receive substantial attention, adaptation-focused areas remain underrepresented. The research also highlights the concentration of climate innovation in the United States and Europe, with comparatively limited activity in climate-vulnerable regions of the Global South. In addition to its findings on the climate innovation landscape, the study demonstrates how advanced natural language processing can provide scalable, evidence-based insights to support strategic decision-making in research, investment, and policymaking. The full article is available through Springer Nature