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Plastics are an integral material to the European economy, but they remain embedded in a system that produces waste by design. The circular plastics economy has been envisioned as an alternative that will preserve the value of plastics while also reducing their negative impacts. In the transition towards such a system, the development of innovative circular business models (CBMs) plays a vital role. CBMs in the circular plastics economy remain highly centered around recycling, a widespread strategy that does not require a shift in the core business model. While undoubtedly beneficial, incremental progress is not enough to enact a circular transition. Thus, this paper explores the business models of circular start-ups (CSUs) as they are expected to adopt more disruptive CBM approaches that might accelerate the circular plastics transition. The method combines a literature review and multiple case study. Research-based CBM design principles are derived from a systematic review of the literature on CBMs and their barriers/drivers. These are then validated through semistructured interviews of Dutch start-ups in the circular plastics economy, while simultaneously revealing new insights from practice. The synthesis of both academic and practitioner knowledge results in robust recommendations for future entrepreneurs in designing circularity into their business models. Upon completion, the study will have mapped CBMs in the Dutch circular plastics economy, created a deeper understanding of barriers and drivers influencing CBM in this context, and distilled a set of recommendations for entities in the plastics economy aiming to design new circular business models.

Research on peer-to-peer electricity trading lacks a comprehensive, multi-stakeholder perspective to incorporate complexities and include externalities. This leads to solutions that are useful for specific stakeholders but in a broader view may fire back other stakeholders. Following a systematic approach, this paper introduces the business ecosystem of peer-to-peer electricity trading. Firstly, different views on business ecosystems are introduced and it is justified why ecosystem perspective makes sense for peer-to-peer electricity trading. Secondly, the value proposition of the peer-to-peer electricity trading ecosystem is identified by utilizing a meta-model that consists of four elements: end customer value, business value (shareholder value), collaborative value (business value to the supply chain), and societal value (value creation in the supply chain and control of negative externalities). Thirdly, based on the structural view of business ecosystems, the study identifies actors, positions, links, and activities in traditional electricity trading. Finally, (structural) changes of the ecosystem for peer-to-peer electricity trading are discussed. This paper elaborates on the business ecosystem of peer-to-peer electricity trading and highlights the structural changes it imposes on the statuesque situation. The ecosystem construct adds insights into actors’ ecosystem strategy regarding their business models for peer-to-peer electricity trading as well as into the governance of peer-to-peer electricity trading. It provides a comprehensive view for policymakers. It enhances the research designs in detailed aspects of the peer-to-peer electricity trading by providing a big picture.

