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Publikation Creating social impact with startup incubator programs for refugees. Using social entrepreneurship to accelerate integration(LUMSA University, 2022) Hinz, Andreas; von Kutzschenbach, Michael; Meyer, Rolf; Michelini, Laura; Minà, Anna; Alaimo Di Loro, PierfrancescoFocusing on social business model innovation at the example of startup incubator programs for refugees, this research provides insights into how such programs can create social impact. With the importance of social integration in mind, the guiding question for this work is how social entrepreneurship in the form of startup incubator programs for refugees can create social impact by addressing key challenges of integration. Based on a literature review and interviews with refugees and integration experts, it appears that challenges primarily relate to language skills, professional qualifications, psychological stress and discrimination. While conventional standardized integration programs address some of these issues, gaps remain that slow down integration. This is where startup incubators can make a difference. For instance, they offer personalized coaching and mentoring to allow for individual needs and to empower participants to develop and deploy their potential. Further, they help participants build a strong personal network in the local ecosystem. Moreover, entrepreneurial skills are developed to prepare participants for self-employment as an alternative to the difficult job search. Overall, this work illustrates that social innovation of startup incubator programs for refugees can accelerate integration and create social impact.04B - Beitrag KonferenzschriftPublikation Leveraging business model innovation for sustainability. Tentative principles to support true co-creation between students and SMEs(LUMSA University, 2022) von Kutzschenbach, Michael; Wyss, Ananda; Hoveskog, Maya; Tell, Joakim; Michelini, Laura; Minà, Anna; Alaimo Di Loro, PierfrancescoRecent trends and challenges surrounding sustainability and digitalization have forced businesses to rethink their business models. Business model innovation for sustainability (BMIfS) aims to enable companies to better meet these challenges and to operate within planetary boundaries while ensuring their long-term success. Several authors have iterated the importance of co-creation and collaboration with multiple stakeholders for BMIfS. Educational settings can provide an ideal environment to engage multiple stakeholders collaboratively. However, the educational facet in supporting SMEs in meeting the challenges of BMIfS appears insufficiently addressed. In particular, the practical implementation of co-creative learning activities to strengthen students’ and businesses’ capabilities for BMIfS is weakly researched and developed. This paper contributes by addressing the challenges of true co-creation for BMIfS between students and SMEs in educational settings. Built on insights from two illustrative educational initiatives, several underlying causes for these challenges are discussed. Based on these observations and the authors’ experiences, seven tentative principles are presented to support the design of educational co-creative BMIfS with students and SMEs. For future research, the paper suggests taking design-based and longitudinal research approaches to improve education for sustainability resulting in better students’ and businesses’ capabilities for BMIfS as well as assessing its transformational impact for SMEs.04B - Beitrag Konferenzschrift