Sustainable Business Models ― Innovation, Implementation and Success

This book provides a comprehensive exploration into the identification and development of sustainable business models as well as their implementation, management and evaluation. With ever-increasing pressure on organisations to respond to societal change and improve competition through sustainable business model innovation (SBMI), this book aims to contribute to the knowledge of their design and management. The chapters explore the role of partnerships, the Internet of Things and the circular economy, among other factors, in developing SBM and how SBMI is facilitated through ideation and in entrepreneurial settings. Providing new typologies, patterns and a framework to evaluate the level of sustainability of business models, this book critically reviews existing literature on the topic to examine the potential of SBMI in research and in practice. The contributing authors employ a number of case studies and case examples to illustrate the integration of sustainable business models throughout the value chain, and their influence on wider social, environmental and business activities.

Annabeth Aagaard is Associate Professor at Aarhus University, Denmark, where she conducts research in digital and sustainable business models, innovation management, and open innovation. She is Director of the Centre for Business Development at Aarhus University, which carries out international research and projects combining business development and digital technologies. In addition, she is the CEO and owner of the consultancy company, KnowledgeHouse, which has designed and implemented strategies and development projects among top 100 companies in Scandinavia. She has 20 years of experience working in these fields, drawing on her experiences in the academic, public, and private sectors, where she was formerly a manager and management specialist. She has published nine textbooks and management handbooks and over 200 scientific papers, conference papers, and public articles in total on management, business development, innovation, and sustainability, and has published her scientific work in acclaimed, peer-reviewed journal articles, including the Journal of Product Innovation Management, Creativity & Innovation Management, and the Scandinavian Journal of Management.