Co-Creation in Sustainable Entrepreneurship Education: Lessons from Business-University Educational Partnerships

The world is facing numerous ecological challenges that require urgent attention. Interventions from policymakers and universities are becoming more frequent in order to facilitate the transition of society into a more sustainable world. This paper presents lessons learned from sustainable entrepreneurship education activities developed at the northernmost University of Applied Sciences in Europe that involved important business stakeholders in the local environment. The educational process aims to equip students with the skills necessary to develop new ideas and entrepreneurial projects that provide innovative solutions to pressing social and environmental challenges. It also promotes the sustainable transformation of local businesses and society through partnerships and collaborations. Two main questions guided the presentation of the case: How can students, professors, business managers/workers, and government officials collaborate to develop sustainable entrepreneurial ideas and what are the pros and cons of co-creating in the context of sustainable entrepreneurship education? The teaching-learning experience showed that addressing real, local business problems collaboratively and adopting the principles of the co-creation of knowledge can lead to sustainable solutions and experiential learning and contribute to transforming societies towards sustainability. The lessons learned can illuminate future adaptations and applications in other universities.