How a new model for higher education could (really) enhance sustainability transitions
In this article, Thomas B. Long, EDHEC Associate Professor, and his co-authors, shed light on how higher education institutions can go beyond research and education to become catalysts for sustainable activities. They based their reflections on, among other things, the North Sea Sustainable Innovation Challenge (NSSIC) initiative.
As we continue to cross planetary boundaries, and the need for the net positive transition grows, much of the attention goes to policymakers, corporations, and tech startups. These are the ‘usual suspects’, the key change agents, in the standard model. But what if we’re overlooking one of the most quietly powerful actors in the sustainability transition?
Higher Education actors – i.e. Universities and business schools - long seen as ivory towers of education and knowledge, have been quietly but steadily shaping a new model for the last few years, where they become active agents of change – particularly in the regions that need it most.
A recent study co-authored by researchers from EDHEC Business School, the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano and the International University of Monaco, sheds light on how these institutions can go beyond research and education to become catalysts for sustainable activities, starting with entrepreneurship (1).
The Third Mission: Higher Education institutions as Engines of Transformation
Traditionally, universities and business schools have focused on two core missions: research and teaching. Less known is their “third mission”, referring to the role of higher education institutions in driving societal impact beyond academia, engaging with society and connecting the needs of the economy, the communities and local territories.
Building on this idea, a growing movement is now developing an expanded model of the third mission — one that promotes not just any entrepreneurship, but entrepreneurship that respects and regenerates local ecosystems and enriches communities.
That Universities and business schools support and encourage entrepreneurship is not new. However, an increasing focus on regional development and trickier contexts speaks to the potential power of these new models.
For example, in our research, we explored the potential of this new model in the North Sea region, which covers a range of nature protected and culturally sensitive regions. This includes the Wadden Sea, a World Heritage site, where biodiversity, cultural heritage, and rural livelihoods have to be carefully balanced. This region suffers from uneven investment, youth outmigration, and climate threats. It is also home to fiercely proud communities, which can be resistant to top-down interventions, making embedded, place-sensitive actors all the more important. And it’s within this context, that the University ‘third mission’ came in.
The research documents the “North Sea Sustainable Innovation Challenge” (NSSIC) (2), a university-led support program, that worked with local entrepreneurs to develop regenerative business ideas – ranging from sustainable tourism to low-impact agriculture. More than just funding or mentoring, the program created a space where ideas could mature, be challenged, and gain legitimacy.
Institutions as Connectors, Not Just Creators
One of the most powerful findings were that participants said the university didn’t just teach – it helped to open doors. In tightly knit coastal communities, gaining access to decision-makers, public authorities, or conservation groups isn’t easy. But universities are often seen as neutral and legitimate brokers – able to connect entrepreneurial talent with local governance and civil society.
In other words, the university becomes a facilitator, nurturing grassroots innovation (at the “niche level”), while also influencing established institutions, such as local authorities and existing businesses (“regime level”) and responding to wider pressures or trends, such as climate change (“landscape level”).
From Greenwashing to Ground Truthing
While many corporations rush to polish their green credentials, initiatives like NSSIC are a powerful counterpoint to greenwashing. These are not slick carbon offset schemes designed for ESG dashboards—they’re often more local, more connected ventures grounded in community and ecology.
In fact, one participant chose to abandon their idea after feedback from local authorities revealed it might do more harm than good. Being willing to say no in the name of longer-term well-being is an important lesson in efforts to develop sustainability.
One successful example was Brian van Es, a master’s student at Campus Fryslân, who used the program to pitch and launch an eco-accounting business to help small, local companies navigate the complex landscape of ecolabels, funding, and sustainability practices. Combining his background in accounting with expertise in sustainable entrepreneurship, Brian aimed to become a one-stop-shop for entrepreneurs seeking to run both economically and environmentally healthy businesses.
Though numerous institutions have already taken serious commitment to embed sustainability into core operations and pedagogy – including the ones the authors are affiliated to – this research offers a glimpse of how they could go even further.
Imagine a model where universities and business schools don’t just shape the future of strategy, finance, entrepreneurship, but actively coordinate with local governments, citizen groups, and marginalized communities in its regions and across Europe. Imagine it playing a convening role in regional climate action, not just analysing it.
For example, EDHEC’s recent launch of the Centre for Net Positive Business (3) and the Centre for Responsible Entrepreneurship (4) marks a significant evolution in this direction. These centres move beyond traditional metrics of academic success, actively embedding net positive thinking and responsible innovation into the DNA of entrepreneurship and innovation education and support.
Final Thoughts
In an era where climate targets are slipping and trust in institutions is shaky, universities and business schools may seem like unlikely heroes. But with their deep roots, knowledge capital, rich networks and convening power, they may be the most quietly radical force we have.
The sustainability transition won’t be won by apps or offsets alone. It will be won by networks of care, of coordination, of courage—and increasingly, by organisations willing to step into the messiness of the real world.
References
(1) Buzzao, G., Long, T. B., & Argade, P. (2025). Sustainable entrepreneurship support programs in nature-protected areas: How universities third mission aids sustainability transitions. Business Strategy and the Environment, 34(2), 1643–1668. https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.4050
(2) Long et al. (2022) White Paper - https://www.waddensea-worldheritage.org/sites/default/files/2022_Innovation%20challenge%20white%20paper.pdf
(3) See the EDHEC Centre for Net Positive Business - https://www.edhec.edu/en/research-and-faculty/centres-and-chairs/edhec-centre-for-net-positive-business
(4) See the EDHEC Centre for Responsible Entrepreneurship - https://www.edhec.edu/en/research-and-faculty/centres-and-chairs/edhec-centre-for-responsible-entrepreneurship
Photo by Kevin Mueller via Unsplash
