scholarly journals Sustainable Business Model Based on Digital Twin Platform Network: The Inspiration from Haier’s Case Study in China

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiao Li ◽  
Jiarou Cao ◽  
Zhenggang Liu ◽  
Xinggang Luo

Sustainability and digitalization have become the main direction of transformation of enterprises. Building a digital twin platform network can provide enterprises with a comprehensive view of products, manufacture, supply chain, customer experience, and profitability, which is conducive to the construction of a sustainable business model. The purpose of this paper is to study how enterprises use digital twin platform networks to generate economic, social and environmental benefits in various dimensions and their coupling relationships. Based on the literature review, this paper constructs a five-dimensional framework of a sustainable business model, and analyses the coupling relationship between dimensions. Using Haier as a way to verify the five-dimensional framework, it explores the dynamic mechanism of the Haier digital twin platform network, constructs an integrated framework based on coupling perspective and compares it with other two home appliance enterprises. The study shows that, through the digital twin platform network, enterprises can remove the disadvantage of focusing on a single product life cycle, and form a comprehensive network, so as to promote overall sustainable upgrades. This paper draws generic strategies and digital transformation suggestions for enterprises to innovate the sustainable business model. The conclusion enriches the research on sustainable business models both theoretically and practically and provides a feasible reference for the transformation of enterprises in digital economy environment.

2020 ◽  
Vol 58 (8) ◽  
pp. 1715-1736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Raffaele Fiorentino ◽  
Francesco Grimaldi ◽  
Rita Lamboglia ◽  
Alessandro Merendino

PurposeAlthough research on smart technologies explains their critical importance in sustainable business models (SBMs) (Mikalef et al., 2017), it remains unclear how organisations can embrace smart technologies to create and/or improve their sustainable business models. The purpose of this paper is to unravel and address the challenges of smart technologies to build and maintain a sustainable business model for organisations.Design/methodology/approachThe research develops an empirical analysis through a case study approach. We have investigated the case of ENAV – an Italian air navigation service provider – and how this firm uses smart technologies in the creation of its successful SBM. After constructing a basic theory, the authors moved to evidence collection. The data analysis has adopted a qualitative approach based on a thematic analysis of the transcripts and related documents.FindingsThe findings from the case study support the idea that the business value and the strategic relevance of smart technologies still remain largely underestimated in SBM adoption (Mikalef et al., 2017). Case study findings suggest that until today smart technologies have played a minimal role in SBM adoption. However, the smart technologies show the potential to inform the SBM adoption process by contributing to corporate communication for external stakeholders and to the main dimensions of SBMs such as safety and security or the respect for social and environmental criteria in the supply chain.Practical implicationsThis study seeks to support organisations and their directors to build and improve sustainable business models through smart technologies to maintain their competitive advantages. Specifically, our findings suggest that smart technologies can help organisations bridge the design–implementation gap of sustainable business models.Originality/valueThis research advances our understanding of the role of smart technologies by explaining how they can enhance sustainable business model adoption. Indeed, we offer a comprehensive view of the integration of insights from three different but related literature streams such as sustainability strategies, smart technologies and change management studies.


Author(s):  
Armand Faganel ◽  
Roberto Biloslavo ◽  
Aleksander Janeš

The authors have studied in depth small, family-owned, fish farming company because the demand and competition for farmed fish is increasing worldwide, and so is the awareness of its importance for further development of sustainable small business in EU and wider. This chapter contributes to the literature on sustainable business models with a descriptive case study of the complementarity of a fish farming company and ecotourism activities. In this view, innovation is crucial to promote sustainable business models that can achieve a solid economic performance, social responsibility, and at the same time take care of the natural environment. The case study of a sustainable business model (BM) in aquaculture has been analyzed with the use of a business model canvas that links various organizational-oriented elements of a business model with different stakeholder needs, especially customer needs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 1190 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Cantele ◽  
Sara Moggi ◽  
Bettina Campedelli

Sustainability innovation is often not achievable by a single organisation; even if changes in business operations can lead to great advances towards a more sustainable business model (SBM), the effectiveness of these implementations largely depends on the combined actions of the organisation’s network of partners. The aim of this research is to analyse the way that SBMs and partnerships co-evolve to enhance the sustainability of the involved organisations and spread sustainability culture beyond the network. In doing so, this article presents a case study of the company Alisea as a business operating within a circular business model, along with its network of partnerships. The co-evolution of the business model and partnerships is led by enabling factors that characterise the underlying relationships. The role of cross-sector collaborations is demonstrated in terms of boosting the social and environmental dimensions of the circular business model, enhancing social and economic benefits within and outside the partnerships, and spreading sustainability culture in different sectors.


2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 131-146
Author(s):  
ELEONORA ANNUNZIATA ◽  
FRANCESCO RIZZI ◽  
MARCO FREY

Purpose of the paper: This paper aims to analyze how small-medium enterprises (SMEs) contribute to the development of a sustainable innovations in the energy sector such as geothermal heat pumps (GHPs) by implementing effective sustainable business models. Methodology: The study carried out an exploratory multiple case study with 8 SMEs operating in the Italian GHP market on the role of sustainable business models in supporting the development of sustainable innovations. Results: The analysis shows that sustainable business models exert a supporting function between sustainable innovation and sustainable value creation thanks to their ability to overcome the existing barriers to adopt sustainable innovations (i.e. GHP systems). This supporting role thus results from the firms’ capabilities and knowledge to assess and promote the peculiarities of selected sustainable innovation. Moreover, the analyzed business models foresee an ongoing support of customers before and after the adoption of sustainable innovation by communicating potential environmental benefits and providing additional services. Research limits: The main limitation is that the findings derive from a national case study with specific market conditions for GHPs which might influence the development of sustainable business models. Practical implications: The study supports firms aiming to develop and implement business models for boosting sustainable innovations through an effective assessment of selected sustainable innovation and dialogue with policy makers. Originality of the paper: The study opens the black box of unexplored relationships between sustainability innovations and business models by analyzing their main components (value proposition, supply chain and public institutions, customer interface and financial model).


