Final Report Summary - I4S (Research and Competence Training Network for Sustainability-Driven Innovation)
About “I4S”: Innovation For Sustainability
The “I4S” Marie Curie Training Network has spent four years (2013- end 2016) exploring the range of organisational capabilities that sustainability-driven innovation (SDI) requires compared to traditional approaches. It has focused on new approaches to the design of business models and processes and management frameworks which enable companies to reorient their innovation systems towards more sustainable products, services and solutions. It has also delved into the new inter-organisational structures that support effective SDI, investigating how firms engage with other key stakeholders through multi-actor platforms and networks, or through ‘blended innovation’ combining social, environmental and business perspectives.
Project Partners
I4s comprised eight university partners, each working closely with a company or business-network beneficiary. The project was co-ordinated by the Academy of Business in Society (ABIS). The University partners were:
1. Alliance Manchester Business School
2. Rotterdam School of Management
3. Copenhagen Business School
4. University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business
5. Leuphana Universitat Lüneburg
6. University of Exeter Business School
7. Nyenrode Business Universiteit
8. Vlerick/Leuven/Ghent Management School
Project Objectives
The overarching goals of “I4S” have been: (1) to train eight early-stage researchers (ESRs) in the processes and practices that foster SDI as a multi-actor process, and (2) to develop supra-disciplinary understanding and management skills in two experienced researchers (ERs) to design, secure resources for and coordinate multi-actor SDI projects in the future – whether in research or in the private sector.
In order to build up a composite view of the ecosystems within which SDI delivers measurable value, the ESRs embarked on action-research field work in a range of different empirical and organisational settings: multinational enterprises in construction and retail; a medium-sized enterprise in electrical engineering; service providers (IT solutions, management consulting and social business innovation); a cross-sectorial enterprise association dedicated to sustainable development; and a world-leading environmental NGO with global sustainability perspectives and reach.
Ten international training events of differing duration and thematic focus have supported our pursuit of these objectives, providing trans-disciplinary platforms for ESRs, senior scholars, guest speakers (researchers and practitioners) and managers and entrepreneurs to exchange experiences and ideas. The research and training programme has been coordinated by ABIS (The Academy of Business in Society) – a leading international corporate-academic network – supported by a consortium of eight of its academic member institutions from Europe and South Africa.
Main Results
The key findings of the project were presented in the Final Conference on 28th of October 2016 in Brussels. A report that summarises the key findings of the eight PhD/ESRs is available at http://www.abis-global.org/projects/i4s. The eight individual ESR research projects explored a number of different dimensions of SDI grouped in three macro-categories: Systems, Organizations & Multi-Stakeholder Platforms, and Value Centred Leadership. The central themes and headline insights emerging from the ESR research are summarized below, along with the host institution:
1. Alliance Manchester Business School, UK, Research Topic: A study in two parts investigating how companies embed sustainability and social responsibility cares and concerns into their business model descriptions: i) an in-depth ethnographic ‘engaged scholar’ study of a multi-national retailer ii) a quantitative study of the CSR reports of all FTSE100 companies. Key Findings: Embedding leads MNCs to hybridize their business model logic through a number of tactics that combine social and commercial logics. These ‘hybridized’ business model descriptions potentially help companies evolve towards enacting corporate responsibility and sustainability.
2. Copenhagen Business School, Denmark, Research Topic: Development of sustainability standards in the building industry. Key Findings: Demonstration projects have significant strategic value when used as experimental governance mechanisms to shape better policy and practice for sustainability transitions in the built environment.
3. Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Netherlands, Research Topic: SDI by mission-driven entrepreneurs in collaborative ecosystem settings, Key Findings: Entrepreneurs are valuable change agents in ecosystems. For systemic change efforts, it is necessary to involve a diverse group of stakeholders united around a common purpose. The ecosystem may in turn accelerate the diffusion of innovation for sustainability and societal change.
