RESTART Sustainable Business Model Innovation

Taking the business model as point of departure, this open access book explores how companies and organizations can contribute to a more sustainable future by designing innovative models that are both sustainable and profitable. Based upon years of research, it draws together theoretical foundations and existing literature on the topic of sustainable business alongside case studies and practical solutions. After examining the theoretical foundations of sustainable business model innovation, the authors present their own framework – RESTART. Consisting of seven factors, this framework can be the basis for restarting any business model. The final section outlines a research agenda for sustainable business informed by the perspectives and frameworks put forward in this book.

“This is a very practical framework that executives will find quite useful in guiding their thinking to develop a truly sustainable business model. It should be read by all who are deeply concerned with sustainable business.” (R. Edward Freeman, University Professor, The Darden School, University of Virginia)

“The sustainable business agenda is mainstreaming at last, a process that coincides with the evolution and deployment of radically different mindsets, technologies and business models. Entire industries and economies will be disrupted. In RESTART, Sveinung Jørgensen and Lars Jacob Tynes Pedersen indicate where this grand convergence is now headed – and explain how business leaders and their organisations can help drive the necessary system change. Recommended reading.” (John Elkington, Chairman & Chief Pollinator, Volans)

“RESTART represents a thoughtful, well-researched and extremely practical approach to making business models sustainable for the future. Thefield of sustainability has lacked a comprehensive and practical approach for sustainable business model innovation, and RESTART fills this vital need. The case studies illustrate the framework in illuminating ways that senior executives can readily understand and use.” (Ram Nidumolu, CEO, Academy for Innovation & Management, award-winning HBR author)

“In the effort to solve the big sustainability challenges of our time, innovative business models are essential. In this book, Jørgensen and Pedersen show how companies can turn problems into solutions by giving their business models a RESTART. This book gives managers the tools for contributing to build a sustainable future.” (David Katz, Founder and CEO, The Plastic Bank)

“In RESTART Sustainable Business Model Innovation, Jørgensen and Pedersen offer a practical and inspiring framework for designing more sustainable business models. The book offers rich material on companies that aim to align sustainability and profitability, both in the Nordic setting and beyond. RESTART is a valuable read for practitioners and scholars alike.” (Robert Strand, Executive Director & Lecturer, Center for Responsible Business, Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley and Associate Professor of Leadership & Sustainability, Copenhagen Business School)

“Sustainability-oriented business models and their practical development are an increasingly important topic – for both academics and practitioners. To this day, we are missing consistent educational materials and frameworks that can be used in the classroom and in practice. Jørgensen and Pedersen address this gap with their innovative and well-crafted RESTART framework. A must read for every instructor, manager, and entrepreneur aiming for business models that contribute to sustainable development while they are successful in the market.” (Florian Lüdeke-Freund, Chair for Corporate Sustainability, ESCPEurope Business School, Berlin)

“The RESTART framework is a guideline to manage sustainability in the 4th Industrial Revolution. Sustainability continues to be unescapable for business managers but its challenges have now been combined with those of the 4th Industrial Revolution and its massive need for business innovation. This book will interest those operating in developing countries, such as Brazil, because some of the solutions to our social and environmental challenges are already a great business opportunity, with sustainability and innovation walking hand in hand.” (Annelise Vendramini, Professor, Sao Paulo School of Business Administration, Fundação Getulio Vargas)

 “Jørgensen and Pedersen have written an authoritative book that draws together theories on innovation, business models, and sustainability in the unified RESTART framework. Their book may help resolve societal challenges related to climate, health, food waste, energy and many others. I was fascinated by their illuminating examples and case descriptions which explained theoretical insights and made the book  easy to read. RESTART Sustainable Business Model Innovation is a must read for researchers, managers, and policy makers!” (Per Skålén, Professor of Business Administration, Service Research Center, Karlstad University)

“What we need now more than anything is to co-create a regenerative world where people thrive, do business consciously, lead with compassion and where our production is based on circularity. With RESTART the academic sustainability rock stars Jørgensen and Pedersen show how companies can contribute to such a thriving, regenerative future. Read their book. Get inspired, motivated and then get to work. We can do this.” (Laura Storm, Founder of Regenerators, Co-creator of Sustaina)

“Jørgensen and Pedersen explain how to avoid trade-offs between financial performance and externalities. They have developed a good frameworkthat emphasize the need for innovation and new business models that also serve the customers better in order to achieve this, hence creating win-win. A RESTART is needed to future-proof your business.” (Reynir Indahl, Managing Partner, Summa Equity)

Sveinung Jørgensen is Associate Professor at Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences, Norway. He holds a PhD degree from Karlstad University. He does research on the design and innovation of sustainable business models and field experiments on socially and/or environmentally beneficial behaviours. He serves on numerous boards, acts as a strategic business advisor and is an active public speaker.

Lars Jacob Tynes Pedersen is Associate Professor and head of the Centre of Ethics and Economics at NHH Norwegian School of Economics, Norway. He holds a PhD degree from the same institution. He does research on the design and innovation of sustainable business models and field experiments on socially and/or environmentally beneficial behaviours. He is an active public speaker and strategic business advisor.