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 language | English |
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Publisher | VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland |
Number of pages | 50 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-951-38-7447-6 |
Publication status | Published - 2016 |
MoE publication type | D4 Published development or research report or study |