This paper aims to increase our understanding of sustainable business model innovation in the agri-food sector in terms of its theoretical and practical approaches for sustainability and their degree of complexity and maturity. The paper is based on a systematic literature review of 570 journal articles on business models and business model innovation published between 1990 and 2014. Of these articles, only 21 have business model innovation as their main focus. The review shows that research interest in the agri-food sector has increased in these years. The paper proposes a conceptual framework for sustainable business model innovation in the agri-food sector that can be used to meet the challenges encountered in taking a sustainability perspective. © 2017 by the authors

Immigrant entrepreneurs face many challenges in the various early phases of their companies' existence. These challenges are often referred to as "the liability of newness". While some of these challenges are common to all entrepreneurs, the immigrant entrepreneur has an additional set of challenges. This article describes those challenges in the immigrant entrepreneurial experience in the Swedish agri-food industry. A qualitative research design is used. Interviews were conducted with 25 immigrant entrepreneurs who planned a business, had started a business, or had exited a business. Various websites and tax reports provided secondary data. The research, which covered a two-year time frame, identifies the strategies and actions the immigrant entrepreneurs adopted and used to try to overcome those challenges. The following strategies and actions were identified: use of business support, virtual embeddedness, family and ethnic groups, entrepreneurial experience, and niche markets. The companies in which the entrepreneurs recognized the gravity of those challenges early in their life cycle were more likely to survive beyond the start-up phase. The article, which also reviews much of the current literature on immigrant entrepreneurship, has implications for business support advisory services and policymakers who are involved in the effort to achieve economic (and social-cultural) integration of immigrants into their host countries. © 2020 by the authors.

Based upon a review of corporate performance, corporate financial performance and corporate social performance, we propose that the concept of "triple bottom line" (TBL) as "sustainable corporate performance" (SCP) should consist of three measurement elements, namely: (i) financial, (ii) social and (iii) environmental. TBL as SCP is proposed to be derived from the interface between them. We also propose that the content of each of these measurement elements may vary across contexts and over time. Furthermore, TBL as SCR should be interpreted to be a relative concept that is dynamic and iterative. Continuous monitoring needs to be performed, adapting the content of the measurement elements to changes that evolve across contexts and over time in the marketplace and society. TBL as SCP may be seen as a function of time and context.© 2010 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

In recent years, unquestionable warnings like the negative effects of CO2 emissions, the necessity of utilizing sustainable energy sources, and the rising demand for municipal electrification have been issued. Therefore, users are encouraged to provide off-grid and sustainable energy systems for their own homes and businesses, especially if they are located rurally and far from grids. Hence, this study aims to design an off-grid hybrid energy system, in order to minimize both the baseline cost of energy and the net current expenditure in the desired system. To construct such a system, wind generators (WG), photovoltaic arrays (PV), battery banks, and bi-directional converters are considered in the real case of a supermarket with a 20-year lifespan in Malmö, Sweden. Some significant assumptions, such as the usage of renewable energy resources only, electricity production close to the business location, and a maximum allowance of 0.1% unmet are incorporated. To optimize the considered problem, a particle swarm optimization (PSO) approach as developed to provide the load requirements and establish the number of WGs, PVs, and other equipment. Moreover, to verify the obtained results, the developed system was simulated using HOMER Pro software, and the results are compared and discussed. The results indicated that the designed hybrid energy system is able to perform completely off-grid, while satisfying 99.9% of the yearly electricity demand. The best results obtained by the proposed PSO offered 160, 5, and 350 PVs, WGs, and batteries, respectively, while the best solution found by the simulation method was the use of 384 PVs, 5 WGs, and 189 batteries for the considered off-grid system. This study contributes to decentralized local electrification by utilizing renewable energy sources that have the potential to revolutionize green energy solutions. © 2023 by the authors.

Recently, sustainable development practices have increased attention as climate change and environmental impacts have increased. Interventions to encourage sustainability awareness are developing, so fostering them through education is crucial. Evidence-based studies conducted in this field have suggested the use of different digital tools to promote environmental learning gains and to foster better sustainability awareness among students. Following the PRISMA method, we found 21 articles published between 2013 and 2023 showing an interest in the use of digital tools in environmental education to foster sustainability awareness among learners. Findings indicate that virtual reality tools and climate change topics are the most trending in this research area. Further, the results show a positive impact of the use of digital tools on students’ concern for the sustainability of the planet. © 2024 by the authors.

