Workshop

Driving Transformations in Sustainability and Digitalization Through Collaborative Leadership

This workshop aims to foster collaborative leadership and promote discussions on how multinational enterprises (MNEs) can drive transformative change during business transformations. Viewing digitalization and sustainability as twin transformations, this workshop also explores how these forces hold the potential to reshape how MNEs capture, create, and distribute value across their global value chains.

Organised by Business Management and Organisation
Date

Thu 6 March 2025 14:00 to 17:00

Venue Orion, building number 103
Bronland 1
103
6708 WH Wageningen
+31 (0) 317 48 87 77

These transformations offer new opportunities for redesigning firms’ strategies, forging innovative partnerships, and creating niche markets. However, a key challenge remains in understanding how MNEs can effectively drive digital sustainability across their extended global networks. This process is inherently complex, requiring MNEs to coordinate and collaborate with a diverse range of globally dispersed partners.

By bringing together industry leaders and academic experts, this workshop will focus on identifying best practices, tackling key challenges, and devising innovative solutions to accelerate progress in sustainability and digitalization. Special emphasis will be placed on the role of leadership in orchestrating organizational transformations that integrate sustainability with digital innovations.

Characteristics

  • Format: Hybrid (In-person and online)
  • Participants: Leading professionals and academics from diverse sectors including sustainability, innovation, and digital transformation
  • Thematic Tracks: Participants will share insights on challenges and solutions across key themes such as sustainable sourcing, circular economy, and sustainable impact in digital transformation.
  • Collaborative Outputs: Participants will have the opportunity to co-author white papers that link their experiences and practices to academic theories, enhancing the societal impact of their work.
  • Networking: An informal dinner will offer opportunities for relationship-building and continued discussions post-event.

Register for the workshop

Agenda – Workshop March 6 (14:00 - 17:00 CET)

14:00 – 14:15 | Opening Remarks (Plenary Session) - Joost De Laat

  • Welcome and participant introductions
  • Overview of workshop objectives and agenda

Orion Building, WUR Campus, Room C2030

Teams link

14:15 – 14:30 | Academic Keynote (Plenary Session – Brief Talk) - Maria Annosi

  • Short academic keynote on a key topic related to industry challenges
  • Introduction to breakout group discussions

Orion Building, WUR Campus, room C2030

Teams link

14:30 – 15:45 | Industry Challenges & Best Practices : Group Discussions (Breakout Sessions – 5 Tables)

  • Industry participants divided into 4 tables based on their specific challenges
  • Each table facilitated by one or two academics guiding the discussion
  • Academic chairs appointed to each table prepare discussions based on input received via provided slide templates
  • Structured conversations to explore key issues and identify possible solutions
Orion Building , WUR Campus, room C2030 - breakout room 1 Teams link
Orion Building , WUR Campus, room B3020 - breakout room 2 Teams link
Orion Building , WUR Campus, room C3033 - breakout room 3 Teams link
Orion Building , WUR Campus, room B4016 - breakout room 4 Teams link

15:45 – 16:15 | Wrap-up & Closing Remarks (Plenary Session) – Academic chairs with Jack Van De Vorst

  • Academic chairs share key insights from breakout discussions
  • Open reflection on outcomes and potential future collaborations with WUR

Academic chairs:

  1. Wilfred Dolfsma – Chair Holder & Head of Business Section, BMO Chair group, WUR
  2. Jos Bijman – Associate Professor, Expert in Cooperatives and Producer Organizations, BMO Chair group, WUR
  3. Joris Ebbers – Full Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Luiss Business School, Rome; Academic Dean, Amsterdam Campus
  4. Renate Wesselink – Associate Professor, Education and Learning Sciences, ELS Chair group, WUR

Orion Building, WUR Campus, Room C2030

Teams link

16:15 – 17:00 | Networking

  • Informal moment to strengthen connections and further explore discussion points
  • Participants who wish to stay longer can join a afterward

Orion Building, WUR Campus, the Spot café

17:30 – 19:00 | Self-Funded dinner

Omnia building, Restaurant Novum