In business model innovation (BMI) for servitization, it is essential for manufacturer to identify a set of specific (non)monetary and (in)tangible value attributes (Prior, 2013), that specify the valuable features of product, service, parts of delivery process and even business relationship. Such understanding of customer value serves as the basis for further design of the new product-service system and how it can be created and delivered (Frankenberger et al., 2013). However, developing understanding about customer value becomes one of the main challenges for manufacturers trying to servitize (Martinez et al., 2010; Mathieu, 2001) due to several reasons. Firstly, manufacturers and their customers perceive what is valuable differently (Lindgreen et al., 2012). Secondly, intangible nature of servitized value propositions makes it difficult for manufacturers to change their traditionally product-focused transactional models into the ones providing long-term relationship-based product-service offerings (Vladimirova et al., 2011). Finally, there is lack of tools and procedure guidance on how manufacturers can approach customer value identification in B2B context in practice, especially its intangible part (Keränen & Jalkala, 2013) that goes beyond straightforward financial value. Service design has already been suggested as a potential enabler to support manufactures in “how” to practically approach servitization transformation (e.g., Sangiorgi et al., 2012; Thurston & Cawood, 2011) due to its human-centred, creative, iterative approach to the creation of new services (Blomkvist, Holmlid, & Segelström 2010). In this paper we study how service design tools can facilitate understanding customer value in BMI for servitization. We use several empirical cases with manufacturers that are in the initial phase of BMI for servitization (Simonchik et al., 2015; Val et al., 2013). In these cases, we study how the use of selected service design visualization tools (Maps, Narratives, Images & Flows) through co-creation workshops helps manufacturers to (i) identify tangible and intangible value attributes (e.g. product quality, service flexibility etc. and (ii) use them further in designing new product-service systems. Preliminary case analysis shows that service design tools help participants think beyond their products, providing a broader perspective of the complete value proposition throughout the whole customer experience including products, services, processes of delivery and relationships. The understanding of how the customer will potentially interact with the future value proposition lays the groundwork for the design of new product-service systems. The cases also show that service design visualization tools provide the ability to experiment with how to create and deliver specific tangible and intangible value attributes in a quick and easy way through mapping and prototyping. With this paper we hope to contribute to manufacturer’s efforts in increasing their service orientation in BMI for servitization. Results of this study have implications for managers at manufacturer’s side putting effort to overcome among others such challenges of servitization as changing the product-centred perspective of own employees (Löfberg, 2014). References Blomkvist, J., Holmlid, S., & Segelström, F. (2010). This Is Service Design Research: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. In This Is Service Design Thinking, Stickdorn M., & Schneider, J. eds. Amsterdam: BIS Publishers, 308-315. Frankenberger, K., Weiblen, T., Csik, M., & Gassmann, O. (2013). The 4I-framework of business model innovation: an analysis of the process phases and challenges. International Journal of Product Development, 18(3), 249-273. http://dx.doi.org/10.1504/IJPD.2013.055012 Keränen, J., & Jalkala, A. (2013). Towards a framework of customer value assessment in B2B markets: An exploratory study. Industrial Marketing Management, 42(8), 1307-1317. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2013.06.010 Lindgreen, A., Hingley, M.K., Grant, D.B., & Morgan, R.E. (2012). Value in business and industrial marketing: Past, present, and future. Industrial Marketing Management, 41(1), 207-214. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2011.11.025 Löfberg, N. (2014). Service Orientation in Manufacturing Firms - Understanding Challenges with Service Business Logic. Doctoral Dissertation. Karlstad University Studies. Sweden. Martinez, V., Bastl, M., Kingston, J., & Evans, S. (2010). Challenges in transforming manufacturing organisations into product-service providers. Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management, 2(4), 449-469. Mathieu, V. (2001). Service strategies within the manufacturing sector: benefits, costs, and partnership. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 12(5), 451–475. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000006093 Prior, D.D. (2013). Supplier representative activities and customer perceived value in complex industrial solutions. Industrial Marketing Management, 42(8), 1192-1201. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.indmarman.2013.03.015 Sangiorgi, D., Fogg, H., Johnson, S., Maguire, G., Caron A., & Vijakumar, L. (2012). Think Services. Supporting manufacturing companies in their move toward services. In Service Design and Innovation Conference, ServDes2012, (pp. 253-263). Helsinki, Finland. Simonchik, A., Iriarte, I., Hoveskog, M., Halila F., & Justel, D. (2015). Service Design Tools for Business model innovation in B2B. In British Academy of Management Conference 2015 BAM 2015. Portsmouth, UK. Thurston, P., & Cawood, G. (2011). The Product Advantage from Service Design. Design Management Review, 22(4), 70-75. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1948-7169.2011.00159.x Val, E., Iriarte, I., Perez de Arenaza A., Alzaga, X., & Arrieta, X. (2013). Human Centered Design in Danobat Group Railways. In 17th International Congress on Project Management and Engineering, (pp. 1502-1510), Logroño, Spain. Vladimirova, D., Evans, S., Martinez, V., & Kingston, J. (2011). Elements of Change in the Transformation towards Product Service Systems. In J. Hesselbach & C. Herrmann (eds.), Functional Thinking for Value Creation: Proceedings of the 3rd CIRP International Conference on Industrial Product Service Systems, (pp. 21-26). Technische Universität Braunschweig, Germany. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19689-8_6 BMI Wind

In face of escalating health care costs, new technology holds great promise for innovative solutions and new, more sustainable health care models. Technology centers around the individual, allowing for greater autonomy and control in health issues and access to tailored information and customized health behavior interventions. While this offers good opportunities for both public health impact and improved well-being at individual levels, it also emphasizes the need for properly designed e-health models firmly based on scientific principles and adequate theoretical frameworks. Consequently, this project aims to design an interactive tool utilizing an interdisciplinary approach combining motivational theory with the fields of information technology and business model innovation. In collaboration with two companies from the e-health industry, the purpose is to design, apply and evaluate a person-centered interactive prototype for maintainable and self-determined exercise motivation.

