Description
During this brief outline related to good practice collection university support for sustainable entrepreneurship.
www.shift-project.eu
Bren School of Environmental
Science & Management, UCSB
California, USA
Good practice collection
University support for sustainable
entrepreneurship
Good practice collection
SHIFT (“Support Systems for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Transformation”) is a unique research project and is funded through
the EU programme ECO-INNOVERA: www.eco-innovera.eu. SHIFT’s main goal is to enable universities, incubators, business development
organizations, fnancial institutions and other relevant actors to support eco-innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship more
e?ectively. On the basis of thorough empirical analysis of the status quo and the identifcation of good practices world-wide, concrete
and realistic recommendations have been developed for policy makers and actors of the support systems: www.shift-project.eu
The Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is part of a selection of
good practice examples the Borderstep Institute has collated in the context of the SHIFT project to highlight exemplary activities of
higher education institutions (HEIs) in Finland, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the USA that have successfully integrated
sustainability in their respective entrepreneurship support system.
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management
– University of California, Santa Barbara
Characterization: Environmental science and management school that focuses on business and entrepreneurship
Good practice highlights
Master of “Environmental Science and Management
(MESM)”: MESM is a 2-year professional degree programme
designed for individuals who plan to enter or re-enter the
workforce upon graduation. The programme focuses on
application and problem-solving and has three parts: the
frst-year core curriculum, the second-year work in one of
seven Specializations, and the Group Project or Eco-
Entrepreneurship Project.
Module in “Corporate Environmental Management
(CEM)”: CEM provides for a specialization as part of the
MESM and conveys how private-sector frms may address
environmental and natural resource issues in a manner
that also promotes shareholder value, thus creating a link
between the quality of environmental and natural
resources and a frm’s overall market objectives.
Module in “Eco-Entrepreneurship (Eco-E)”: Eco-E is part
of the MESM and enhances other electives (specializations)
by providing a special focus on eco-entrepreneurship. The
module is a joint initiative between the Bren School and
the Technology Management Program of the College of
Engineering. Eco-E students pursue additional
coursework and activities that provide them with skills
and support to launch new ventures, products, and
technologies that address society‘s environmental and
resource problems.
UCSB O? ce of Technology & Industry Alliances (TIA)
Startup Support Program: The Startup Support Program
is a programme established to help UCSB startup compa-
nies. The programme provides one-on-one customized
support covering a broad range of topics, services, and
Key data
Location: Santa Barbara, California, USA
Founded: 1991 (Bren School), UCSB was founded in 1891
Number of students (2015): 220 (Bren School), UCSB as a
whole has 23,000 students
Pro?le: The Bren School is among a few schools in the
United States – and the only one on the West
Coast – that integrate science, management, law,
economics, and policy as part of an interdiscipli-
nary approach to environmental problem-solving.
The Bren School collaborates closely with other
schools and groups at UCSB. Its interdisciplinary
teaching and research programmes underline its
mission of the connection between human and
natural systems. Adjunct professors and visiting
lecturers from industry and other leading univer-
sities complement the full-time faculty and
extend the school’s academic reach while enhan-
cing the real-world relevance of the curriculum.
resources. Anyone in the UCSB community who is conside-
ring starting up a company or who has already launched
a new venture-based on UCSB research is eligible for this
programme;
Eco-Entrepreneurship Advisory Council (EEAC): EEAC
guides, supports, and promotes eco-entrepreneurship
education at the Bren School, and serves as the primary
conduit between the school and the entrepreneurial and
investor communities.
Why did your university/business
school start to support sustainable
entrepreneurship and/or eco-inno-
vation endeavours?
