About us

Mission and values

Our mission is to preserve our planet for future generations through successful sustainable entrepreneurship and the tran-sition to a circular economy with well-being for all. We provide community with (inter)national and regional students, scholars, business leaders, policy-makers and citizens with all knowledge and competencies needed to make sustainable entrepreneurship and the transition to a circular economy successful.

Vision and strategy

Our vision is that successful sustainable entrepreneurship will result in a circular, green and sustainable economy with well-being for all that preserves our planet earth for future generations. We aspire to be a world-wide acknowledged source of expertise for the successful development, implementation, and management of sus-tainable entrepreneurship and the transition to a circular economy.

Strategies of the Centre
Our strategy is tailor-made for three key groups of communities: students, academic scholars and our sustainable stakeholders including business leaders, policy-makers and citizens.

First, we serve the new generations of students. The new gen-erations of students desire meaningful employment that con-tributes to saving planet earth. As the new generation of future leaders, students value sustainability and the circular economy as important topics in and of itself. Therefore, the first strategy of the Centre is to continue to develop our top-level and fulltime aca-demic master degree program in sustainable entrepreneurship. Based on research-driven and meaningful sustainable education, our master program fosters vision and competencies relevant for future sustainability careers in start-ups, business, policy-making and international research and consultancy organizations. In so doing, we respond to the call for more academic degree programs for sustainability leadership and the circular economy.

Second, we serve the new generations of academic scholars. The new generations of academic scholars are increasingly pushed and pulled towards in-depth studies of sustainability and the circu-lar economy outside mainstream paradigms and existing faculties. The new generations of academic scholars want to develop and answer new research questions, method and theories jointly with stakeholders in order to have social impact with successful sus-tainable entrepreneurship and the circular economy. The second strategy of the Centre therefore is to develop and implement meaningful sustainability and circular economy research para-digms. Our research explores and exploits all elements of new business models for sustainable entrepreneurship and the transi-tion to a circular economy in co-creation with our stakeholders.

Third, we serve the new generations of entrepreneurs, business leaders, policy-makers and citizens that want to design and imple-ment evidence-based sustainability toolkits in order to make sus-tainable entrepreneurship and the transition to a circular economy successful. The third strategy of the Centre therefore is to develop and implement practice-oriented programs that are meaningful and research-driven. These programs offer state-of-the-art know-ledge, competencies, and hands-on solutions regarding sustaina-ble entrepreneurship and the circular economy. They are tailored to our stakeholders to change existing business models or to create new ones and show the implication for policies, behaviour and communities.

Values of the Centre

Four values guide the Centre’s education, research and society programs. These values are the measure for our thinking and for our actions. They are the essence of what ties the members of the Centre together today and tomorrow.

Relevance. All our activities start with business experience and societal challenges in our community with respect to sustainability and circularity. We are inspired to constructively fostering sustain-able entrepreneurship and the transition to a circular economy with well-being for all. For our stakeholders, we are focused on providing useful knowledge and insights on sustainability that mat-ter to business, policy-makers and citizens, and to the transition to a circular economy.

Inclusion. We are committed to building enduring relationships with all of our community members. We connect business leaders with students, scholars, policy-makers and citizens in an open environment that appreciates and values differences. We believe that inclusive and trans- and multidisciplinary relationships are best for fostering sustainable entrepreneurship and the transition to a circular economy by teaming up to successful create and implement new sustainable and circular products and services across sectors, firms, disciplines, and institutes.

Innovation. We take pride in discovering radical new ways to make sustainable entrepreneurship and the transition to a circular economy for our members and stakeholders successful. We are open to disentangling new and unknown challenges driven by intellectual curiosity and societal relevance. We actively pro-mote a culture of invention by encouraging continuous learning among all of our Centre’s members and stakeholders reflected in ongoing radically new ideas, competencies, concepts, products and services about sustainable entrepreneurship and the circular economy.

Authenticity. We are open, trustworthy, and down-to-earth with all of our Centre’s members and stakeholders. We are transparent in our way of working, methods, and services. We are convinced of the need for, and added value of, sustainable entrepreneurship and the circular economy and are rigorous and authentic in advo-cating our mission without compromises.