How to design sustainable business models: A research integrated protocol

Case Studies, Living Labs, Lighthouses, innovation platforms, etc.) in identifying and designing
sustainable business model solutions to shared social, ecological, and economic challenges.
The protocol, which supports the development of sustainable business models, guides the
readers through the four main stages: initiating, learning, strategizing, and reflecting. By
following the activities outlined in these stages, initiatives will 1) begin joint activity and define
the scope of their initiative, 2) take part in collective sense-making activities, 3) envision and
strategize how to create economic, social, and environmental value, and 4) assess and, as
necessary, revise the activities to adapt and develop continually. Together, these activities
build a sustainable business model portfolio, which serves as a tangible output of the work the
initiative has done together.