It started when I came here in 2006
because we had a traditional entrepre-
neurship programme at Arizona, where I
was working prior to the Bren School. It
didn‘t specifcally focused on the environ-
ment although there were some students
who were interested, but it was the most
successful undergraduate and MBA program
in Arizona. I directed the centre that ran
it. When I came to the Bren School, it
seemed to me that there was a perfect
opportunity to apply it to environmental
issues. I think a major reason is that our
professional master‘s programme in
“Environmental Science and Management”
is like an MBA programme, in the sense
that, it‘s a terminal degree and students
want tools to be e?ective environmental
managers. If you have this sort of an inde-
pendent risk-taking group which student
includes, then Eco-Entrepreneurship
seems like a perfect opportunity for them.
Who initiated your programmes,
what were the milestones of their
evolution?
I initiated the Eco-Entrepreneurship
programme in close collaboration with
the Technology Management Program-
me of the UCSB College of Engineering.
On that basis the Bren School launched
the nation‘s frst programme of study in
eco-entrepreneurship (Eco-E) in 2007.
We did a, „Let‘s do it“ mini version to see
if we can develop this kind of a program-
me. And then, there was this explosive
student interest, which caught a lot of
the faculty o?-guard. It was advertising
this and really going after students who
were looking for this kind of a programme.
So it became clear that this couldn‘t be
something just a little side project of one
of the faculty and that we really have to
develop a comprehensive programme.
And so, we did a search and identifed
Emily Cotter and hired her as Eco-Entre-
preneurship Lecturer, Project Coordinator
and Programme Manager. She has started
several businesses herself. Emily was a
huge part of the success. She‘s an ama-
zing teacher. Literally, the frst year we
started this programme, I think we had 30
students out of our 80 that decided they
wanted to do this even though it was not
a reason they came to Bren at all. It‘s just
a matter of being exposed to her in the
initial orientation and two weeks kind of
boot camp things about opportunities and
a lot of them gave it a try. And now, we‘ve
?ushed out the programme in a very big
way. Another important milestone was
the establishment of our Eco-Entrepre-
neurship Advisory Council. The Advisory
Council guides, supports, and promotes
eco-entrepreneur-ship education at the
Bren School, and serves as the primary
conduit between the school and the entre-
preneurial and investor communities. It
has been very helpful in terms of creating
incubator funds and fellowships.
What can other universities learn
from it?
The universities always have to justify
themselves. They compete for govern-
ment funds or they compete with private
funds. They compete for the best faculty.
They compete for the best students. If
eco-entrepreneurship is an area that
has social benefts, if this is an area that
students are interested in, if this is an area
the faculty are interested, then a success-
ful university has to be there.
What are your next steps/future
plans?
We are working on developing more
fellowships, trying to fnd a way to
incubate the student teams, or really talk
with some alumni and community members
that will be putting together an Angel
fund. We don‘t know the mechanics of it
yet because di?erent Angel and Master‘s
funds operate di?erently. I don‘t know if
it‘ll be one where we have the students
present and each member decide if they
want to invest or if they will collectively
create a pool of funds and then have a
Board that determines the investment
amount and award our investment.
What has been the impact of your
sustainable entrepreneurship
support?
I think success is shown by student
interest and the fact that we now have a
full-time Eco-Entrepreneurship Lecturer
and Programme Manager, Emily Cotter.
Every year since 2012 we had one student
team launch a new eco-venture. Last year
we had two. This year, we‘ll have two as
well. It‘s happening and there is momentum.
Students are coming in and realizing this
is a path that they can do after graduation.
There‘s defnitely been an impact as far
as media coverage for our programme
because our students have been consis-
tently going to national competitions and
winning awards and getting placing in the
top semi-fnals to fnals. Our Eco-Entre-
preneurship Team, Charborn, just recent-
ly won $75,000 in a National Business
Competition. Charborn seeks to unlock
the potential of biochar as a soil amendment
for the agricultural industries. A high-car-
bon soil amendment similar to shredded
bits of charcoal, biochar allows farmers
to boost yields while using less water and
fertilizer. So, that happened and every
year, we keep seeing more and more.
Interview with Gary Libecap, Ph.D.
