Digital Gaming: Organizing for Sustainable Innovation

There is currently an increasing interest for sustainable innovation in our society. The European agendas highlight the role of higher education institutions in the formation and development of innovation competences among students. Our study aimed to contribute to the analysis of the level of achievement of students’ innovation competences by considering two sustainable development goals (SDG) of the 2030 United Nations’ Agenda: Gender Equality (SDG 5) and Quality Education (SDG 4). This article tries to answer how business students perceive their own innovation competences and which innovative competences are best achieved by students, as well as if there are differences in the achievement of these competences depending on the students’ gender. Our results, from a sample of 360 students in the Business Administration and Management Bachelor’s Degree at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, confirm the extensive development of innovation competences. Moreover, female students present a high level of preparation for innovation-oriented action. These findings have educational implications for potentiating the innovation competences and environments where females can attain innovation skills.

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Regional Electricity Models for Community Energy in Germany: The Role of Governance Structures

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13042241 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 2241

Author(s):

Moritz Ehrtmann ◽

Lars Holstenkamp ◽

Timon Becker

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Business Models ◽

Energy Transition ◽

Governance Structures ◽

Business Networks ◽

Sustainable Innovation ◽

Value Propositions ◽

Energy Companies ◽

Desk Research

Community energy actors play an important role in the energy transition, fostering the diffusion of sustainable innovation in the renewable energy market. Because market conditions for business models in the renewable energy sector are changing and feed-in-tariff (FiT) schemes expiring, community energy companies are in the process of innovating their business models. In recent years, several community energy companies in Germany have entered the electricity retail market selling locally generated electricity from their renewable energy installations to customers in their region. We explore the evolving regional electricity business models for community energy companies in Germany, related governance structures, and the role they play for a sustainable energy transition. In order to implement these complex business models, community energy companies cooperate with professional marketing partners (intermediaries), which are capable of taking over the tasks and obligations of electricity suppliers. Through a series of expert interviews and desk research, we identify three distinctive regional electricity business models and examine opportunities and challenges to their implementation. Results show that there are different forms of cooperation, leading to specific governance structures and creating a set of new value propositions. Through these forms of cooperation, business networks emerge, which can function as incubators for sustainable innovation and learning for the post-FiT era.

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Sustainable innovation initiatives by small and medium enterprises: a systematic literature review

Journal of Small Business & Entrepreneurship ◽

10.1080/08276331.2021.1898177 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-24

Author(s):

Meeta Dasgupta

Keyword(s):

Literature Review ◽

Systematic Literature Review ◽

Small And Medium Enterprises ◽

Sustainable Innovation ◽

Medium Enterprises

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The Risk of Dissolution of Sustainable Innovation Ecosystems in Times of Crisis: The Electric Vehicle during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13031319 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 1319

Author(s):

Manel Arribas-Ibar ◽

Petra Nylund ◽

Alexander Brem

Keyword(s):

Internal Combustion Engine ◽

Electric Vehicle ◽

Combustion Engine ◽

Internal Combustion ◽

Sustainable Transportation ◽

Mobility Patterns ◽

Innovation Ecosystems ◽

Sustainable Innovation ◽

Behavioural Patterns

Innovation ecosystems evolve and adapt to crises, but what are the factors that stimulate ecosystem growth in spite of dire circumstances? We study the arduous path forward of the electric vehicle (EV) ecosystem and analyse in depth those factors that influence ecosystem growth in general and during the pandemic in particular. For the EV ecosystem, growth implies outcompeting the less sustainable internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, thus achieving a transition towards sustainable transportation. New mobility patterns provide a strategic opportunity for such a shift to green mobility and for EV ecosystem growth. For innovation ecosystems in general, we suggest that a crisis can serve as an opportunity for new innovations to break through by disrupting prior behavioural patterns. For the EV ecosystem in particular, it remains to be seen if the ecosystem will be able to capitalize on the opportunity provided by the unfortunate disruption generated by the pandemic.

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