Social innovations and social enterprise have been seen as innovative measures to achieve sustainable development. Drawing on an evaluation of a development project on creating social enterprises in Sweden, this article analyzes social innovations as a policy area. The policy area is often described as loaded with ideological contradictions. The aim of the article is to explore underlying premises and discourses in policy implementation aimed at creating social innovations in a comparison between two ideal types on social sustainability—(1) an individual activation strategy (responsibilization of the individual) and (2) a societal equilibrium strategy (balancing social values). The research question is inspired by Carol Bacchi’s policy theory and asks what is the problem represented to be? The analysis is carried out at the micro-level as a context-sensitive approach to explore articulations made among actors creating the policy and entrepreneurs participating in a locally organized project. The article contribute with a better understanding of how societal problems and their solutions are discursively determined, with implications for policy makers and project managers active in this policy area. The analysis and findings indicate a significant policy shift during the implementation process. Initially, the policy idea consisted of well-considered ambitions to create a long-term sustainable development. During the implementation of the project, the problem’s representation changes gradually in the direction towards individual activation. This transition is driven by pragmatic difficulties of defining the policy area, problems of separating means from ends, and the need to make decisions based on a limited range of information. We conclude by emphasizing the need for reflection on how the social dimension is defined when implementing social innovation strategies. Furthermore, there is a lack of studies of how this policy area can be linked to policies for social sustainability. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Outdoor lighting offers many benefits to its users and is often considered a necessity for an active lifestyle when living in modern society. Sustainable outdoor lighting should fulfil the functional needs of the users, be cost-and energy-efficient, and result in minimal environmental impact. So far, a limited number of studies have been able to present clear strategies on how to plan and use outdoor lighting to ensure that it contributes towards sustainable development. Therefore, this study aimed to answer the following questions: (1) How many of the previously established sustainability indicators are already used by municipalities in their lighting planning? (2) Which types of indicators are not used by municipalities? Another aim of the study was to further develop the framework of sustainability indicators by adding new indicators that were identified from lighting plans of Swedish municipalities and the existing literature. In this study, lighting master plans from 16 randomly chosen Swedish municipalities with varying population sizes were analyzed. The results show that few sustainable indicators are used by the municipalities’ lighting plans, especially in the social dimension. The existing framework of sustainability indicators was developed by adding new indicators. Furthermore, 28 new indicators were identified, eight originated from new studies and the literature, and 20 originated from the municipalities’ lighting master plans. This study shows that there is a need for guidelines and recommendations for working with outdoor lighting from a sustainability perspective, especially in the social dimension of sustainability, where most of the new indicators were identified. © 2021 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

When conserving or protecting rare or endangered species, current general guidelines for reducing light pollution might not suffice to ensure long-term threatened species’ survival. Many protected areas are exposed to artificial light at levels with the potential to induce ecological impacts with unknown implications for the ecosystems they are designated to protect. Consequently, it is recommended that precautionary methods for the avoidance and mitigation of light pollution in protected areas be integrated into their management plans. This paper’s aims are to present an overview of best practices in precautionary methods to avoid and mitigate light pollution in protected areas and to identify and discuss what ecosystems should be considered light-sensitive and how to prioritise species and habitats that need protection from artificial light, including examples of legislation covering ecological light pollution in the European Union and in Sweden. The important aspects to include when considering light pollution at a landscape level are listed, and a proposal for prioritisation among species and habitats is suggested. Sensitive and conservation areas and important habitats for particularly vulnerable species could be prioritised for measures to minimise artificial lighting’s negative effects on biodiversity. This may be done by classifying protected natural environments into different zones and applying more constrained principles to limit lighting. The light pollution sensitivity of various environments and ecosystems suggests that different mitigation strategies and adaptations should be used depending on landscape characteristics, species sensitivity and other factors that may determine whether artificial light may be detrimental. Issues of the currently used measurement methods for artificial light at night are reviewed. We also propose and discuss the principles and benefits of using standardized measurement methods and appropriate instrumentation for field measurements of artificial light concerning the environmental impact of light pollution. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

The current European agri-food and forestry (AFF) systems are perceived to be moving too slowly towards more sustainable agriculture, forestry, food and bio-based value chains. The European Green Deal and Farm to Fork (FtF) Strategy stress the importance of the sustainable transition of food systems that emphasize resilience and justice along food chains. In this direction, education and training (ET) are given a major role, constituting one of the pillars of the Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation Systems (AKIS) framework. This study aims to propose an extended version of the AKIS framework to focus on the transition of policies concerning the ET pillar and to use this framework as a conceptual background with which to identify strategies for the improvement of ET policies in the AFF sectors. Data collection was undertaken through a round of workshops, and the data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. The results revealed that the need for a high-quality educational policy and the need to enhance collaboration, entrepreneurship and innovative learning methods were among the most important for the sector, where urgent changes in pace and an approach in ET are necessary for the entire value chain, from farm to fork. These results emphasize that pivoting the transition of ET systems toward achieving the Green Deal, FtF and new CAP objectives requires the development of policies that support student-centered and interdisciplinary education, while also being flexible and supported by non-formal and lifelong learning approaches. © 2024 by the authors.

Increasing numbers of companies are looking to embed design as a strategic capability to meet today’s business and social challenges. However, integrating design in an organization is a challenge, due to the scarcity of knowledge on managing this process and measuring its impact. This study presents a model for measuring and managing the impact of design on the organization (DIMM). The model builds on four levels of design impact identified in the literature: results, perception, processes, and design culture. The model was tested with four service companies that have recently developed design capabilities. To this end, those responsible for the integration of design were interviewed, using the model itself as an interview guide to confirm its usefulness and identify possible improvements. The results showed that the model was useful to assess the impact of design on companies with emerging design capabilities, but also as a reflection and management tool to align design with strategic objectives and promote its integration into the organization. Finally, future research should test the model longitudinally, as well as in a broader scope of organizations, to validate its usefulness for organizations with greater design maturity.