4. Rotterdam School of Management, Netherlands, Research Topic: Role of leadership in disrupting existing structures for radical change and innovation. Key Findings: Organizational transformation at a network or platform level can lead to continuous adaptive change among participating companies, with a specific focus on providing leadership in uncertain environments.
5. University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, South Africa, Research Topic: Shared values in a South African firm committed to social and environmental sustainability. Key Findings: Clearly established links between the systems perspective held by leaders of a major corporation, their perception of the organizational purpose and mission, and the means employed to transfuse sustainability-oriented values throughout the organisation.
6. University of Exeter Business School, UK, Research Topic: Biomimicry innovation or biologically-inspired innovation (BII). Key Findings: As evidenced by case studies of 7 MNCs using BII, SDI frequently challenges existing modes of innovation and production and introduces novel and conflicting business models and value systems.
7. Leuphana University of Lueneburg, Germany, Research Topic: Innovation processes driving green technology development. Key Findings: Established small and medium-sized technology enterprises operating in B2B markets use organizational ambidexterity to contribute to sustainabilty by simultaneously exploiting core business and applying their core competencies in the exploration of new green technologies.
8. Vlerick Business School, Belgium, Research Topic: Fostering and diffusing SDI through cross-sector platforms. Key Findings: Such platforms can have a big impact in promoting sustainability when they adopt an ambitious, long-term mission and objectives, and build multi-actor consensus around concrete action points and targets.
Conclusions and targets audiences
In conclusion, I4S aimed at informing three target groups:
i) Practitioners who are committed to the development of new business models, products, process and services to achieve sustainability-driven innovation .
ii) Policy Makers who are committed to the development of policy that assists and supports sustainability-driven innovation .
iii) University doctoral training programme leaders, managers and academics who design and deliver inter-disciplinary training for the sustainability-leaders of the future; and policy makers tasked with assisting, supporting and improving Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions for the future.
The I4S consortium has produced two Policy Briefs, i) & ii); with the third near to completion. The three briefs summarise how the research and ESR training conducted within the network can valuably inform these three target groups. The documents are available on the I4S website at http://www.abis-global.org/projects/i4s. See Annex 10.
The “I4S” Marie Curie Training Network has spent four years (2013- end 2016) exploring the range of organisational capabilities that sustainability-driven innovation (SDI) requires compared to traditional approaches. It has focused on new approaches to the design of business models and processes and management frameworks which enable companies to reorient their innovation systems towards more sustainable products, services and solutions. It has also delved into the new inter-organisational structures that support effective SDI, investigating how firms engage with other key stakeholders through multi-actor platforms and networks, or through ‘blended innovation’ combining social, environmental and business perspectives.
Project Partners
I4s comprised eight university partners, each working closely with a company or business-network beneficiary. The project was co-ordinated by the Academy of Business in Society (ABIS). The University partners were:
1. Alliance Manchester Business School
2. Rotterdam School of Management
3. Copenhagen Business School
4. University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business
5. Leuphana Universitat Lüneburg
6. University of Exeter Business School
7. Nyenrode Business Universiteit
8. Vlerick/Leuven/Ghent Management School
Project Objectives
The overarching goals of “I4S” have been: (1) to train eight early-stage researchers (ESRs) in the processes and practices that foster SDI as a multi-actor process, and (2) to develop supra-disciplinary understanding and management skills in two experienced researchers (ERs) to design, secure resources for and coordinate multi-actor SDI projects in the future – whether in research or in the private sector.
In order to build up a composite view of the ecosystems within which SDI delivers measurable value, the ESRs embarked on action-research field work in a range of different empirical and organisational settings: multinational enterprises in construction and retail; a medium-sized enterprise in electrical engineering; service providers (IT solutions, management consulting and social business innovation); a cross-sectorial enterprise association dedicated to sustainable development; and a world-leading environmental NGO with global sustainability perspectives and reach.
Ten international training events of differing duration and thematic focus have supported our pursuit of these objectives, providing trans-disciplinary platforms for ESRs, senior scholars, guest speakers (researchers and practitioners) and managers and entrepreneurs to exchange experiences and ideas. The research and training programme has been coordinated by ABIS (The Academy of Business in Society) – a leading international corporate-academic network – supported by a consortium of eight of its academic member institutions from Europe and South Africa.
