Sustainable business model innovations are regarded as a key lever for building a future-proof economy. But how can they be implemented within the constraints and opportunities of existing institutional frameworks? This book examines the role of companies as active agents of change in sociotechnical transitions, with a particular focus on the food and nutrition sector.

Drawing on six case studies, the work explores how entrepreneurs strategically respond to their institutional environment while simultaneously shaping it through their business model innovations. At its core is the question of how sustainable innovations emerge, gain legitimacy, and can be scaled within complex systems.

The study provides both theoretical insights into the relationship between business models and sustainability transitions and practical implications for actors seeking to actively contribute to the transition toward a more sustainable economy.

Florian Stokom is a research associate at the University of Regensburg, specializing in business model innovation, sustainable business models, corporate sustainability, and sustainability transitions. As part of his work, he is also responsible for the economic analysis and strategic development of the research project “ciRcNApp”, which focuses on scaling circular RNA technologies for crop protection.