A creativity-driven Case-Based Reasoning Approach for the systematic Engineering of Sustainable Business Models

Abstract

While traditional business models pursue mainly monetary interests, sustainable business models make a contribution to face the ecological and social challenges of our time in an economic way. Companies - especially SMEs - are often faced with the challenge of developing sustainable business models. Typically, new business models often represent a recombination of already known business model patterns. In this paper we introduce a creativity-driven case-based reasoning approach to support companies in innovating business models towards sustainability in a systematic and creative way. Therefore, we combine different methods of business model engineering as well as innovation and exemplarily apply the resulting methodology.