In the beginning of March, project leader Pia Otte (Ruralis) spent one week working with Boukje Huijben from Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) on developing sustainable business models as part of WP 2.3. Assistant Professor Boukje Huijben teaches a Bachelor course on green business models this spring and as part of the course she invited green companies to the university who are looking for new innovative business models. This course concept is a win-win situation for companies and students. It provides companies with new business model ideas and the students with the opportunity to apply their theoretical academic knowledge from the course in a real world context.
Coolcrowd presents one ‘company’ in the course and three student groups have chosen to work intensely on the project for the next weeks. Exactly in time with Natalia Mæhle’s (HVL) guest research stay at TU/e starting in April, the students will hand in a group report that will provide Coolcrowd with first sustainable business model scenarios.
Natalia and Boukje will then jointly elaborate further on the pre-identified business model scenarios over the summer. This is a crucial milestone in the project, which will then feed into WP 3 that addresses the farmers’ willingness in participating in climate crowdfunding. The first scenarios will be preliminary tested with six Norwegian farmers this autumn, then modified and tested further in a large-scale survey with Norwegian farmers.
However, first insights from the scenarios will be already presented during the next project meeting in June where the entire Coolcrowd team will gather together again. We are looking forward to the coming development at this important stage in the project.