We created and delivered a generic process to create and consolidate sustainable business models for new, technology-based service ideas, for instance involving new 5G telecommunication capabilities. The process describes five overarching steps (see figure below) and is complemented by a number of resources and templates that contain further support and instructions.   1. Collect business-related ideas (e.g. on market gap and technology readiness) using an idea profile template 2. Select sustainable business design patterns to enhance the sustainability-orientation of your idea 3. Facilitate collaborative stakeholder workshop (using the MURAL board template of the Business Innovation Kit) 4. Document, analyse and synthesize results and implications drawing from related literature 5. Plan and enter validation and implementation     The process was developed and exemplified for three 5G telecommunication service ideas, namely Multimodal Mobility Services, vCDN (virtual content delivery network) services for railways, and On Demand Private Network for Industry 4.0 capabilities. See the 5GVictori website for (preliminary) results and further news of the project.

At the Africa-Europe Innovation Partnership (AEIP) we hold a webinar on ‘Sustainable Business Modelling for Cleantech’. Participants will learn to apply sustainable business model design patterns to an innovation challenge or a new business idea in the field of cleantech. Using an online collaboration platform they generate and prioritise ideas, how to advance the business model in a sustainability-oriented manner, and sketch and refine new business models.   Prof. Dr. Florian Lüdeke-Freund and Henning will conduct the session to address the following questions: • How to capitalise on the green and social values that motivate and guide green start-ups in delivering sustainable innovations? • How to support and nurture profitable and sustainability-oriented business model innovation in cleantech? • How to improve the sustainability profile of an existing business idea?   The Africa-Europe Innovation Partnership (AEIP) is organizing a virtual event, under the patronage of the South African Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation, as part of their annual Science Forum. The AEIP is an initiative of the African Union-European Union High Level Policy Dialogue, with funding from the EC, aiming to support and connect innovation and technology incubators, accelerators and technology transfer actors from both continents. It was launched by the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission in September 2019 in Nairobi (Kenya), to strengthen innovation cooperation between Africa and the EU.

In cooperation with colleagues from QM-Beratung Berlin we have conducted a workshop with the leaders of the RPG group to clarify its values and strategy. "Surprising, which values we already share" and "the day helped us to strengthen our cooperation" were two of the consistently positive comments from our customers. In a next step, a reformulation of mission and vision and the modeling of the individual business units are planned.

The theme of this years International Conference on Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility in Berlin inspired us to contribute a presentation entitled "Wicked Problems need Virtuous Solutions - Normative Innovation to Establish Sustainable Value Networks". To “innovate for sustainability” we need to go beyond process, product, and organizational innovation into strategic (business model) innovation and normative value innovation. Value innovation builds on the introduction of new normative orientations into an existing business ecosystem. Our work delineates this new theoretical approach that is illustrated with case studies on different modes of sustainability innovation. On the normative level of innovation we discuss the case of collaborative business modeling to create a network-based energy region in Germany. On the strategic level “Green Power Marketing” provides and example how to differentiate branding and create a new business model. On the instrumental level the "Carbon Footprint Calculator" exemplifies an innovative tool to measure and reduce environmental impact. Here you may download the presentation!

At this years Online Marketing Conference (OMCap 2014) in Berlin we will discuss how to proceed from new online marketing tools to new business models. You may download the presentation here (in German).