Project Cologne
Digital Transformation: Strategies and Sustainability
CHALLENGE PROFILE
DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: STRATEGIES AND SUSTAINABILITY
Higher education institution
Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Germany
Department
Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law
Academic team
Prof Dr Joern Hoppmann
Swantja Freund
Dr Josua Oll
The challenge-based module ‘Digital Transformation: Strategies and Sustainability’ is offered at the University of Oldenburg in collaboration with the challenge provider EWE, one of the largest utility companies in Germany. Together with several company representatives and academic staff, the students learn how to develop and validate digital business ideas and how to integrate sustainability criteria into the ideation and business modelling process.
The main learning objectives are for the students to:
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- know basic definitions, trends and application areas of digitalisation
- be able to assess the economic effects of digitalisation
- understand corporate strategies and business models in the context of digital transformation
- know how companies should design processes and structures to promote digitalisation in organisations
- have an overview of social, legal and ethical aspects of digitalisation
- assess the environmental impact of digitalisation
- evaluate digital products, services and business models using ethical and sustainable guidelines
- independently develop proposals for the integration of ethical, social and ecological criteria in digitalisation projects and processes
Students
Business Solutions
Business partner
Sustainability dimensions covered
- Environmental sustainability – 100%
- SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY – 100%
- ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY – 100%
“EWE has a strong focus on sustainable markets and is always looking for new and creative approaches for promising business models. Thus, the thematic focus of the cooperation with the university has been an excellent fit for the strategic direction of the company. The exchange with the university and students is aimed at supporting the internal start-up teams in reviewing early-stage business ideas with lean approaches and creative ideas of the students and open new perspectives.”
Prof Dr Irina Tiemann, Senior Business Analyst at EWE and company representative in the challenge ‘Digital Transformation: Strategies and Sustainability’
For more information
University of Oldenburg – Digital Transformation: Strategies and Sustainability
Contact
Prof Dr Irina Tiemann, irina.tiemann@ewe.de
Dr Karsten Hurrelmann, karsten.hurrelmann@uni-oldenburg.de
Prof Dr Jörn Hoppmann, joern.hoppmann@uol.de
TOGETHER, LET'S HARNESS THE POWER OF COLLABORATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO SOLVE SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES.
Get in touch if you have questions or comments. We're happy to hear from you.
powered by ScaleUp4Sustainability
Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law
Adj. Prof. Innovation Management and Sustainability
Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
Legal notice and data protection
The platform was created as part of the ScaleUp4Sustainability project. ScaleUp4Sustainability (Project Reference: 601150-EPP-1-2018-1-DE-EPPKA2-KA) is funded by the Erasmus+/Knowledge Alliance Programme of the European Union.
Climate Challenge
CHALLENGE PROFILE
CLIMATE CHALLENGE
Higher education institution
Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg, Germany
Department
Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law
Academic team
Dr Karsten Hurrelmann
Anne Seela
The Climate Challenge is a challenge-based seminar offered as part of the module ‘Innovation Management’ at University of Oldenburg, in cooperation with the chemical company BÜFA. Over the course of one semester, 35 students work in teams of 5 to develop sustainable innovative solutions that have potential to contribute to BÜFA’s carbon neutrality strategy. To reach its carbon neutrality goals, the chemical company has set up a climate task force to reduce and avoid its Scope 1 emissions. The extra-curricular one-day co-ideation workshop ‘Green Business Idea Jam’ precedes the Climate Challenge and gives students the opportunity to work with members of the climate task force to identify specific challenges. Challenges identified in the ‘Green Business Idea Jam’ are then integrated into the Climate Challenge.
During the Climate Challenge, students are asked to work on the following challenges in collaboration with company representatives and academic staff:
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- Strengthening climate awareness among company employees (company site)
- Strengthening climate awareness among company employees (mobility)
- Innovative logistics solutions for the company
- Promotion of sustainability innovations by the company
- Regional company’s carbon offsetting project
- Digitalisation of the company’s customer service processes
- Intelligent energy management for a new PV system of the company
Felix Thalmann, Managing Director at BÜFA, welcomes students and BÜFA employees to the Green Business Idea Jam at the incubator ZUKUNFT.unternehmen. © University of Oldenburg
Given pandemic circumstances, participating students used online collaboration tools such as Miro to work on their own devices during team sessions. © University of Oldenburg
A company representative discusses with a student team and provides feedback on their developed ideas. © University of Oldenburg
Students
New Business Solutions
Business partner
Sustainability dimensions covered
- Environmental sustainability – 100%
- SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY – 50%
- ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY – 100%
Sustainability topics covered
Sustainable mobility
Sustainable energy
Carbon offsetting
“I am positively surprised by the intensity of the student results, especially when considering that the students usually do not have specialist knowledge of our company’s business field and also don’t necessarily know each other before they group up to work together on a topic. This is pretty amazing and enables us to learn from for our further work in the company.”