Since the end of 1990s the growth of new energy and renewable energy production has been strong and increasing. Wind power energy has become one important source of energy almost all over the world. Europe, USA and Asia has become the leading markets in the development of wind energy. The total volume of global wind energy production has increased from 13,600 MW in 1999 to 318,137 MW in 2013. Since 2006 the wind energy industry is showing very rapid growth as well as dynamics among major industry actors. Some companies has left the industry due to heavy competion, some has used the growth as an opportunity to expand and the inceasing demand and the growth in the wind energy sector has opened opportunities for new actors to enter the industry. China has very fast become the largest country in the world in terms of installed wind energy capacity (28,7% share of total installed capacity and 45,4 % share of installed capacity in 2013). China is followed by Germany, UK and India. USA is now on the 6th place regarding the share of new installed capacity in 2013 with 3,1%. Sweden is on the 9th global place, shared with Romania, with 2.0 % installed capacity in 2013.The study focuses on the industry dynamics among major wind turbine producers during the period of 2006 and 2013. The study explores how the seven top wind energy companies, with the greatest market share of wind turbine manufacturing, used business model innovation to create competitive advantage, how they act to sustain competitive, and how they act business wise globaly in the wind energy industry. Our analysis identifies three major industry clusters based on their mix of business model components. We have labeled those three as “Born in Wind – Stay In Wind”, “Born In Wind – Expand In Others” and “Born In Others – Expand In Wind” due to the patterns of actors from their origin, growth and expansion strategies to diffusion in different markets. The majority of manufacturers have their origin outside wind energy industry, and they create success through new combinations of resources and new value creation for customers. Only one global actors is born in the wind energy and is still remaning in the wind energy industry. All actors have over the years reshaped their business model components, value propositions and value creation to customers in order to sustain competitive on the market. There are new comers in the wind turbine industry that in short of time has achieved high growth and high market shares. Our analysis shows that the business model innovation can be seen as one important perspective to understand the dynamics of wind power industry. Based on our analysis and findings we suggest that companies in the future even more should focus on the design and innovation of their business models, and that those should have the focus on the value creation for customers from a customer perspective and make differentiation from their competitors in the global wind power industry. Copyright © 2015 by Halmstad University & Shanghai Dianji University. BMI Wind

With the rise of emerging economy (EEs) as main engine of global growth, the intensified competition in the wind energy industry and internationalization to EEs, enterprises need to rethink and innovate their business models in order to succeed. The overall purpose of this article is to explore the drivers of business model innovation (BMI) in emerging-country multinational enterprises (EMNEs) in the context of an EE market, particularly in the wind energy industry and with special focus on inclusive business activities. For this purpose a single case study of Goldwind (China), one of the most important actors in the wind power industry, was applied. The results of this research show that to gain a competitive advantage in EEs requires capabilities to deal with the specific EEs related drivers of change: 1) fast growth and high demand combined with high uncertainty; 2) lower level of market-oriented socioeconomic development; 3) stronger governmental influence on the market; and 4) the need for simple, cheap and easy to maintain technologies. Therefore, it is important that managers position their enterprises in the EEs first as local players and only then as multinationals. Our study indicates that future research should focus on the main elements and the drivers of change that would shape BMI by adding new variables, specifically related to EE.

