The challenge/opportunity

Business model innovation for a circular economy

Use cutting-edge business model innovation tools designed by the University of Cambridge to discover how to transform your business to deliver uncaptured and sustainable value throughout the lifecycle, and design value propositions for the stakeholders in your business networks.

• Is your business getting the full benefit of the value you are creating for customers and other stakeholders?
• Could your current business model be actively destroying value and ultimately affecting the organisation's ability to capture value in the long run?
• How do you identify resource synergies that will enable circular business models?

Answers to these questions will be explored during the two-day short course, through the business model innovation tools, industry case studies and insights from leading research on the circular economy.

Previous Lab attendee, Simon Davis of NSF International considers how stakeholders in complex supply chains can create more value for their business, societies and the environment. Read his blog here.  

Benefits of attending

This workshop will stretch your thinking through discussion with leading academics and practitioners, as well as active participation with case studies. Through participation, you will:

• develop a new lens for business model innovation
• analyse and deliver sustainable value across a product lifecycle
• gain new perspectives on value creation and capture
• identify opportunities for implementing circular economy solutions
• gain access to the CISL international network of sustainability leaders
• share and learn from others about being a change agent.

Learn how to transform your business using business model innovation tools, download the flyer and apply for the two-day course.

Who should attend?

Those working in strategy, sustainability, innovation, R&D, sustainable design, new product development, business development, service innovation, start-up entrepreneurs, intrapreneurs, change managers and stakeholder engagement would benefit from attending the Lab.

"A great two-day course that surpassed my expectations, using practical tools to challenge the way we think about our own business and challenge how bold we are being in our approach and role in tackling the sustainability issues in our own supply chains."

Simon Davis, Agriculture and Sustainability Development Manager, NSF International

Learn from industry experts and thought leaders

The deep dive into the business model innovation tools will be led by experts from the Institute for Manufacturing (IfM) at the University of Cambridge.

Speakers

Speakers at this Lab include:

• Ian Bamford, Commercial Director, Centre for Industrial Sustainability, University of Cambridge
• Nick Brown, Head of Sustainability, Coca-Cola European Partners
• Dr Mélanie Despeisse, Assistant Professor at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden
• Professor Steve Evans, Director of Research in Industrial Sustainability, Institute for Manufacturing and Director of the Centre for Industrial Sustainability at the Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge
• Dorus Galama, Co-founder, Gerrard Street
• Vigga Svensson, Co-founder, CONTINUED
• Dr Alicia Valero Delgado, Head of the industrial ecology group at Instituto CIRCE, Universidad de Zaragoza
• Ken Webster, Senior Lecturer, University of Exeter Centre for the Circular Economy
• Dr Miying Yang, Lecturer in Engineering Management, University of Exeter

Participant-led case studies

Prior to the Lab you will be invited to submit a short case study based on your own organisation to be the focus of one of exercises undertaken during the Lab. A small number of these cases will be chosen, based on their learning value to the wider group. 

Sustainability Leadership Labs

University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL) Labs bring together professionals to test and challenge cutting-edge responses to global problems. Open to all our alumni and senior industry practitioners, these two-day sustainability workshops held four times per year, are an opportunity for professional development, co-creation and networking – all with real application to your company or organisational situation.

Read more about the Sustainability Leadership Labs, and details about fees and applications.