NORDIC – SRI firms Innovest and Ethix have signed a research distribution deal.

Innovest said the deal provided a greater distribution network for both companies. Innovest becomes the main distributor of Ethix screening products outside the Nordic region. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Innovest and Ethix have very little overlap in their research approaches," said Pierre Trevet, Innovest's managing director in Paris. "In fact, our research products are complementary."

"Innovest offers a positive Alpha-overlay based on sustainability risks and opportunities, while Ethix proposes a UN norm-based negative screening approach."

He said there was a growing demand for "second generation" socially responsible research in the Nordic region.

Ethix co-founder, Ulrika Hasselgren, said: "There is an increasing need for specialized services with in-depth research. Through partnering with Innovest, we can provide the market with a full-fledged palette of SRI research and tools."

Dutch pension fund ABP is a minority investor in Innovest.