Key Learning Content
One of the main goals of this topic is to highlight the differences between conventional entrepreneurship, and green one. The core difference between conventional, and green entrepreneurship is the logic before the value creation.
Conventional entrepreneurship contributes to economic growth, and regional development, while green entrepreneurship refers to businesses that attempt to minimize the business environmental impact, and consider sustainability measures. In a more general way, the sole purpose of conventional entrepreneurship is value creation. In contrast, in green entrepreneurship, the business’s economic aspect also serves as the means to achieve environmental profit.
A green entrepreneur can make their business “green” or enter a “green business.” In other words, green entrepreneurship could be the technology used for production in any economic sector that firms are active. In this case, our attention is restricted to parts of the economy producing specific output types. The former is sometimes referred to as a process approach in defining green business, while the latter is an output approach. Some of the key learning contents of this unit are:
The definition, goals, objectives, and examples in the form of case studies regarding green entrepreneurship
The definition of green business ideas
The understanding of the conventional, and the sustainable market
The definition of value propositions
The outline of all the tasks, and resources needed to be generated, innovated, to manage the value delivered to customers
The understanding, and delivery of the know-how to develop a business plan, as well as financial management
The delivery of pitch deck ideas to potential investors, and customers
These contents, once developed, can be explained as an introduction to green entrepreneurship, and the basic principles regarding sketching out a green business idea, and its plan, as the effort towards making a positive impact with green business ideas, the process for identifying potential investors, and customers, the market analysis, the attempt of depicturing the green business idea into context, the solutions towards the problem of acquiring financial resources to fund or invest to the idea, and the general logistics, meaning the management, scaling-up, and communication of the green business idea.
That knowledge, and expertise will support young people in their attempt to integrate circular economy strategies into their business idea. Still, they will also become more innovative, and better equipped to launch their Circular start-up or spin-off, and other initiatives in response to current or future needs and, ultimately, boost Europe’s growth, and competitiveness.
After gaining this essential knowledge of how to develop a start-up integrating
principles of the Circular Economy, young people, through experiential learning, and collaborations with established start-ups, will be prepared to commercialize their idea, and understand the competitive landscape of the business sector.
To summarize, the topic aims to introduce green entrepreneurship to young people, demonstrate its benefits, and explain step-by-step the process of generating, developing, and commercializing a sustainable business idea, and plan, highly motivating them to start their own green business.
