Sustainable business: Case studies from Finnish forerunners

Pasi Valkokari, Nina Tura, Miia Martinsuo, Kenneth Dooley, Jyri Hanski, Jere Jännes, Jesse Kivilä, Katariina Palomäki, Markku Reunanen, Ilmari Sukanen, Katri Valkokari

    Research output: Book/ReportReport

    Abstract

    The quest for sustainability has already transformed the competitive landscape and is changing the mindsets of companies. Since natural resources are scarce, actors doing business must take into account not just the economic goals, but they also need to address the environmental and social objectives in executing business. This publication presents the results of practical case studies where different approaches for sustainable business were created. The results offer an opportunity for different representatives of various companies to compare their own practices and learn from practical cases in sustainable business models and governance. This publication shows the path towards sustainable business through the following themes: 1) understanding the value of sustainability, and considering it in: 2) strategic decision making, 3) business development and 4) innovation orchestration. The structure of the publication follows the same logic and presents practical case examples in these topics. Tools and methods were applied and further developed within the case companies: Ekokem, Fortum Power Solutions, Nokia, Solita and Vapo Clean Waters. This publication combines the main results of the work carried out within the "Strategic business models and governance for sustainable solutions" project (StraSus). The project started in December 2013 and it continued until February 2016. The research work was conducted by VTT, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Tampere University of Technology and Aalto University as a part of the Green Growth programme of Tekes. The project provided a good overview of the demands of sustainable business in a multi-disciplinary multi-company setting. Since StraSus had a broad scope, some of the developed approaches need to be further enhanced and refined to provide practical tools for practitioners (companies and organisations). The work of StraSus is therefore being continued. Case-specific projects are being considered to develop practical results for the needs of practitioners interested in improving their capabilities for sustainable business creation. Examples of new topics for the next steps of research include e.g.: - Sustainability strategies implementation through the life cycle of the solution - Symbiotic business relationships in industrial ecosystems - From data to wisdom - approaches enabling circular business.
    Original languageEnglish
    PublisherVTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
    Number of pages50
    ISBN (Print)978-951-38-7447-6
    Publication statusPublished - 2016
    MoE publication typeD4 Published development or research report or study

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