Main Results
The key findings of the project were presented in the Final Conference on 28th of October 2016 in Brussels. A report that summarises the key findings of the eight PhD/ESRs is available at http://www.abis-global.org/projects/i4s. The eight individual ESR research projects explored a number of different dimensions of SDI grouped in three macro-categories: Systems, Organizations & Multi-Stakeholder Platforms, and Value Centred Leadership. The central themes and headline insights emerging from the ESR research are summarized below, along with the host institution:
1. Alliance Manchester Business School, UK, Research Topic: A study in two parts investigating how companies embed sustainability and social responsibility cares and concerns into their business model descriptions: i) an in-depth ethnographic ‘engaged scholar’ study of a multi-national retailer ii) a quantitative study of the CSR reports of all FTSE100 companies. Key Findings: Embedding leads MNCs to hybridize their business model logic through a number of tactics that combine social and commercial logics. These ‘hybridized’ business model descriptions potentially help companies evolve towards enacting corporate responsibility and sustainability.
2. Copenhagen Business School, Denmark, Research Topic: Development of sustainability standards in the building industry. Key Findings: Demonstration projects have significant strategic value when used as experimental governance mechanisms to shape better policy and practice for sustainability transitions in the built environment.
3. Nyenrode Business Universiteit, Netherlands, Research Topic: SDI by mission-driven entrepreneurs in collaborative ecosystem settings, Key Findings: Entrepreneurs are valuable change agents in ecosystems. For systemic change efforts, it is necessary to involve a diverse group of stakeholders united around a common purpose. The ecosystem may in turn accelerate the diffusion of innovation for sustainability and societal change.
4. Rotterdam School of Management, Netherlands, Research Topic: Role of leadership in disrupting existing structures for radical change and innovation. Key Findings: Organizational transformation at a network or platform level can lead to continuous adaptive change among participating companies, with a specific focus on providing leadership in uncertain environments.
5. University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, South Africa, Research Topic: Shared values in a South African firm committed to social and environmental sustainability. Key Findings: Clearly established links between the systems perspective held by leaders of a major corporation, their perception of the organizational purpose and mission, and the means employed to transfuse sustainability-oriented values throughout the organisation.
6. University of Exeter Business School, UK, Research Topic: Biomimicry innovation or biologically-inspired innovation (BII). Key Findings: As evidenced by case studies of 7 MNCs using BII, SDI frequently challenges existing modes of innovation and production and introduces novel and conflicting business models and value systems.
7. Leuphana University of Lueneburg, Germany, Research Topic: Innovation processes driving green technology development. Key Findings: Established small and medium-sized technology enterprises operating in B2B markets use organizational ambidexterity to contribute to sustainabilty by simultaneously exploiting core business and applying their core competencies in the exploration of new green technologies.
8. Vlerick Business School, Belgium, Research Topic: Fostering and diffusing SDI through cross-sector platforms. Key Findings: Such platforms can have a big impact in promoting sustainability when they adopt an ambitious, long-term mission and objectives, and build multi-actor consensus around concrete action points and targets.
Conclusions and targets audiences
In conclusion, I4S aimed at informing three target groups:
i) Practitioners who are committed to the development of new business models, products, process and services to achieve sustainability-driven innovation .
ii) Policy Makers who are committed to the development of policy that assists and supports sustainability-driven innovation .
iii) University doctoral training programme leaders, managers and academics who design and deliver inter-disciplinary training for the sustainability-leaders of the future; and policy makers tasked with assisting, supporting and improving Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions for the future.
The I4S consortium has produced two Policy Briefs, i) & ii); with the third near to completion. The three briefs summarise how the research and ESR training conducted within the network can valuably inform these three target groups. The documents are available on the I4S website at http://www.abis-global.org/projects/i4s. See Annex 10.