Professor, Corporate Environmental Management
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management
University of California, Santa Barbara
for the agricultural industries. A high-car-
bon soil amendment similar to shredded
bits of charcoal, biochar allows farmers
to boost yields while using less water and
fertilizer. So, that happened and every
year, we keep seeing more and more.
for the agricultural industries. A high-car-
bon soil amendment similar to shredded
bits of charcoal, biochar allows farmers
to boost yields while using less water and
fertilizer. So, that happened and every
year, we keep seeing more and more.
Why did your university/business
school start to support sustainable
entrepreneurship and/or eco-inno-
vation endeavours?
It started when I came here in 2006
because we had a traditional entrepre-
Additional Information
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB:
www.bren.ucsb.edu
Master of “Environmental Science and Management (MESM)”:
www.bren.ucsb.edu/academics/MESM.html
MModule in “Corporate Environmental Management (CEM)”:
www.bren.ucsb.edu/academics/mesm_specialization/corp_env_mgt.htm
Module in “Eco-Entrepreneurship (Eco-E)”:
www.bren.ucsb.edu/academics/eco_entrepreneur.htm
Eco-Entrepreneurship Advisory Council (EEAC):
www.bren.ucsb.edu/partnerships/eco_council.htm
Find SHIFT online at: www.shift-project.eu www.borderstep.org
Contact SHIFT:
Funded by:
Prof. Dr. Klaus Fichter
Borderstep Institute for Innovation
& Sustainability, Berlin, Germany
E-mail: [email protected]
Prof. Magnus Klofsten & Prof. Olof Hjelm
Linköping University, Sweden
E-mail: [email protected],
[email protected]
Prof. Alastair Fuad-Luke
Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland
E-mail: [email protected]
Authors:
Klaus Fichter, Joerg Geier, Irina Tiemann
For citation please use:
Fichter, K., Geier, J. & Tiemann, I. (2015). Good practice collection university support for sustainable entrepreneurship: Bren School for
Environmental Science & Management. Borderstep: Berlin.
doc_517223054.pdf
During this brief outline related to good practice collection university support for sustainable entrepreneurship.
www.shift-project.eu
Bren School of Environmental
Science & Management, UCSB
California, USA
Good practice collection
University support for sustainable
entrepreneurship
Good practice collection
SHIFT (“Support Systems for Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Transformation”) is a unique research project and is funded through
the EU programme ECO-INNOVERA: www.eco-innovera.eu. SHIFT’s main goal is to enable universities, incubators, business development
organizations, fnancial institutions and other relevant actors to support eco-innovation and sustainable entrepreneurship more
e?ectively. On the basis of thorough empirical analysis of the status quo and the identifcation of good practices world-wide, concrete
and realistic recommendations have been developed for policy makers and actors of the support systems: www.shift-project.eu
The Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB) is part of a selection of
good practice examples the Borderstep Institute has collated in the context of the SHIFT project to highlight exemplary activities of
higher education institutions (HEIs) in Finland, Germany, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the USA that have successfully integrated
sustainability in their respective entrepreneurship support system.
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management
– University of California, Santa Barbara
Characterization: Environmental science and management school that focuses on business and entrepreneurship
Good practice highlights
Master of “Environmental Science and Management
(MESM)”: MESM is a 2-year professional degree programme
designed for individuals who plan to enter or re-enter the
workforce upon graduation. The programme focuses on
application and problem-solving and has three parts: the
frst-year core curriculum, the second-year work in one of
seven Specializations, and the Group Project or Eco-
Entrepreneurship Project.
Module in “Corporate Environmental Management
(CEM)”: CEM provides for a specialization as part of the
MESM and conveys how private-sector frms may address
environmental and natural resource issues in a manner
that also promotes shareholder value, thus creating a link
between the quality of environmental and natural
resources and a frm’s overall market objectives.
Module in “Eco-Entrepreneurship (Eco-E)”: Eco-E is part
of the MESM and enhances other electives (specializations)
by providing a special focus on eco-entrepreneurship. The
module is a joint initiative between the Bren School and
the Technology Management Program of the College of
Engineering. Eco-E students pursue additional
coursework and activities that provide them with skills
and support to launch new ventures, products, and
technologies that address society‘s environmental and
resource problems.
