For two days early-career researchers were gathered in Gothenburg for training sessions in LCA analysis and Green business model innovation methodologies. The sessions also provided room to discuss preliminary results and the research process.

Presentation of LCA

On day one, a session lead by PhD student Lars Tellnes on Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) provided an opportunity to practice LCA analysis in a software. With an increasing focus on green business models and circular economy LCA analysis has become an import tool to support businesses in this journey. In the session, cases from businesses participating in the project was used to practice the software and generate LCAs on different products.

PhD student Lars Tellnes from Høgskolen i Østfold, Norway, provided an opportunity to practice LCA analysis in a software.

The second day was spent on discussing methodologies and share experience from working with different types of businesses across the countries and develop best practices for facilitating green business innovation processes.

Research methodology and the role of the researcher

Associate Professor Martine Buser lead the session on methodologies, which is also provided the participants to reflect on their own roles as researchers and facilitators in the Greenbizz-project and how they engage with the businesses in business model innovation processes.

Associate Professor, PhD, Martine Buser from CGC Research Center, Aarhus University, (front) runs a workshop for the PhD students about research methodology

What did they get out of it?

One of the PhD students who participated in the session, Antoine Manès from CGC Research Center, Aarhus University, said:

“The bootcamp served three highly needed purposes. First, I’ve got the chance to learn how to use SimaPro to provide insightful LCAs to the companies engaged in the project. Second, we took the time to exchange about the Business Model Development process and discuss potential publication collaboration. At last, but not least we learned about each other more, thus strengthening the collaboration within the PhD network of Greenbizz.”

Photos and text: Thuvarakai Kandasamy, Research Assistant, CGC Research Center, BTECH, Aarhus University