Yvonne Burmann, Business Development Officer at BÜFA GmbH & Co. KG and corporate coordinator for the challenge-based ‘Climate Challenge’ seminar
For more information
TOGETHER, LET'S HARNESS THE POWER OF COLLABORATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO SOLVE SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES.
Get in touch if you have questions or comments. We're happy to hear from you.
powered by ScaleUp4Sustainability
Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law
Adj. Prof. Innovation Management and Sustainability
Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
Legal notice and data protection
The platform was created as part of the ScaleUp4Sustainability project. ScaleUp4Sustainability (Project Reference: 601150-EPP-1-2018-1-DE-EPPKA2-KA) is funded by the Erasmus+/Knowledge Alliance Programme of the European Union.
Fujifilm Future Challenge
CHALLENGE PROFILE
fujifilm future challenge
Challenge provider
Fujifilm Europe
Academic partners
University of Twente
Tilburg University
University of Oldenburg
Linköping University
Avans University of Applied Sciences
Academic team
Dr Frans Stel
Dr James Small
Anne Seela
Wisdom Kanda
Rogier de Jong
Esther Fijneman
The Fujifilm Future Challenge is an annual challenge organised by Fujifilm, the world’s largest photographic and imaging company, in cooperation with academic staff at several European higher education institutions. Over the course of 10 weeks, international student teams from academic and applied universities in the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Sweden are asked to contribute to Fujifilm’s mission of improving the quality of life for all by developing innovative and sustainable product applications for the company’s multiple business fields – ranging from imaging to healthcare and material solutions.
The students are supported continuously throughout the challenge process by five technical experts from Fujifilm. The academic staff also provides guidance with regard to ideation, business model development, spotting opportunities and testing these in the market. As part of the challenge requirements, the students produce two videos, two business model canvasses and a pitch presentation. The challenge concludes with a final pitch event during which the student teams present their sustainable solutions and feasibility evaluations to an expert jury, consisting of Fujifilm management and academic staff.
“The Fujifilm Future Challenge is open for participation of students with different backgrounds who are encouraged to build on and benefit from each other’s different knowledge and skills. To facilitate out-of-the-box thinking, we introduce them to a range of creativity tools which help to take into consideration different perspectives and to shift from product innovation to systemic innovation – inspiring them to look at the whole picture instead of the product aspect only”, Dr Frans Stel, Management Consultant, Trainer and Coach at Vennebroek Academic Services and academic coordinator of the Fujifilm Future Challenge, points out.
The kick-off of the Fujifilm Future Challenge 2020 which was carried out virtually and saw participation of 11 international student teams. © Frans Stel
Michiel de Hair, Open Innovation Hub Manager at Fujifilm Europe, introduces the company and its technologies to students during the kick-off the Fujifilm Future Challenge 2020. © Frans Stel
The assessment criteria used to evaluate the solutions developed in the Fujifilm Future Challenge, as presented by Dr Frans Stel to participating students. © Frans Stel
Students
New business ideas
Business partner
Sustainability dimensions covered
- Environmental sustainability – 100%
- SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY – 100%
- ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY – 100%
Sustainability topics covered
Sustainable healthcare
Sustainable energy
Sustainable materials
Environmental protection
“What really struck me is that a young generation of students in their early 20s don’t need an assignment to think about sustainability. We have experienced that they automatically think about sustainable ideas and products – it’s really incorporated into their being.“
Michiel de Hair, Open Innovation Hub Manager at Fujifilm Europe and corporate coordinator of the Fujifilm Future Challenge
For more information
TOGETHER, LET'S HARNESS THE POWER OF COLLABORATIVE ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO SOLVE SUSTAINABILITY CHALLENGES.
Get in touch if you have questions or comments. We're happy to hear from you.
powered by ScaleUp4Sustainability
Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg
Department of Business Administration, Economics and Law
Adj. Prof. Innovation Management and Sustainability
Ammerländer Heerstr. 114-118, 26129 Oldenburg, Germany
Legal notice and data protection
The platform was created as part of the ScaleUp4Sustainability project. ScaleUp4Sustainability (Project Reference: 601150-EPP-1-2018-1-DE-EPPKA2-KA) is funded by the Erasmus+/Knowledge Alliance Programme of the European Union.