Samenvatting
Purpose: This paper describes the case of how the Danish beer manufacturer, Carlsberg, developed the Green Fiber Bottle as part of its sustainability program through an open innovation approach in collaboration with complementary partners. It thereby illustrates how a grand challenge associated with sustainability can be effectively addressed through open innovation and reveals the opportunities and challenges that emerge in that context. Design/methodology/approach: The paper summarizes some key elements of the case and, in particular, discusses some of the lessons learned, which can be further explored in future research, practice, and policy. Findings: The case suggests a number of key issues that are relevant when attempting to address grand challenges, in general, and sustainability in the food and beverage (F&B) industry, in particular, namely: leveraging open innovation in the face of sustainability as a grand challenge; sustainability beyond a solid business case; opportunities and challenges in the face of new business models; the importance of early wins for addressing societal challenges for signals and scaling; and the importance of the Nordic context and long-term vision. Originality/value: The case describes a recent (and to some extent still ongoing) initiative of how a particular F&B company has explored new approaches to developing its sustainability program. Therefore, it highlights some of the unique characteristics of this case. This paper also lays the groundwork for the establishment of “Sustainable Open Innovation” as a domain in its own right.
| Originele taal-2 | Engels |
|---|---|
| Pagina's (van-tot) | 1505-1517 |
| Aantal pagina's | 13 |
| Tijdschrift | British Food Journal |
| Volume | 122 |
| Nummer van het tijdschrift | 5 |
| DOI's | |
| Status | Gepubliceerd - 28 apr. 2020 |
| Extern gepubliceerd | Ja |
Financiering
This validation from external parties also plays an important role for public agencies as they attempt to achieve the SDGs. The participation of multiple actors identifies viable pathways forward for public authorities in their attempt to address sustainability goals, and it means public actors can support the resulting strategies with greater confidence. In this instance, the technology of ecoXpac was supported by funding from DTU and IFD, who in turn were influenced by Carlsberg's interest in the outcome of the work. These signals help public agencies direct innovation funding toward more useful areas. In addition, as early wins emerge from these public–private collaborations, public agencies can help scale the initiatives to ensure that they reach farther than they would if left only to private actors. Thus, open innovation helps to provide signals and scaling to public organizations, which have an important role to play in pursuing the SDGs. This paper draws on the Berkeley–Haas Case Series teaching case “Sustainability Through Open Innovation: Carlsberg and the Green Fiber Bottle,” written by Henry W. Chesbrough, Marcel Bogers, and Robert Strand, with the assistance of Elizabeth Whalen. Marcel Bogers has conducted scientifically independent research on “Moving from Societal Challenges to Sustainable Solutions,” which was previously funded by the Carlsberg Foundation (grant number CF17-0930). He would also like to acknowledge the support of the Novo Nordisk Foundation (grant number NNF16OC0021630). Robert Strand has conducted scientifically independent research on “Establishing the Global Research Paradigm: Sustainability in a Scandinavian Context,” which was previously funded by the Carlsberg Foundation (grant number 2013_01_0515). The authors are listed in alphabetical order.
| Financiers | Financiernummer |
|---|---|
| Green Fiber Bottle | |
| Innovations-Fonden | |
| Carlsbergfondet | CF17-0930 |
| Technical University of Denmark | |
| Novo Nordisk Fonden | 2013_01_0515, NNF16OC0021630 |