This thesis is an attempt to improve the understanding of the process of adoption and diffusion of environmental innovations. The thesis is based on two research projects. One project deals with the diffusion of environmental innovations and why they are less successful on the market than other innovations. The other project is about the adoption of environmental innovations by Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs) and how to facilitate the adoption process. There are at least two good reasons why we should support the adoption and diffusion of eco-innovations. One argument from an environmental point of view is that successfully managing the environment is the greatest challenge facing us in the future and the global scenarios for the next decades are not encouraging. Another argument, from an economic point of view, for the need of eco-innovations is that the eco-industry is one of the most growing industries in the world and is likely to be worth around $600 billion worldwide by 2010. However, there are some indications that environmental innovations have a difficult time in gaining success in the marketplace and in spreading among potential customers, possibly more difficulty than some other kinds of innovations have. The overall objective of this thesis is to generate knowledge regarding the adoption and diffusion of environmental innovations. One purpose is to add to our understanding of environmental innovations and to their similarities and differences to "other" innovations. Another purpose is to understand and describe how networks can be used to facilitate the adoption of environmental innovations. The main research questions that I try to answer are: 1) How can environmental innovations be classified? 2) Are environmental innovations less successful on the market than other innovations? 3) What are the main reasons for the differences in market success between environmental innovations and other innovations? 4) How could networks be used as a development method to facilitate the adoption of environmental innovations by SMEs? Several different methodological approaches have been used to develop a broader picture of different types of innovations and their development, adoption and diffusion. Two different approaches were used during the first project, dealing with the diffusion and market success of environmental innovations. The first one is mainly based on using questionnaires. The other approach is qualitative and based on case studies. Through a series of case studies of innovators and innovations we tried to achieve a better picture of the actual phenomena. The second project is about the adoption of an organizational environmental innovation by SMEs using a network. Since the goal of this project has been not only to observe the phenomena of the implementation of environmental innovation by SMEs using a network, but also to contribute to the development process, an action-oriented research approach was used in this project. Three main conclusions can be drawn on the basis of this thesis. Firstly, the new innovation classification system developed in this thesis improves the possibilities for distinguishing between innovations that are similar but not identical. A very large proportion of the analyzed eco-innovations are often classified as product redesign innovations. With the help of the new classification system it is possible to discern different types among those classified as product re-design innovations. Some are rather simple and accordingly classified as product care innovations, while others are classified as minor or major product improvements or even functional innovations. Secondly, our empirical studies results show that the environmental innovations are less successful on the market than "other" innovations. The empirical studies also show that there are mainly three factors which are especially important to consider in the improvement of environmental innovations' marketing success. These three are: "Realism while evaluating one's own innovation", "Access to capital" and "Utilization of network". Thirdly, to adopt an environmental innovation is not an easy task for small organizations, such as SMEs. But to be a part of and use a network is a possible way to facilitate the adoption process. Godkänd; 2007; 20071018 (ysko)

While existing tools can help in identifying circular value opportunities, tools supporting the generation of solutions to transform those value opportunities into value propositions are missing. This paper aims to identify the characteristics such tools should display by using a literature review complemented by semi-structured interviews. Based on these results, we propose a new tool for circular business model ideation.

Circular business models (CBMs) promise improved resource efficiency, value creation and retention. Still, CBM operationalization among large incumbents remains slow in practice. Yet, this plays a critical role in driving industry transformations towards sustainability. Prior research outlines challenges that incumbents encounter when operationalizing CBMs - yet remains fragmented and unable to explain where these tensions come from and how to effectively address them. This paper draws on institutional logics and paradox theory to explore underlying logic tensions as a potential explanatory factor and conceptualizes incumbents’ transition to CBMs from an institutional logics perspective. It thereby aims to strengthen CBM research’s theoretical grounding and provide a more systematic, actionable understanding of challenges faced by established firms. The findings delineate the competing institutional logics that incumbents need to accommodate when transitioning to circularity (established ‘business logic’ and emerging ‘circular logic’). Relating this to the business model, the paper structures and explains CBM challenges as logic tensions with incumbents’ established business model, structures and routines. Subsequently, organizational responses based on logic hybridization are derived and exemplified through illustrative cases. This paper suggests that considering the multiple logics that incumbents in transition to circularity face as a missing link between idea and action helps (A) rationalize incumbents’ challenges with (and hesitation towards) CBM operationalization and (B) develop organizational responses for more effective CBM uptake. Further research is needed to empirically validate the conceptualized logics and test how the theorized relations to CBM challenges and corresponding management strategies hold true in practice.