UCSB O? ce of Technology & Industry Alliances (TIA)
Startup Support Program: The Startup Support Program
is a programme established to help UCSB startup compa-
nies. The programme provides one-on-one customized
support covering a broad range of topics, services, and
Key data
Location: Santa Barbara, California, USA
Founded: 1991 (Bren School), UCSB was founded in 1891
Number of students (2015): 220 (Bren School), UCSB as a
whole has 23,000 students
Pro?le: The Bren School is among a few schools in the
United States – and the only one on the West
Coast – that integrate science, management, law,
economics, and policy as part of an interdiscipli-
nary approach to environmental problem-solving.
The Bren School collaborates closely with other
schools and groups at UCSB. Its interdisciplinary
teaching and research programmes underline its
mission of the connection between human and
natural systems. Adjunct professors and visiting
lecturers from industry and other leading univer-
sities complement the full-time faculty and
extend the school’s academic reach while enhan-
cing the real-world relevance of the curriculum.
resources. Anyone in the UCSB community who is conside-
ring starting up a company or who has already launched
a new venture-based on UCSB research is eligible for this
programme;
Eco-Entrepreneurship Advisory Council (EEAC): EEAC
guides, supports, and promotes eco-entrepreneurship
education at the Bren School, and serves as the primary
conduit between the school and the entrepreneurial and
investor communities.
Why did your university/business
school start to support sustainable
entrepreneurship and/or eco-inno-
vation endeavours?
It started when I came here in 2006
because we had a traditional entrepre-
neurship programme at Arizona, where I
was working prior to the Bren School. It
didn‘t specifcally focused on the environ-
ment although there were some students
who were interested, but it was the most
successful undergraduate and MBA program
in Arizona. I directed the centre that ran
it. When I came to the Bren School, it
seemed to me that there was a perfect
opportunity to apply it to environmental
issues. I think a major reason is that our
professional master‘s programme in
“Environmental Science and Management”
is like an MBA programme, in the sense
that, it‘s a terminal degree and students
want tools to be e?ective environmental
managers. If you have this sort of an inde-
pendent risk-taking group which student
includes, then Eco-Entrepreneurship
seems like a perfect opportunity for them.
Who initiated your programmes,
what were the milestones of their
evolution?
I initiated the Eco-Entrepreneurship
programme in close collaboration with
the Technology Management Program-
me of the UCSB College of Engineering.
On that basis the Bren School launched
the nation‘s frst programme of study in
eco-entrepreneurship (Eco-E) in 2007.
We did a, „Let‘s do it“ mini version to see
if we can develop this kind of a program-
me. And then, there was this explosive
student interest, which caught a lot of
the faculty o?-guard. It was advertising
this and really going after students who
were looking for this kind of a programme.
So it became clear that this couldn‘t be
something just a little side project of one
of the faculty and that we really have to
develop a comprehensive programme.
And so, we did a search and identifed
Emily Cotter and hired her as Eco-Entre-
preneurship Lecturer, Project Coordinator
and Programme Manager. She has started
several businesses herself. Emily was a
huge part of the success. She‘s an ama-
zing teacher. Literally, the frst year we
started this programme, I think we had 30
students out of our 80 that decided they
wanted to do this even though it was not
a reason they came to Bren at all. It‘s just
a matter of being exposed to her in the
initial orientation and two weeks kind of
boot camp things about opportunities and
a lot of them gave it a try. And now, we‘ve
?ushed out the programme in a very big
way. Another important milestone was
the establishment of our Eco-Entrepre-
neurship Advisory Council. The Advisory
Council guides, supports, and promotes
eco-entrepreneur-ship education at the
Bren School, and serves as the primary
conduit between the school and the entre-
preneurial and investor communities. It
has been very helpful in terms of creating
incubator funds and fellowships.
