Business Model Innovation for Sustainable Landscape Restoration

Welcome to this 8-week course on ‘Business model innovation for sustainable landscape restoration’! Your teachers will introduce you to the process of business model innovation, the concept of landscape restoration and to 3 real-life cases of landscape restoration projects. For each step of the innovation process, we zoom in on those landscapes to show you how the theory looks in practice. By doing this, you will apply the “4 returns” thinking (returns of inspiration, natural capital, social capital and financial capital). Week 1 introduces you to the problem of landscape degradation and the process of landscape restoration. You will also learn about the role of business models in landscape restoration and how important visions are for sustainable business model innovation. We will introduce you to our 3 practical example cases of landscape restoration. Each of these cases has encountered different problems related to landscape degradation and formulated innovative solutions by using the approach set out in this MOOC: the power of sustainable business models to successfully restore natural environments. You will choose a land degradation challenge and formulate a vision and key question.

Week 2 is all about systems thinking and systems analysis. In our practical example cases you will see how diversified crop systems can help in Spain, and how birch woodlands can improve the resilience of the system in Iceland. You will learn how to conduct a systems analysis for your chosen landscape degradation challenge by identifying boundaries and key factors, creating a system map, constructing a central narrative and determining points of intervention.

In this week you will learn what stakeholders are and why they are important. You will see the application of the main concepts in two of our landscape examples. At the end of week 3 you can conduct your own stakeholder analysis of your chosen landscape degradation challenge.

In week 4 we enter the second phase of the sustainable business model innovation process: designing. In this phase we move from forming an understanding of the problem and what means we have available, to generating ideas for new business model solutions. Now you will actually start working with your stakeholders to analyse opportunities for value creation based on common goals and commitment. In week 4, the focus is on co-innovation networks and captured and destroyed value. You are going to build your co-innovation network, validate your current understandings, identify opportunities to add value and generate first business model ideas.