Energy‐intensive industries across the EU‐28 release unused heat into the environment. This excess heat can be utilized for district heating systems. However, this is the exception today, and the potential contribution to the decarbonization of district heating is not well quantified. An estimation of excess heat, based on industrial processes, and spatial matching to district heating areas is necessary. We present a georeferenced industrial database with annual production and excess heat potentials at different temperature levels matched with current and possible district heating areas. Our results show a total potential of 960 PJ/a (267 TWh/a) of excess heat when the exhaust gases are cooled down to 25 °C, with 47% of the 1.608 studied industrial sites inside or within a 10 km distance of district heating areas. The calculated potentials reveal that currently 230 PJ/a (64 TWh/a) of excess heat is available for district heating areas, about 17% of todayʹs demand of buildings for district heating. In the future, widespread and low‐temperature district heating areas increase the available excess heat to 258 PJ/a (72 TWh/a) at 55°C or 679 PJ/a (189 TWh/a) at 25°C. We show that industrial excess heat can substantially contribute to decarbonize district heating, however, the major share of heat will need to be supplied by renewables. © by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.The motivational influence of wearable fitness technology (WFT) on increasing physical activity (PA) is unclear, and improvements in PA have been shown to be driven by both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. In the current study, PA (daily number of steps), moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity, and muscular strength training were measured over 6 months on, originally, 16 randomly selected sedentary community workers (mean age = 51 years). Moreover, self-determined motivation (Behavioral Regulation in Exercise Questionnaire-2) was measured before, midway, and after a 6-month intervention program that included motivational interviewing, as well as the use of WFT and a structured outdoor gym program. Our findings showed WFT, in combination with motivational interviewing, initially helped the participants meet recommended guidelines for PA in terms of at least 10,000 steps per day, and at least 150 min of moderate aerobic activity per week. There was a large decrease in participants’ PA and increase in introjected motivation between the first half (3 months) and the second half of the intervention (6 months). The increase in introjected motivation suggests that toward the end of the 6-month intervention, participants engaged in PA to satisfy external demands or avoid guilt, which may lead to less-persistent behavior change.

Although studies in the field of digital supply chains (DSC) have increased in recent years, there is still a lack of theoretical and empirical studies that show how DSC can be successfully implemented. There is a lack of studies in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular. This paper addresses this situation and explores the usefulness of the digitalization integration framework (DIF) proposed by Büyüközkan and Göçer in 2018 for the development of DSC in SMEs. More precisely, based on a case study design involving Swedish SMEs operating in the same supply chain, this paper provides insight into the DSC process of these Swedish SMEs adopting the DIF. The results of the study enable the proposal of an updated framework consisting of five main components in the digitalization process, namely: digital strategy, digital organization and culture, digital operations, digital products and services, and digital customer experience. Furthermore, each component consists of several steps, called sub-components, which could be considered by SMEs when developing DSC to increase the success of this challenging activity. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

Mobility as a Service (MaaS) combines various modes of transportation to present mobility services to travellers based on their transport needs. This paper proposes a knowledge-based framework based on Artificial Intelligence (AI) to integrate various mobility data types and provide travellers with customized services. The proposed framework includes a knowledge acquisition process to extract and structure data from multiple sources of information (such as mobility experts and weather data). It also adds new information to a knowledge base and improves the quality of previously acquired knowledge. We discuss how AI can help discover knowledge from various data sources and recommend sustainable and personalized mobility services with explanations. The proposed knowledge-based AI framework is implemented using a synthetic dataset as a proof of concept. Combining different information sources to generate valuable knowledge is identified as one of the challenges in this study. Finally, explanations of the proposed decisions provide a criterion for evaluating and understanding the proposed knowledge-based AI framework. © 2023 by the authors.

Swedish agricultural companies, especially small farms, are struggling to be profitable in difficult economic times. It is a challenge for Swedish farmers to compete with imported products on prices. The agricultural industry, however, supports the view that through business model innovation, farms can increase their competitive advantage. This paper identifies and describes some of the barriers Swedish small farms encounter when they consider business model innovation. A qualitative approach is used in the study. Agriculture business consultants were interviewed. In a focus group led by the researchers, farmers discussed business model innovation, including the exogenous and endogenous barriers to such innovation. The paper concludes many barriers exist when farmers consider innovation of agricultural business models. Some barriers are caused by human factors, such as individuals’ attitudes, histories, and traditions. Other barriers are more contextual in nature and relate to a particular industry or company setting. Still other barriers, such as government regulations, value chain position, and weather, are more abstract. All barriers, however, merit attention when Swedish agricultural companies develop new business models. © 2015 by the authors.