Sustainable Transformation
Sustainable transformation as we see it, is a journey of fundamental change toward a high-synergy society, integrated economy and flourishing ecosystem, guided by the principles of economic continuity, technological networking, social equity, ecological restoration and personal wholeness.
Our research on sustainable transformation has four pillars:
Positive Futures (the “why?” of the sustainable transformation agenda): Creating a better future (more secure, smart, shared, sustainable and satisfying) by tackling systemic global challenges (including disruption, disconnection, disparity, destruction and discontent).
Integrated Value (the “what?” of the sustainable transformation agenda): Disseminating concepts and measures of value creation (including human, economic, technological, social and natural value) across multiple capitals and implementing them in society as a whole and within organizations.
Meaningful Innovation (the “how?” of the sustainable transformation agenda): Finding creative, scalable solutions for our most urgent social and environmental problems, using innovative strategies, business models, products and services.
Purposeful Leadership (the “who?” of the sustainable transformation agenda): Developing inspiring, transformational leaders who can overcome society’s challenges with a systemic, disruptive, inclusive, sustainable and ethical approach.
We apply insights from these four focus areas to the five elements of the Nexus Economy, i.e. the economic trends and emerging business models relating to resilience, exponential, access, circular and wellbeing economies (see “Solutions” for more information).
The Chair in Sustainable Transformation supports AMS’ long-standing commitment to prepare future leaders to face global challenges and to be a positive force for change through business. This chair in Sustainable Transformation supports this commitment through research, co-creation and development.
What?
Research
With this chair, we enable sustainability through collaboration with companies in fundamental applied research projects on creating integrated value, sustainable transformation, leadership for sustainability and sustainable mindsets. We facilitate our partners and clients on implementing these.
Co-creation
- We facilitate the establishment of corporate leadership groups to advance sustainable transformation in the resilience, exponential, access, circular and wellbeing economies
- We integrating sustainable transformation into current AMS training programs with the SDG Exchange Day.
- We collaborate with the University of Antwerp on sustainability research and teaching through the Antwerp Partnership for Sustainability.
- In order to further stimulate collaboration with the University of Antwerp and the Antwerp Partnership for Sustainability we have involved our contacts in the Benelux-France PRME Chapter (Principles for Responsible Management Education, part of the UN Global Compact). This Chapter focuses on fostering sustainable mindsets through inter-university collaboration in education and research projects.
Development
Through our educational programs, we create sustainable mindsets on AMS full-time and executive programs.
We also develop sustainability programs and applications to introduce you to the latest thinking and tools on sustainable transformation and to enable you to translate your own organization’s sustainability ambitions into innovation programs.
In February 2021, the new Master Class 'Mastering Sustainable Transformation' kicked off.
Our faculty members are experts in their academic field but they also know how to share their knowledge with large business audiences. They act as authors, consultants, influencers as well as inspiring keynote speakers.
We also provide tailored learning programs for organizations.
Would you like to stay informed about the developments of sustainability programs and tools? Let us know by filling out this form.
Mastering Sustainable Transformation
Pursuing “sustainable transformation” is a new way of organizing business strategy and operations. This course has been developed for professionals who want to take their organization one step further by working out the “how to” of sustainable transformation. Discover the five modules on:
- sustainable transformation
- sustainable innovation
- sustainable leadership & HR
- sustainable supply chain & circular economy
- sustainable marketing, communication & reporting
Powered by BASF, Port of Antwerp and Randstad
Jan Remeysen, CEO BASF: “Providing everyone with a livable future and an increased quality of life, that is the big challenge we are facing as a society. The chemical industry has a big responsibility in this respect, and a contribution to make. That is why BASF has been focusing for years now on innovation to make its production chains and products more sustainable. But we cannot do this on our own, we need interaction across varying sectors and social organizations. As a founding member of the Chair in Sustainable Transformation at AMS, we want to cooperate with Prof. Dr. Wayne Visser to stimulate sustainable transformation through leadership groups and the integration of sustainability in all student curricula at AMS and UAntwerpen.”