What can other universities learn
from it?
The universities always have to justify
themselves. They compete for govern-
ment funds or they compete with private
funds. They compete for the best faculty.
They compete for the best students. If
eco-entrepreneurship is an area that
has social benefts, if this is an area that
students are interested in, if this is an area
the faculty are interested, then a success-
ful university has to be there.
What are your next steps/future
plans?
We are working on developing more
fellowships, trying to fnd a way to
incubate the student teams, or really talk
with some alumni and community members
that will be putting together an Angel
fund. We don‘t know the mechanics of it
yet because di?erent Angel and Master‘s
funds operate di?erently. I don‘t know if
it‘ll be one where we have the students
present and each member decide if they
want to invest or if they will collectively
create a pool of funds and then have a
Board that determines the investment
amount and award our investment.
What has been the impact of your
sustainable entrepreneurship
support?
I think success is shown by student
interest and the fact that we now have a
full-time Eco-Entrepreneurship Lecturer
and Programme Manager, Emily Cotter.
Every year since 2012 we had one student
team launch a new eco-venture. Last year
we had two. This year, we‘ll have two as
well. It‘s happening and there is momentum.
Students are coming in and realizing this
is a path that they can do after graduation.
There‘s defnitely been an impact as far
as media coverage for our programme
because our students have been consis-
tently going to national competitions and
winning awards and getting placing in the
top semi-fnals to fnals. Our Eco-Entre-
preneurship Team, Charborn, just recent-
ly won $75,000 in a National Business
Competition. Charborn seeks to unlock
the potential of biochar as a soil amendment
for the agricultural industries. A high-car-
bon soil amendment similar to shredded
bits of charcoal, biochar allows farmers
to boost yields while using less water and
fertilizer. So, that happened and every
year, we keep seeing more and more.
Interview with Gary Libecap, Ph.D.
Professor, Corporate Environmental Management
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management
University of California, Santa Barbara
for the agricultural industries. A high-car-
bon soil amendment similar to shredded
bits of charcoal, biochar allows farmers
to boost yields while using less water and
fertilizer. So, that happened and every
year, we keep seeing more and more.
for the agricultural industries. A high-car-
bon soil amendment similar to shredded
bits of charcoal, biochar allows farmers
to boost yields while using less water and
fertilizer. So, that happened and every
year, we keep seeing more and more.
Why did your university/business
school start to support sustainable
entrepreneurship and/or eco-inno-
vation endeavours?
It started when I came here in 2006
because we had a traditional entrepre-
Additional Information
Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, UCSB:
www.bren.ucsb.edu
Master of “Environmental Science and Management (MESM)”:
www.bren.ucsb.edu/academics/MESM.html
MModule in “Corporate Environmental Management (CEM)”:
www.bren.ucsb.edu/academics/mesm_specialization/corp_env_mgt.htm
Module in “Eco-Entrepreneurship (Eco-E)”:
www.bren.ucsb.edu/academics/eco_entrepreneur.htm
Eco-Entrepreneurship Advisory Council (EEAC):
www.bren.ucsb.edu/partnerships/eco_council.htm
Find SHIFT online at: www.shift-project.eu www.borderstep.org
Contact SHIFT:
Funded by:
Prof. Dr. Klaus Fichter
Borderstep Institute for Innovation
& Sustainability, Berlin, Germany
E-mail: [email protected]
Prof. Magnus Klofsten & Prof. Olof Hjelm
Linköping University, Sweden
E-mail: [email protected],
[email protected]
Prof. Alastair Fuad-Luke
Aalto University, Helsinki, Finland
E-mail: [email protected]
Authors:
Klaus Fichter, Joerg Geier, Irina Tiemann
For citation please use:
Fichter, K., Geier, J. & Tiemann, I. (2015). Good practice collection university support for sustainable entrepreneurship: Bren School for
Environmental Science & Management. Borderstep: Berlin.
doc_517223054.pdf