Practical tool for sustainable business model innovation

This consortium project by the European Regional Development Fund is an action-oriented project for understanding and innovating SMEs business models in five municipalities (Malmö, Halmstad, Kristianstad, Aalborg, and Viborg) in Sweden and Denmark. It aims to find the gap in the exiting business model used in SMEs in relation to social sustainability, examine the resources structures, value creation mechanism and market needs, and develop methods for value creation, value delivery and value proposition for SMEs to gain more outputs benefiting firms, employees and society. Consortium comprises research and consulting firms, industries and Universities such as IUC Syd, IUC Halland and VIBORGegenens Erhvervsråd, Aalborg University Business School, VIA University College, and Malmö University. In particular, the project deals with and develops a question about how companies can implement new business models based on the sustainability goals and the conditions that exist in the company's organization, both management and employee level, for the realization of higher values. Social sustainability as an aspect of business model innovation is emphasised, and thus business model tool does to incorporate the antecedents affecting this dimension of sustainability, which can support the business community to have socially sustainable condition from the perspective of business and organization. Thus, the project intends to develop a methodology and a tool based on research in the addressed areas. This methodology must be structured and digitized to create a tool that can be worked through workshops, both internally at a company or with the help of external actors from e.g. the innovation and support system, to help companies implement and realize new sustainable business models. The project's activities are based on combining produced research with the involvement of the business community to create a cross-border and inclusive work between different professions and geographical areas.