Jacques Vandermeiren, CEO Port of Antwerp: “Several years ago, our port community already set a course for the future built on sustainable economic models. We are convinced that this transition process contains the elements to help us face current global and local challenges, such as climate issues, mobility and digitization. By appointing Wayne Visser to hold the Chair in Sustainable Transformation, we bring an impressive speaker and thought leader to Antwerp who will provide us with the necessary inspiration.”
Eddy Annys, Managing Director Randstad: “Ever since the creation of Randstad in 1960, founder Frits Goldschmeding was well aware of the impact of work on individuals and on society. You cannot treat people and society carelessly, which is why we embraced value-oriented action with a focus on a fair and inclusive society from day one. This vision is also present in the Chair in Sustainable Transformation and the ideas of Prof. Dr. Wayne Visser. In this partnership, we will collaborate to develop and share information and tools that will help businesses to use their human potential for the benefit of individuals, the company and society.”
Meet Prof. Dr. Wayne Visser
Prof. Dr. Wayne Visser is Professor of Integrated Value and holder of the Chair in Sustainable Transformation at Antwerp Management School. He is also a Fellow of the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership and Extraordinary Professor of Sustainable Business at the Gordon Institute for Business Science in South Africa. Prof. Dr. Visser is the author of 26 books and 300+ chapters, papers and articles. His work as a “pracademic” has taken him to 74 countries over the last 25 years, including lecturing at 50 universities in 19 countries. In addition to his academic roles, Prof. Dr. Visser is Director of Kaleidoscope Futures and Founder of CSR International. He obtained a PhD in Corporate Social Responsibility at the Nottingham University Business School, having previously served as Director of Sustainability Services for KPMG and Strategy Analyst for Capgemini in South Africa.
Dr Visser has received international recognition for his work in sustainable business, including being listed as a top 100 influencer on Twitter, a top 100 thought leader in trustworthy business behavior and a top 100 global sustainability leader. He also received the Global CSR Excellence & Leadership Award, the Emerald Literati Outstanding Author Contribution Award and the Outstanding Teacher Award of the Warwick MBA. Among his most recent books are The World Guide to Sustainable Enterprise, and Sustainable Frontiers: Unlocking Change Through Business, Leadership and Innovation.
Inaugural Lecture Chair Sustainable Transformation
On February 1, 2018 Prof. Dr Wayne Visser held his Inaugural Lecture of the Chair in Sustainable Transformation, titled: Creating Integrated Value: from Systems Thinking to Sustainable Transformation in Business and Society.
Publications
Sustainability is like a dorky, spotty adolescent
The sustainability discourse all too often still suffers from a pedantic raised finger. Instead of focusing on everything we will no longer be allowed to do, it would be better to focus on what the ideal world would look like and how we can create it.
The Integrated Value Test For Meaningful Innovation
Just because something is innovative doesn’t necessarily makes it good. A product or service innovation may improve efficiency or boost profitability; it could also be making our society less safe, our environment more polluted and our people less healthy.
Why Sustainable Mindsets Matter
At the EPCA conference in Vienna on 9 October 2018, Prof. Dr. Wayne Visser explained why sustainable mindsets matter: “There are 3 crises that businesses are facing: engagement, inclusion and trust.”
Integrated Value: The Aspirational Goal of Purpose-Inspired Organizations
Integrated value has not emerged out of nothing. It acknowledges and builds on preceding pioneering concepts, e.g. Ed Freeman’s stakeholder value (1984), Jed Emerson’s blended value (2000), Stuart Hart’s sustainable value (2011) and Michael Porter’s and Mark Kramer’s shared value (2011). Yet it also distinguishes itself from these concepts.
The focus on value creation is important, since this is a concept that business understands well. The name intuitively conveys that we are talking about strategic practice – something at the heart of an organization’s purpose, rather than a peripheral activity or support function (contrary to CSR and sustainability that seem to be condemned to the periphery, unfortunately). But value for whom? And how do you measure it? This is where integration comes in.
