2017-2018: IKEA AG Switzerland

IKEA AG Switzerland

Translating SDGs into new long-term business opportunities

Overall Goal

Providing IKEA Switzerland with a long-term scoping of new business opportunities by using the “outside-in” perspective and matching the new business units anticipated core competencies with priority issues in the environment, society, economy and governance dimensions of the regional focus of choice (to be defined).

Overall Objective:

1. Leading an innovation process that will generate concrete new long-term business opportunities as a result of an outside-in innovation process based on the Sustainable Development Goals (a proprietary methodology of Business School Lausanne)
2. Making recommendations for new business opportunities in three areas:

• Entirely new revenue streams (new business activities and markets)
• Expanded revenue streams (building on existing business activities & markets with complementary innovations)
• Sustained revenue streams (further developing and reinforcing existing business activities and markets with improvements)

3. Providing an implementation plan and guidelines after the project hand-over

Inputs from the providers:

• The Gapframe.org info and modelling ability
• The True Business Sustainability Typology 3.0 with the “outside-in” model
• The tested strategy tool developed by BSL in cooperation with 5 Swiss companies
• 3-5 students each contributing approx. 250 hours to the project
• Expert input from all subject faculty of the program (9 professors from BSL and HSG)
• Students teams are accompanied by two professional coaches

Inputs from the company:

• Project owner personally attends the 4 project meetings in Switzerland to ensure alignment with team (early October, mid December 2017, mid March and mid June 2018)
• Student team has access to in-company experts when needed
• Participation in workshops and stakeholder engagement processes (max 2-3 days in Q1-2 2018)
• Connection to friendly stakeholders, if required

Activities:

1. Identifying the core competencies of Switzerland (transferable to new markets and customers)
2. Identifying key priorities in the selected geographic focus (Switzerland)
3. Providing an innovation process with stakeholder input that highlights potential business opportunities in three areas:

• Entirely new revenue streams (new business activities and markets)
• Expanded revenue streams (building on existing business activities & markets with complementary innovations)
• Sustained revenue streams (further developing and reinforcing existing business activities and markets with improvements)

4. Suggesting prototyping of most promising opportunities in these three areas together with company experts
5. Providing an implementation plan to secure the preferred strategic opportunities by the company

Outputs:

• To be defined with project team and to be approved by company project leader (Lorenz Isler)

Outcomes:

Clearly defined strategic opportunities into new, evolving and existing markets by addressing the Sustainable Development Goals and hence making a massive positive contribution to the planet and society.

Team support from the company:

Company project leader:

• Lorenz Isler Sustainability Manager IKEA Switzerland