VU-INN362F Sustainable Business Model Innovation B

Credits (ECTS):10

Course responsible:Elin Kubberød

Campus / Online:Taught campus Ås

Teaching language:Norsk

Limits of class size:.

Course frequency:Annually

Nominal workload:250 hours

Teaching and exam period:The course starts at the end of the autumn parallel and has teaching and assessment in the spring parallel.

About this course

In this experiential continuing education course, we will employ business model innovation to deal with the sustainability challenges of the future. During the course, we will focus on how business model innovation and digitalization can contribute to new solutions that can make a difference and create a profitable business. The course participants will work in teams and use creative innovation methodology as a mindset and approach to develop new solutions that can affect how we work with innovation in the future. The course provides participants with a practical toolbox with techniques and methods that can aid in devloping a deep understanding of alternative solutions to sustainability challenges. Instead of going for the first and most obvious solution, the methodology encourages empathic insight into users 'and stakeholders' perspectives, as well as designing problem definitions around complex problems, experimentation and iterations for testing and learning.

The course will use current literature on sustainability as a foundation, sustainable business models and the innovation methodology design thinking.

Learning outcome

Knowledge:

  • Sustainable business models and sustainable innovation
  • Principles for sustainable business model innovation
  • Digitization as driver for sustainable innovation
  • User-centric innovation methodology

Skills:

  • Develop skills in sustainable innovation methodology
  • Practice creative problem solving to develop new solutions of value for your own business
  • Train ability to assess how digitization can be implemented as part of a sustainable solution
  • Use own experience and knowledge in facing new issues around sustainability

Competence:

  • Develop your own problem-solving ability, self-efficacy and creativity in new areas
  • Develop the ability to experiment with complex problems and reflect on one's own actions.
  • Develop general collaboration skills, communication and presentation skills
  • The course is set up as a collection-based course over 3 full-day sessions of 2 days. Acquisition of knowledge, skills and competence takes place through experiential learning on a separate project of your choice, research and analyses associated with the project between the sessions, oral presentations and workshops. The participants will work in small teams of 2-3 participants.
  • The course will use the learning platform Canvas. The literature and methodology will also be made available through simple digital tools and video material. The teams will be awarded creative sparring partners through student mentors from the recognized master's program in entrepreneurship and innovation at the Norwegian School of Management. In 2018, the mentor program was awarded the NMBU Education Prize and is nominated for NOKUT's study quality prize.
  • Bachelor or equivalent work experience (prior competence assessment)
  • The course is assessed with an overall assessment of a written project assignment of a sustainable solution and business model that is defended in the oral examination applies.
  • An external examiner participates in an oral examination.
  • Participation in meetings and submission of two assignments related to the project work in teams. Participation in a minimum of three tutorials with student mentors between sessions. Compulsory activities are normally valid until the next time the course is offered.
  • The work with the course will take place in the form of 3x 2 full-day sessions that include seminars, workshops and exercises, as well as work with compulsory activities in the form of project work between sessions. It is expected that the participants meet well prepared for the sessions. The course coordinators will plan for active participation and interactive learning from day 1.
  • Passed / Not Passed
  • Bachelor or equivalent.