Introductory description

Sustainable Innovation and Impact prepares students to design and lead innovations that respond to some of the most pressing environmental and social challenges of our time. The module explores how businesses, social enterprises and cross-sector partnerships can move from sustainability ambition to meaningful impact through responsible innovation, inclusive business models, stakeholder co-creation and robust impact measurement.

Students will learn how to diagnose complex sustainability problems, generate and test new ideas, develop sustainable and social business models, and evaluate whether innovations genuinely create positive change. The module also addresses emerging themes such as AI for sustainability, meaningful work, employee-led innovation, just transitions and impact-washing. By combining critical debate, practical tools and reflective learning, the module enables students to develop as thoughtful, creative and responsible agents of sustainable innovation and impact.

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

Sustainable Innovation in an Age of Polycrisis
Systems Thinking and Root Causes of Sustainability Challenges
Stakeholders, Justice and Co-Creation
Design Thinking, Experimentation and Responsible Innovation
Social Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship
Sustainable Business Model Innovation
Technology, AI and Digital Innovation for Impact
Meaningful Work, Purpose and Intrapreneurship
Measuring, Communicating and Governing Impact

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Apply systems thinking, stakeholder analysis and root-cause approaches to diagnose sustainability and social impact challenges.
• Demonstrate appropriate approaches to impact measurement and communication, including theory of change, indicators and social/environmental impact frameworks.
• Use co-creation, design thinking and lean experimentation tools to develop and refine responsible sustainable innovation opportunities.
• Critically evaluate the role of sustainable innovation in addressing complex environmental, social and organisational challenges.
• Critically assess social innovation and social entrepreneurship as mechanisms for creating positive social change and addressing stakeholder needs.

Indicative reading list

Reading lists can be found in Talis

Research element

Much of this module is rooted on recent and current research, also but not only from WBS faculty

Interdisciplinary

This module will connect with University-wide themes (sustainability) and design and engineering concepts covered in other departments.

International

Examples and case studies will relate to a variety of firms in different countries. External speakers will be drawn from several multinational companies too.

Subject specific skills

Analyse sustainable and social business models, including circular, inclusive, regenerative and technology-enabled approaches.

Evaluate the opportunities, risks and ethical implications of emerging technologies, including AI and digital innovation, for sustainable impact.

Transferable skills

Reflect critically on own values, assumptions and professional identity as responsible sustainable innovation and impact practitioners.