Module: Sustainable Enterprise & Innovation

Module Specifications.

Current Academic Year 2024 - 2025

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Date posted: September 2024

Module Title	Sustainable Enterprise & Innovation
Module Code	MT5237 (ITS) / BAA1070 (Banner)
Faculty	DCU Business School	School	DCU Business School
Module Co-ordinator	Peter Robbins
Module Teachers	Samantha Fahy
NFQ level	9	Credit Rating	10
Pre-requisite	Not Available
Co-requisite	Not Available
Compatibles	Not Available
Incompatibles	Not Available

Coursework Only

Description

This module has been developed for the many executives who recognise their company’s need for sustainable innovation - the ability to see the changing conditions of their market, define the emerging opportunities and threats and develop bold strategies to succeed. At the end of this module, participants will understand that by responding to sustainability challenges, innovation and entrepreneurship can help identify, develop and exploit new revenue streams. This module focuses on the future of strategy, specifically how to leverage new technologies to build a future-proofed social, economic and environmental sustainability roadmap for your organisation. In today’s (VUCA) volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous business environments, organisations need to understand how they can harness the capabilities of new technologies, using the lens of the SDG’s to identify and exploit new revenue streams and new opportunities for growth. We provide students with the necessary insights for strategically managing new technologies in a way that is environmentally compelling, competitive and distinctive.

Learning Outcomes

1. LO1: Explain the role of innovation, (increments, radical, breakthrough, technological, business model) in identifying and exploiting new revenue streams and creating and capturing value.
2. LO2: Explore the dimensions of international sustainable innovation - product, architectural, process, production, consumption, organisational, sectoral, business model and business systems levels.
3. LO3: Explain the Innovation Value Chain understand how the sustainability agenda offers the opportunity to create and capture new revenue streams.
4. LO4: Appreciate the Types of Innovation (Doblin) and the Sources of Innovation (Drucker) - understand how digital transformation can transform the value chain and offer more sustainable revenue opportunities.
5. LO5: Deploy design thinking and other tools (decarbonisation strategy tools, sustainability canvas) to identify and develop sustainable innovation
6. LO6: Evaluate corporate approaches to sustainable innovation. (Net Zero, LEF’s and NEF’s, Origin Green).
7. LO 7: Be committed to managing sustainability initiatives ethically and authentically.

*Type*	*Hours*	*Description*
Workload	Full-time hours per semester
Lecture	150	In person Lectures for 8 Lectures of 4 hours each plus 12 hours of independent study.
Total Workload: 150

All module information is indicative and subject to change. For further information,students are advised to refer to the University's Marks and Standards and Programme Specific Regulations at: http://www.dcu.ie/registry/examinations/index.shtml

Indicative Content and Learning Activities

Sustainable Strategic Themes
The rationale and origin for the UN SDG’s – as well as COP26 and progress reports from different countries. Understanding the imperative to act now Sustainability and Environmental Policy Discuss EU and also Ireland’s Climate Action Plan Science Based Targets - What and Why? Brief overview of the big themes

Sustainability - The Key Challenges for Business - Leading the Change
The critical parameters: Energy Management - Greenhouse Gas Emissions - Workforce - Sourcing - GMO Management - Social Impact of Supply Chain - Water Management - Health & Safety - Food Safety. The Business Case/Benefits of embedding sustainability into Business Strategy Internal Barriers: Short term focus: Inconsistency of metrics: Lack of clear link to Business Value: Lack of specialist knowledge within the organisation: lack of top management support. Business Model Innovation for Sustainability

The Circular Economy & Doughnut Economics
The Circular Economy Doughnut Economics Triple Bottom Line Circular principles and examples Circular business model innovation unlocking the value that resides in an Irish circular economy

The Particular Challenges for the Food and Dairy Sector
Content LEF’s and NEF’s What are the levers of change available for business? Stakeholder Theory and Mapping the Stakeholders in thai sector The Need for Accurate data Energy Usage: Emissions: Biodiversity: Water: Traceability: Raw Material Sourcing; Waste Sustainable Supply Chain Sustainable Procurement

Origin Green - Past, present and future
Rationale for the development and introduction of Origin Green in 2012 Origin Green’s alignment with the UN SDG’s How does it operate? What does Origin Green Measure? Farm Level Assessments - how they work and why they’re important. Programmes Within Origin Green - Beef Data and Genomics & SBLAS Discuss the future – Origin Green Strategy

Sustainability Targets and Metrics
Science Based Targets Why Net Zero is the current target - and what it means Understanding Scope Emissions (1, 2 & 3) Measuring Scope Emissions

Developing a Strategy for your Organisation - What does success look like?
Describe what success looks like for initiatives pursuing a low carbon goal in the transition to a net zero economy Compare the factors that have led to initiatives successfully decarbonising Analyse the likely effectiveness of emerging decarbonisation strategies across major sectors Conclude the potential to scale decarbonisation strategies and apply them across different sectors Content Decarbonisation Strategy Pathways Sustainability Canvas tools Reducing Emissions Levers for reducing scope 3 emissions

Communicating Sustainability Targets and Progress
Overview of sustainability communications Challenges of sustainability communications (greenwash/greenhush) Insights on how to communicate progress on targets to: Investors, staff, consumers, other stakeholders (learning from examples of companies who got it wrong and those getting it right)

Books & Reports
Hargadon (2015) Sustainable Innovation - Build Your Company’s Capacity to Change the World Stanford University Press Christensen, C; Ojomo, E and Dillon K (2019) The Prosperity Paradox: How Innovation Can Lift Nations Out of Poverty Harper Collins Managing Sustainable Innovation (2020) Edited by Vanessa Ratten, Marcela Ramirez-Pasillas, Hans Lundberg Rutledge European Commission (2010) Eco Design Your Future. How Eco Design Can Help the Environment by Making Products Smarter - European Commission Directorate-General Enterprise and Industry, Directorate-General Energy, Brussels (2009) McKinsey Global Institute (2021) Climate Risks and Response - Physical hazards and socio-economic impacts.

Assessment Breakdown
Continuous Assessment	100%	Examination Weight	0%

Type	Description	% of total	Assessment Date
Course Work Breakdown
Assignment	Each student will be asked to develop a sustainability strategy for a selected 'client' or host company. The strategy will include science-based targets and will demonstrate a mastery of the industry, the organisation and the appropriate sustainability metrics and goals.	70%	Week 8
Presentation	Students will work in groups to develop a sustainability roadmap for a selected organisation - this will be a 30 minute group presentation showing evidence of practical considerations as well as academic or theoretical constructs and frameworks.	30%	n/a

Reassessment Requirement Type
Resit arrangements are explained by the following categories: Resit category 1: A resit is available for both* components of the module. Resit category 2: No resit is available for a 100% continuous assessment module. Resit category 3: No resit is available for the continuous assessment component where there is a continuous assessment and examination element.
* ‘Both’ is used in the context of the module having a Continuous Assessment/Examination split; where the module is 100% continuous assessment, there will also be a resit of the assessment
This module is category 2

Indicative Reading List

Hargadon: 0, Sustainable Innovation - Build Your Company's Capacity to Change the World, 1st, Stanford University Press,
Edited by Vanessa Ratten, Marcella Ramieez-Pasillas and Hans Lundberg: 2020, Managing Sustainable Innovation, Rutledge,

Other Resources

None