Environmentally-driven Business Development

Environmentally-driven Business Development

by | Apr 6, 2022 | Challenge-Example

CHALLENGE PROFILE

ENVIRONMENTALLY-DRIVEN BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

Higher education institution

Linköping University, Sweden

Department

Faculty of Science and Engineering

Academic team

Prof Dr Olof Hjelm
Carina Sundberg

Every year, 15 to 30 students at Linköping University receive the opportunity to participate in the course ‘Environmentally-driven Business Development’ which incorporates elements of challenge-based learning (CBL). The course aim is to develop the capabilities to formulate and plan a business solution for an environmental problem. Theories and practical examples are presented at lectures. Seminars are arranged to further support student learning. In a group assignment, a sustainable business idea is planned and described in collaboration with a business partner.

After course completion the student shall:

    • be able to explain and reflect upon relevant theories and concepts in the area of sustainable entrepreneurship
    • be able to account for drivers and hinders for environmentally-driven business development
    • be able to account for critical factors for the establishment of an entrepreneurial venture and have some ability to collect and analyse relevant information for that purpose
    • combine knowledge about environment and environmental technology with innovation and
      entrepreneurship
    • describe and motivate a tentative business solution to an environmental problem

Students

Business Solutions

Business partner

Sustainability dimensions covered
  • Environmental sustainability – 100%
  • SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY – 50%
  • ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY – 100%
Sustainability topics covered
[

Energy

[

Sustainable consumption

[

Recycling

[

Energy and environmental management

[

Waste as a resource

[

Waste prevention

[

Circular solutions

“I’m very happy about the outcomes of the ScaleUp4Sustainability project in which we developed innovative programmes in student-business collaboration for sustainability. I hope it will inspire others to combine the three buzzwords “innovation”, “entrepreneurship” and “sustainability”, because there are a lot of sustainability challenges out there that we need to solve.”

Prof Dr Olof Hjelm, Professor of Environmental Technology and Management and responsible for the course ‘Environmentally-driven Business Development’ at Linköping University

For more information

ScaleUp4Sustainability – Environmentally-driven Business Development

Contact

Prof Dr Olof Hjelm, olof.hjelm@liu.se

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.

Digital Transformation: Strategies and Sustainability

Digital Transformation: Strategies and Sustainability

by | Feb 28, 2022 | Challenge-Example

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:

    • 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

Climate Challenge

by | Feb 28, 2022 | Challenge-Example

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:

    • 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

ScaleUp4Sustainability – Climate Challenge

Contact

Dr Karsten Hurrelmann, karsten.hurrelmann@uni-oldenburg.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.

Fujifilm Future Challenge

Fujifilm Future Challenge

by | Feb 27, 2022 | Challenge-Example

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

ScaleUp4Sustainability – Fujifilm Future Challenge

Contact

Dr Frans Stel, stel@createnewbusiness.com

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.

Circular Challenge

Circular Challenge

by | Feb 27, 2022 | Challenge-Example

CHALLENGE PROFILE

CIRCULAR CHALLENGE

Higher education institution

University of Twente

Department

Green Hub Twente

Academic team

Dr Frans Stel
Dr Alex Baker-Friesen
Dr James Small

The International Circular Challenge is a challenge-based format organised by Green Hub Twente in collaboration with the EU Erasmus+ funded project ScaleUp4Sustainability (innovative programmes in student-business collaboration in green venturing). The one- to two-day challenge activity brings together companies and international students who form interdisciplinary teams to develop innovative ideas to improve the companies’ business models towards circularity. Throughout the challenge, the students receive guidance from academic staff. The challenge providers also provide their support and expertise wherever needed. On the final day, the student teams pitch their ideas to the academic staff and companies who provide a final assessment and valuable feedback to the students.

Past challenges include:

    • International Circular Challenge Twente 2021 (July 2021)
    • Circular Buckylab (April – June 2020)
    • S4S Circular Challenge 2020 (September 2020)

A team member of the start-up IMPULSE is presenting their business problem to the students at the International Circular Challenge 2021. © Frans Stel

A student team pitches their business idea at the International Circular Challenge 2021 which took place at Twente University’s Design Lab Incubation Space. © Frans Stel

Dr Frans Stel, coordinator of the International Circular Challenge, interacting with participating students after their pitch. © Frans Stel

Students

Business Solutions

Business partners

Sustainability dimensions covered
  • Environmental sustainability – 100%
  • SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY – 50%
  • ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY – 100%
Sustainability topics covered
[

Circular economy

[

Renewable energies

[

Energy efficiency

[

Sustainable mobility

[

Renewable materials

[

Sustainable clothing

[

Clean tech

[

Emission reduction and control

“Challenge-based learning is a modern way of teaching. It’s a more effective way of learning and very appealing to students, because of its “learing-by-doing” nature.”

Dr Frans Stel, Management Consultant, Trainer and Coach at Vennebroek Academic Services and coordinator of the Circular Challenge

For more information

ScaleUp4Sustainability – Circular Challenges

Contact

Dr Frans Stel, stel@createnewbusiness

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.

InGenious

InGenious

by | Feb 26, 2022 | Challenge-Example

CHALLENGE PROFILE

INGENIOUS

Higher education institution

Linköping University, Sweden

Department

Department of Management and Engineering

Academic team

Albert Rudholm
Carina Ekhager
Charlotte Norrman
Cia Lundvall

In collaboration with the international development platform InGenious, Linköping University arranges a cross disciplinary course that gives students the opportunity to collaborate with students from all faculties in interdisciplinary project groups and together tackle challenges from trade, industry and society. The pedagogy used in the course is challenge-based learning. Cross disciplinary communication is an important part of the course and is practiced in the group work process and through so-called ”pitches” that are both part of the course’s examination and part of the presentation directed to the external parties. In the course, students receive the opportunity to create a personal network and develop their professional skills in an international environment signified by creativity and entrepreneurship.
After course completion, students should be able to: 

    • conduct a cross-disciplinary project as part of a team
    • formulate research questions independently and contribute with relevant knowledge and skills in the work process
    • discuss and communicate solutions to external parties such as clients and other stakeholders both orally and in writing 
    • reflect on group processes and group dynamics in collaboration with other professions
    • reflect on the work process and team dynamics from different perspectives such as business, sustainability and an ethical perspective

A student team presents what it has developed during the ‘Shitty Prototyping’ seminar held as part of the ‘InGenious’ course © Linköping University

Course coordinator Prof Dr Charlotte Norrman introduces students of the ‘InGenious’ course to the art of pitching. © Linköping University

On the day of the final pitch event, a student team presents the sustainable business idea it has developed to academic staff, the business partner and fellow students. © Linköping University

Sustainability dimensions covered
  • Environmental sustainability – 100%
  • SOCIAL SUSTAINABILITY – 100%
  • ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY – 100%

Examples of past challenges

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Experiential learning such as challenge-based learning allows students to gain both theoretical knowledge and practical skills. While it’s a tougher way for students to acquire new knowledge and skills, at the same time it’s a much more impactful way. The course results confirm this.”

Prof Dr Charlotte Norrman, Professor of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and responsible for the ‘InGenious’ course at Linköping University

For more information

InGenious course page

Contact

Charlotte Norrman, charlotte.norrman@liu.se

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.