Author(s):  
Jahan Sanne ◽  
◽  
Anders Bjork ◽  
Bo Sahlberg ◽  
Hakan Stripple ◽  
...  

The literature on sustainable business models suggests a large potential for radical environmental benefits in many industries based upon current technological opportunities. However, there is a lack of empirical knowledge on how to design, implement and spread such business models in complex value chains. Based on a qualitative exploratory study, a concept for sustainable business models to reduce carbon emission when using construction machinery has been developed and measures needed to implement and design such a model within the construction industry is identified. The study is based upon interviews, study visits and a workshop, with participants representing all important actors in the value-chain. In conclusion, business and environmental objectives can be aligned through a result-oriented business model, supported by life-cycle data, contractual incentives, standardised emission measures and driver visualization. The concept is generalisable to the greening of value chains beyond carbon reduction and also to other complex business to business value-chains.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (21) ◽  
pp. 9130
Author(s):  
Gonçalo Cardeal ◽  
Kristina Höse ◽  
Inês Ribeiro ◽  
Uwe Götze

The topic of sustainable business models is growing in literature and in the industry, driving companies to search for opportunities to improve their impact on the three pillars of sustainability—profit, people, and planet (economic, social, and environmental). However, the process of developing sustainable business models is often complex, due to conflicting objectives from the three dimensions of sustainability. This paper presents a procedure model that supports the design and assessment of business models with a sustainable perspective, by integrating a new business model canvas for sustainability (BMCS) and an evaluation method to assess it. A comprehensive assessment is proposed, performed in a life cycle perspective. The proposed model is applied and validated with a real case study, based on a new business model for an aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul company. The case is based on shifting from traditional maintenance, repair, and overhaul activities to adopting additive manufacturing as an activity that allows manufacturing optimized spare parts with benefits for the costumer. The results show the application of the procedure model on a specific case study, as well as the potential of additive manufacturing as a driver for more sustainable business models in the aircraft maintenance sector.


2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 3437 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cinzia Battistella ◽  
Maria Cagnina ◽  
Lucia Cicero ◽  
Nadia Preghenella

Despite the high number of active small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in all sectors, current studies have barely developed investigations on the sustainability of their business models so far. The aim of this study was thus to bridge the gap between sustainable business models of SMEs in the service industry, to uncover the challenges that SMEs face when seeking business model reconfiguration toward sustainability. More specifically, the empirical investigation adopted a case study research design in the context of yacht tourism, as one business form among many within the tourism industry and thus within the broader category of the service industry. Interviews were conducted with seven European SMEs, whose business models were analyzed through the lens of the triple bottom line and sustainability challenges in their business models. The results display a varied typology of case studies, where business model components reveal diverse expressions of facing sustainability challenges. The work discusses reported findings with a cross-case comparison among detected business models and outlines a list of propositions for sustainable business models of SMEs. The paper contributes in continuing the discourse on sustainable business models, adopting the perspective of the challenges for SMEs and offers food for thought for managers of SMEs in comparing their own business with the identified business model types.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1219-1240
Author(s):  
Aleksander Janeš ◽  
Roberto Biloslavo ◽  
Armand Faganel

The aquaculture sector stands at a crossroad because of the important changes in the business environment. Demand and competition for food is growing worldwide, fishery sector reached its limits and in this regard farmed fish sector represents a viable solution for food supply. A sustainable development of small business is recommended in order to develop knowledge and skills to support the growth of world population. In this view knowledge management for innovation is crucial to promote sustainable business models (BM) that can achieve a solid economic performance and at the same time take care of the natural environment. The purpose of this chapter is to contribute to the literature about sustainable BMs by an in-depth case study of a small fish farming company which developed competitiveness based on own tacit knowledge. The exemplary case study of a sustainable BM in aquaculture has been analyzed by use of an enhanced BM canvas that links various market oriented elements of a BM with the needs of society.


Author(s):  
Job Taminiau ◽  
Joseph Nyangon ◽  
Ariella Shez Lewis ◽  
John Byrne

Establishing a sustainable energy future can justifiably be considered the next frontier in global sustainable development under the agenda laid out in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The newly adopted Paris Agreement which seeks to hold global average temperature increase to “well below 2°C” above pre-industrial levels inserts additional urgency into this agenda. To realize the commitments outlined in the agreement, implementation of innovative sustainable business models capable of producing strong mitigation and adaptation outcomes is required ‘on the ground' and needs to be available for subsequent diffusion across different countries, contexts and domains. This chapter explores the value of polycentric climate change governance through an investigation of sustainable business model innovation. An example of a sustainable business model, called the Sustainable Energy Utility (SEU), is evaluated and an assessment of United Nations-based programming to aid future diffusion of such business models is conducted.


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