Creating an innovative green business model canvas

Abstract

The aim of this presentation is to describe innovative green practices that have been tried and tested and to demonstrate how the empirical data that emerged from 60 interviews with entrepreneurs in seven European countries was used to elicit innovative sustainable practices. InnoGreen is an Erasmus+ Cooperation partnership which is in the final stages of its two-year life cycle. An innovative green business model canvas to motivate entrepreneurs to adopt more sustainable practices has been created and the partners are in the process of developing an e-learning platform for adult educators to promote innovative green practices. Sixty interviews with entrepreneurs in each of the participating countries (Romania, Poland, Austria, Italy, Greece, Portugal, Malta and Switzerland) were conducted and analysed to elicit innovative green practices that form part of the final GBIC [Green Business Innovation Canvas]. An extensive database that incorporates all the innovative features that are found in green businesses and that emerged from the interviews has been compiled, together with methods for their implementation in business activities. The result is the identification of explicit innovative features implemented by green businesses (summarized as ‘triggers’) and methods to support the implementation of those features. These features of innovative green practices are increasingly relevant and necessary to address the challenges which the world is facing today. The research conducted by the project partners is, moreover, in line with the European Commission’s Green Deal which aims to make Europe the first climate neutral continent by 2050 – a mammoth task that certainly requires increased innovation.