• Sustainable Business Models

Research and Transfer Area “Sustainable Business Models”: The Borderstep Institute for Innovation and Sustainability and ESCP Business School Berlin have formed a research alliance and are jointly developing a new research area under the umbrella of the Borderstep Institute. Prof. Dr. Florian Lüdeke-Freund will lead this initiative. He holds the Chair for Corporate Sustainability at ESCP Business School Berlin.

Actors from business, politics, civil society, and academia are working on the sustainable transformation of the economy and society. A central challenge of this societal megaproject is to overcome “business-as-usual.” Instead, alternative forms of value creation are needed, aligned with the principles of strong sustainability. Closely linked to this are the business models through which companies and other organizations create value.

Circular business models are one example. They organize value creation processes according to the principles of a circular economy, combining profitability and environmental benefits, for example, through repair, sharing, or full-service solutions. At their core, business models represent the logic of value creation within organizations or networks.

If future value creation is to be sustainable or even regenerative, the underlying business models must be correspondingly designed or redesigned. This is precisely where the Borderstep research area “Sustainable Business Models” comes in. The key focus areas of this research area include:

• Patterns of Sustainable Business Models: Classifications of business models not only have academic value in terms of descriptive and organizing theories, but they also form an important foundation for further research and practical topics, such as business model development and evaluation, as well as for economic education and executive training.
• Design of Sustainable Business Models: Business model development, innovation, transformation, and experimentation are central themes in both research and practice; existing work on business model design tools (e.g., Sustainable Business Canvas, 45 Sustainable Business Model Patterns, etc.) will be further developed and expanded.
• Evaluation of Business Models: Sustainable business models are only relevant if their “sustainability added value” or “double dividend” can be plausibly demonstrated. Measuring “impact,” “outcome,” “output,” “value,” and other effects remains one of the biggest gaps to date and is a focus of the Borderstep research area.
• Monitoring of Business Model Developments in Various Industries and Countries: Sustainable transformation is reflected in the business models and cross-company business model patterns applied. Therefore, monitoring activities provide important decision-making bases for companies, associations, funding agencies, and policymakers.